For Release: January 4, 1999 Don Nolan (202)208-2534 dnolan@osmre.gov OSM HELPS CLEAN STREAMS Kathy Karpan, Director of the Interior Department's Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSM), announced a new initiative, the Watershed Cooperative Agreement Program, to provide funding for local organizations that undertake local acid mine drainage projects. As part of OSM's FY 1999 Appalachian Clean Streams Initiative, $750,000 is available to fund cooperative agreements between OSM and not-for-profit groups, especially small watershed organizations, for local acid mine drainage projects. "Funding for these local organizations and for the Clean Streams Initiative has been a priority for me from the start of my term. I have traveled to areas where local groups have done tremendous work to clean up these acid mine drainage problems and I was determined to find a way to get additional funding for these local programs," said Karpan. Eligible applicants are not-for-profit, established organizations with IRS 501(c)(3) status. Applicants must have other partners, contributing either funding or in-kind services. The partners must provide a substantial portion of the total resources needed to complete the project. The OSM funding must be the final amount needed to make it a workable project. For this year, proposed projects are limited to the following Appalachian Clean Streams states: Alabama, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia. Applications will be accepted starting February 1, 1999 and will be accepted until June 1, 1999. For further information and requests for an application package, which includes additional information on the program, the application forms and evaluation criteria contact your local Appalachian Clean Streams Coordinator. A list of the local coordinators is available on OSM's homepage at www.osmre.gov, or by fax on demand on 202-219-1703, or by calling OSM Headquarters on 202-208-2534. ### Appalachian Clean Streams Coordinators: Alabama: Jeannie O'Dell, Birmingham Field Office, 135 Gemini Circle, Suite 215, Homewood, AL 35209, 205-290-7282, ext. 21; Illinois: David Best, Mid-Continent Regional Coordinating Center, Alton Federal Center, 501 Belle Street, Room 216, Alton, IL 62002, 618-463-6463, ext. 123; Indiana: Michael Kalagian, Indianapolis Field Office, Minton-Capehart Federal Building, 575 N. Pennsylvania Street, Room 392, Indianapolis, IN 46204, 317-226-6166, ext. 234; Iowa: Len Meier, Mid-Continent Regional Coordinating Center, Alton Federal Center, 501 Belle Street, Room 216, Alton, IL 62002, 618-463-6463, ext. 109; Kentucky: Dave Beam, Lexington Field Office, 2675 Regency Road, Lexington, KY 40503, 606-233-2896; Maryland: Peter Hartman, Appalachian Regional Coordinating Center, 3 Parkway Center, Pittsburgh, PA 15220, 412-937-2905; Missouri: Jeff Gillespie, Mid-Continent Regional Coordinating Center, Alton Federal Center, 501 Belle Street, Room 216, Alton, IL 62002, 618-463-6463, ext. 128; Ohio: Max Luehrs, Columbus Area Office, 4480 Refugee Road, Suite 201, Columbus, OH 43232, 614-866-0578, ext.110; Pennsylvania: David Hamilton, Harrisburg Field Office, 415 Market Street, Suite 3, Harrisburg, PA 17101, 717-782-2285; Tennessee: Danny Ellis, Knoxville Field Office, 530 Gay Street, Suite 500, Knoxville, TN 37902, 423-545-4103, ext. 147; Virginia: Ronnie Vicars, Big Stone Gap Field Office, 1941 Neeley Road, Suite 201, Compartment 116, Big Stone Gap, VA 24219, 540-523-0024; West Virginia: Rick Buckley, Charleston Field Office, 1027 Virginia Street East, Charleston, WV 25301, 304-347-7162, ext. 3024. -DOI-