DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR news release ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ OFFICE OF SURFACE MINING RECLAMATION & ENFORCEMENT For Release March 3, 1995 Alan Cole (202) 208-2719 STATES AND TRIBES JOIN WITH OSM IN SHARED COMMITMENT TO ABANDONED MINE RECLAMATION Secretary of the Interior Bruce Babbitt today announced the signing of a Declaration of Shared Commitment between an association representing state and tribal programs that carry out abandoned mine reclamation and Interior's Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSM), their counterpart in the federal government. The National Association of Abandoned Mine Land Programs, comprising 28 states and three Indian tribes, has joined with OSM in a formal declaration of shared commitment to public service, teamwork, responsibility, and integrity in carrying out the abandoned mine land (AML) reclamation program of the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act, he said. "OSM is to be commended for a national program where most day-to-day decisions are made on the ground by the affected states and tribes," Babbitt said. "In an era where government is often accused of micromanaging local matters from afar, this OSM program stands as a real guidepost." He added: "In formalizing their shared commitment, OSM and the states have reached the right federal-state balance -- without too much federal control and without making the states go it alone, but with an appropriate partnership role on each side that is mutually supported and mutually respected." "This is one of Interior's most successful programs of federal-state cooperation," Babbitt said. Robert J. Uram signed the joint declaration on behalf of OSM. Paul F. Rothman, president of the National Association of Abandoned Mine Land Programs, signed on behalf of the reclamation states and tribes. Rothman is Director of the Division of Abandoned Lands in the Department for Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement, Commonwealth of Kentucky. Uram is Director of OSM. "This unprecedented agreement is a major step forward for OSM and the states," Uram said. "It sets forth the principles that will guide our mission for today and shape our vision for the future as we continue working together in what has become America's most successful environmental repair program." "The spirit of cooperation, trust, and dedication to environmental restoration that we are mutually pledging to follow is vital to our continued success in restoring abandoned mine lands and meeting the needs of the affected citizens," Uram said. "This is the way government should work." According to Uram, OSM is fine-tuning its state relationships to ensure that states have the appropriate level of authority while OSM focuses on overall compliance and maintains a "level playing field" from state to state. "This shared commitment on AML reclamation activities represents fundamental agreement among the states, the tribes, and OSM about our respective roles and basic operating principles," Uram said. "Meanwhile, we are working with the states on a shared commitment agreement covering the regulatory aspects of the state-OSM relationship." The National Association of Abandoned Mine Land Programs represents 23 states and three tribes that operate Interior-approved, federally funded AML reclamation programs. (Arizona, Michigan, South Dakota, Tennessee, and Washington also are members.) The tribes belonging to the Association are the Crow, Hopi, and Navajo. The states with Interior-funded programs are Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Missouri, Montana, New Mexico, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Texas, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wyoming. Tennessee, Michigan, and Washington cooperate with OSM on AML reclamation without conducting formal, Interior-approved programs. --oOo-- -DOI- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~