OFFICE OF SURFACE MINING
For Release August 31, 1990
Jerry Childress (202) 208-2719

ALABAMA TO ASSUME OPERATION OF STATE A.M.L. EMERGENCY RECLAMATION
PROGRAM

The Interior Department's Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and
Enforcement (OSM) announced today that the State of Alabama will
take over operation of the state's abandoned mine lands (AML)
emergency program on August 31, 1990.

OSM Director Harry M. Snyder said the decision to turn the AML
emergency program over to the state is consistent with federal
policies stressing decentralization of federal control over state
and local programs.   "Alabama has been successful at handling
non-emergency reclamation," Snyder said. "Now the state is fully
prepared to take care of emergency abandoned mine 
situations as well."

OSM currently operates the Alabama AML emergency program from the
agency's support center in Pittsburgh, Pa., with initial
inspections conducted by its Birmingham Field Office.

An AML emergency is defined as "a sudden danger or impairment that
presents a high probability of substantial physical harm to the
health, safety, or general welfare of people before the danger can
be abated under normal program operation procedures-"  The program
covers only mined lands that were abandoned before August 3, 1977.

The Alabama Department of Industrial Relations will implement and
administer the program.  Funding for the AML emergency program will
continue to be provided by OSM, through grants to the state-  The
money comes from nationwide coal production fees of 35 cents per
ton of surface mined coal and 15 cents per ton of coal mined
underground-

-DOI-