On August 23, 2007, the Office of Surface Mining celebrated
a milestone – the 30th anniversary of the Surface Mining Control and
Reclamation Act. This landmark environmental law established national standards
for the regulation and reclamation of surface and underground mines. It also created
the Office of Surface Mining, Regulation and Enforcement.
An agency within the U.S. Department of the Interior, OSM
works with states and Indian tribes to ensure that citizens and the environment
are protected during coal mining and that the land is restored to beneficial
use when mining is finished. Along with its partners, states and Indian tribes,
OSM is responsible for reclaiming and restoring lands and water degraded by
mining operations before 1977.
In its beginning, OSM directly enforced mining laws and arranged cleanup of abandoned mine lands. Today, however, most coal states have developed their own programs to do those jobs themselves, as Congress envisioned. OSM now focuses on overseeing state programs and on developing new tools to help the states and tribes get the job done. It trains hundreds of state and tribal professionals each year.
Additionally, OSM is furthering the science of reclaiming
mined lands and of protecting the environment through its work with other
federal agencies, states, colleges and universities. It also promotes initiatives
to plant more trees and to establish much needed wildlife habitat.
Through the act and strong, productive partnerships, OSM continues to strike a balance between protecting the environment and meeting the nation’s need for energy. Since the act was signed into law in 1977, about 29.5 billion tons of coal has been mined responsibly.
Related Link: http://www.osmre.gov/annualreports/annualreport06.htm
With more than 275 billion tons of recoverable reserves, the