Office of the Secretary
For Immediate Release:  July 18, 2001     
Contact: Eric Ruff 

Secretary Norton Praises President Bush's Announcement Nominating 
Jeffrey Jarrett as Office of Surface Mining Director

 Secretary of the Interior Gale Norton today praised President Bush's 
announcement that he intends to nominate Jeffrey D. Jarrett as Director 
of the department's Office of Surface Mining (OSM).  Jarrett
served as a Deputy Assistant Director for OSM from 1988 to 1994 
and currently is Deputy Secretary for Mineral Resources Management 
of the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP).

Jeff Jarrett is a creative and innovative leader who has served with great 
distinction as a public servant in state and federal government," 
said Secretary Norton. "He brings an unusually balanced perspective to OSM
because he has experience as a mine regulator and as a mining company 
manager. He is committed to enviromental protection as well as aware 
of the way mining companies work and the needs of their workers. 
He is the perfect choice for OSM," Norton said.

In Pennsylvania, Jarrett currently is responsible for regulatory programs 
for surface and underground coal and industrial minerals mining, oil 
and gas exploration, deep mine safety, and abandoned mine lands 
reclamation.  Previously he served as Director of the DEP's Bureau 
of District Mining Operations. In that position he was responsible for 
the effective implementation of various environmental laws as they 
relate to the surface and underground coal and non-coal mining 
industries in Pennsylvania and for miner health and safety regulations 
at all surface mining operations.  

On the federal level, Jarrett brings to the job of director his extensive 
previous experience with OSM.  He served as an OSM Deputy 
Assistant Director responsible for overseeing the effective 
implementation of the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation 
Act of 1977 in the eastern states,  the management of a number of
state and area offices, administration of federal grants to the 
states for the operation of Abandoned Mine Land, oversight and 
management of regulatory programs, and technical assistance to 
the states.

Jarrett previously served as director of planning, division manager, 
and reclamation director for the Cravat Coal Company and as 
reclamation supervisor for The Drummond Company. 

The OSM nominee, a native of West Virginia, received a B.S. 
degree in Human Resource Management from Geneva College 
in Pennsylvania and an A.A.S. degree in Land Stabilization 
and Reclamation from Belmont Technical College in 
St. Clairsville, Ohio.