INDIANAPOLIS AREA OFFICE

The Alton Field Division (AFD) has a suboffice located in Indianapolis, Indiana.  The Indianapolis Area Office (IAO) is responsible for coordination between OSM and State Regulatory Authorities, citizens, and the coal industry in the States of Indiana and Illinois.   State coal regulatory and abandoned mine land programs are monitored to ensure that surface coal mining operations, the surface effects of underground coal mining and the reclamation of abandoned mine lands are conducted in an environmentally sound manner in accordance with the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 (SMCRA).

The IAO staff is responsible for gathering data about coal mining and reclamation operations in each of the states, assisting them in improving inspection and enforcement activities and recommending actions needed to address program deficiencies. The accomplishment of these tasks will assist the states in the implementation of programs and ensure proper reclamation of the land.

Additional responsibilities include:

• Reviews and analyzes proposed State program amendments, monitors, and evaluates State regulatory programs, cooperative agreements and abandoned mine land (AML) reclamation programs.
• Assists in resolving identified program issues within each of the States.
• Works with each State to develop an annual performance agreement which defines the oversight and assistance activities for the current evaluation year.
• Solicits citizen’s comments concerning oversight.
• Conducts performance reviews, inspects mines in accordance with existing OSM policy, citizen concerns or concerns from routine program and document review.
• Provides technical assistance or access to technical assistance on issues relating to mine permitting, compliance monitoring, mitigation, AML issues or reclamation decisions.
• Reviews grant documents and assure programmatic compliance with all grant conditions.
• Assists the States in aggressively pursuing reclamation of the most serious and high priority non-emergency AML sites.
• Participates in technical forums, meetings, and conferences to maintain technical expertise and stay abreast of developments in mining and reclamation technology.

The contact for the Indianapolis Area Office is: