OSM NEWS
U. S. Department of the Interior        
Office of Surface Mining
                                                                 
For Release: July 27, 1999         Jerry Childress (202) 208-2719
                                   jchildre@osmre.gov


OSM RELEASES PART 2 OF 20TH ANNIVERSARY REPORT 

     Kathy Karpan, Director of the Interior Department's Office
of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSM), today
released Part 2 of the agency's special report, "20th
Anniversary: Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act".

     The report which updates and supersedes OSM's 15-year
progress report published in 1992, deals with the accomplishments
of the regulatory and abandoned mine land reclamation programs
during the initial 20 years of the Surface Mining Control and
Reclamation Act of 1977 (SMCRA).  Part 1, published in August
1997, is an illustrated description of on-the ground
accomplishments, while Part 2 presents statistical information
for the 20-year period (9/3/77-9/30/97).

     The data in the 83-page statistical report are organized in
two sections: national statistics and state and tribal
statistics.  The national statistics provide an overview of coal
mining and the implementation of SMCRA since 1977.  The
information reported for the states and tribes presents a brief
description of mining and reclamation in their geographic areas
and is accompanied by statistics and graphs that relate each
state's and tribe's mining and reclamation to the nation as a
whole.  

     Copies of the report will be distributed to the public upon
request.  They may be ordered electronically at
www.osmre.gov/order1.htm, or contact:  Office of Communications,
Office of Surface Mining, 1951 Constitution Ave., N.W.,
Washington, D.C. 20240, Telephone 202-208-2565, Fax 202-501-0549.

                              -OSM-