Bureau Highlights | OSMRE | BH-31

Office of Surface 

Mining Reclamation 

and Enforcement

OSMRE Funding

Mission—The mission of the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSMRE) is to 

ensure, through a nationwide regulatory program 

in cooperation with the States and Tribes, that coal 

mining activities are conducted in a manner that 

protects communities and the environment during 

mining, ensures land is restored to beneficial use 

following mining, and mitigates the effects of past 

mining through the reclamation of abandoned 

mine lands.

Budget Overview—The 2020 budget request for 

OSMRE is $121.7 million. The budget delivers 

OSMRE’s core mission requirements for oversight 

and supports State and Tribal programs to ensure 

effective, consistent, and high-quality regulatory and reclamation programs across the Nation. 

OSMRE estimates staffing will equal 398 full-time 

equivalents in 2020.

Regulation and Technology—The 2020 budget request for Regulation and Technology, Title V of the 

Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act (SMCRA), is $97.0 million. The budget includes $67.8 

million for Environmental Protection programs. 

Within that, the 2020 budget includes $43.9 million 

for State and Tribal regulatory grants. Additionally, the budget includes $3.8 million to improve 

the mine plan review process, enabling OSMRE to 

align its staff and fiscal resources across activities 

to better focus on developing initiatives that will 

streamline the NEPA process, enhance and accelerate the permitting process with adequate public 

participation, and ensure energy is available to 

meet our security and economic needs while protecting the environment. Other program funding 

is concentrated on State Program Evaluation and 

Federal Program operations, which regulate coal 

mining in States and for Tribes that are without 

approved regulatory programs to fulfill OSMRE’s 

Title V obligations. The budget includes $23.9 million to maintain and support these State, Federal, 

and Indian lands programs.

The OSMRE’s statutory role is to promote and 

assist its partner States and Tribes in establishing 

a stable regulatory environment for coal mining. 

The proposed level of regulatory grant funding, together with expected carryover funding from 2019, 

provides for the efficient and effective operations 

of programs at a level consistent with the anticipated obligations of State and Tribal regulatory 

programs to account for the Nation’s demand for 

coal mine permitting and production. 

The 2020 budget request includes $14.8 million to 

support the Title V mission-focused Technology 

Development and Transfer activities. As mining 
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and engineering information and technology continue to improve, OSMRE continues to provide to 

States and Tribes the most up-to-date information, 

technical training, technical assistance, and technology transfer. These programs help the States 

and Tribes fulfill SMCRA’s requirements in the 

operation of their regulatory and reclamation programs and support advancements, such as electronic permitting and applied science solutions, 

specific to coal-mined sites. The request includes 

$14.4 million for Financial Management and general program support to OSMRE operations.

Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement 

Facts

• Created in 1977 when Congress enacted the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act.

• Ensures coal mining operations are conducted in an environmentally responsible manner.

• Requires land is adequately reclaimed and restored to beneficial use during and following the 

mining process through regulation.

• Institutes nationwide programs to protect society and the environment from the adverse effects of 

surface coal mining operations.

• Trains hundreds of State and Tribal professionals in a broad range of reclamation skills such as 

reestablishing wildlife habitat.

As in prior years, the budget proposes to recover 

the cost of reviewing, administering, and enforcing 

permits for surface coal mining and reclamation 

in Federal programs and on Indian lands where 

OSMRE is the regulatory authority, and encourages States to further pursue cost-recovery options. 

OSMRE expects to recover $40,000 in permitting 

fees in 2020. 

Abandoned Mine Land Reclamation—Under Title 

IV of SMCRA, effective State, Tribal, and Federal 

abandoned mine land programs help to ensure 

expeditious return of pre-SMCRA mined lands 

to effective post-mining land uses. The OSMRE’s 

proposed budget fulfills this statutory goal by preserving funding for these critical requirements. 

The 2020 budget request for the Abandoned Mine 

Reclamation Fund is $24.7 million. The budget 

does not request funding for the Abandoned Mine 

Land (AML) Economic Development Grants pilot 

program, which overlaps with existing mandatory 

AML grants. The budget includes $9.5 million for 

Environmental Restoration activities that focus on 

State and Federal programs, $3.6 million for Technology Development and Transfer programs, and 

$11.7 million to support Financial Management 

and general OSMRE program operations to fulfill 

OSMRE’s Title IV obligations in the reclamation of 

abandoned mine lands. 

Fixed Costs—Fixed costs are fully funded. 
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SUMMARY OF BUREAU APPROPRIATIONS

(all dollar amounts in thousands) 

Comparison of 2020 Request with 2019 CR

Item

2019 CR 2020 Request Change

FTE Amount FTE Amount FTE Amount

Current

Regulation and Technology .............................................. 281 115,804 298 96,960 +17 -18,844

Abandoned Mine Reclamation Fund .............................. 117 139,672 100 24,713 -17 -114,959

Subtotal, Current ............................................................ 398 255,476 398 121,673 0 -133,803

Permanent

Abandoned Mine Reclamation Fund .............................. 0 242,623 0 201,198 0 -41,425

Payments to States in Lieu of Coal Fee Receipts ............ 0 102,994 0 47,300 0 -55,694

Supplemental Payments to UMWA Health Plans ......... 0 225,076 0 263,942 0 +38,866

Subtotal, Permanent ....................................................... 0 570,693 0 512,440 0 -58,253

Total, Office Of Surface Mining

Reclamation and Enforcement ................................... 398 826,169 398 634,113 0 -192,056
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HIGHLIGHTS OF BUDGET CHANGES

By Appropriation Activity/Subactivity

APPROPRIATION: Regulation and Technology 

Item 2018 Actual 2019 CR 2020 Request Change

Environmental Protection .............................. 88,562 88,562 67,754 -20,808

Permit Fees ....................................................... 40 40 40 0

Offsetting Collections - Permit Fees............... 0 -40 -40 0

Technology, Development and Transfer ..... 12,801 12,801 14,765 +1,964

Financial Management ................................... 505 505 505 0

Executive Direction and Administration ..... 13,936 13,936 13,936 0

Civil Penalties .................................................. 4 100 100 0

Offsetting Collections - Civil Penalties.......... -4 -100 -100 0

TOTAL APPROPRIATION ............................ 115,844 115,804 96,960 -18,844

Detail of Budget Changes

Item

2020 Change

from 2019 CR

TOTAL APPROPRIATION ............................ -18,844

Environmental Protection .............................. -20,808

State and Tribal Funding ............................ -24,687

Regulatory Grant Funding ..................... -24,687

State Program Evaluations ......................... -119

Mine Plan Review Process ..................... -119

Federal Programs ........................................ +1,235

Improve Mine Plan Review Process ..... +1,235

Federal Lands ............................................... +17

Improve Mine Plan Review Process ..... +17

Indian Lands ................................................ +458

Improve Mine Plan Review Process ..... +458

Program Development and Maintenance +2,166

Improve Mine Plan Review Process ..... +2,166

Fixed Costs ................................................... +122

Technology, Development and Transfer ..... +1,964

Technical Assistance .................................... +402

Coal Information Management System +402

2020 Change

from 2019 CR

Training......................................................... +42

Technology Transfer ................................... +1,467

AMDTreat Software Development ....... +347

Applied Science Projects ......................... +470

Enhanced GeoMine Project .................... +500

Unmanned Aerial System ...................... +150

Fixed Costs ................................................... +53

Financial Management ................................... 0

Program Realignment ............................. -2

Fixed Costs ................................................... +2

Executive Direction and Administration...... 0

Investment in Future Efficiencies .......... +841

Program Realignment ............................. -27

Fixed Costs ................................................... -814

Subtotals for Changes Across 

Multiple Subactivities

Improve Mine Plan Review Process ......... [+3,800]

Fixed Costs ................................................... [-637]
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APPROPRIATION: Abandoned Mine Reclamation Fund 

Item 2018 Actual 2019 CR 2020 Request Change

Environmental Restoration ............................ 124,480 124,480 9,480 -115,000

Technology, Development and Transfer ..... 3,544 3,544 3,576 +32

Financial Management ................................... 5,182 5,182 5,191 +9

Executive Direction and Administration..... 6,466 6,466 6,466 0

TOTAL APPROPRIATION............................ 139,672 139,672 24,713 -114,959

Detail of Budget Changes

Item

2020 Change

from 2019 CR

TOTAL APPROPRIATION ............................ -114,959

Environmental Restoration ............................ -115,000

AML Economic Development ............... -115,000

Program Realignment ............................. -26

Fixed Costs ................................................... +26

Technology, Development and Transfer ..... +32

Technical Assistance .................................... +27

Coal Information Management System +27

Training......................................................... -5

Technology Transfer ................................... -1

Fixed Costs ................................................... +11

Financial Management ................................... +9

Fee Compliance .......................................... -21

Grants Financial Management .................. +8

Fixed Costs ................................................... +22

Executive Direction and Administration...... 0

Executive Direction ..................................... -4

Administrative Support ............................. -11

General Services .......................................... +413

Fixed Costs ................................................... -398

Subtotals for Changes Across 

Multiple Subactivities

Fixed Costs ................................................... [-339]