FY 2018

ANNUAL

REPORT

The Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement

U.S. Department of the Interior

www.osmre.gov
1 OFFICE OF SURFACE MINING RECLAMATION AND ENFORCEMENT

TABLE OF

CONTENTS 

Cover Photo: Deer on a reclaimed area of the Trapper Mine in 

Colorado.

Inside Cover Photo: OSMRE helped Alabama’s Abandoned 

Mine Reclamation Program with a gob fire that posed health 

and safety concerns for citizens living and working nearby.

1 About the Office of Surface Mining

Reclamation and Enforcement

4 FY 2018 Highlights

18 Abandoned Mine Land Program

26 Regulatory Program

32 Technology Development and

Transfer Program

42 FY 2018 Tables
1 OFFICE OF SURFACE MINING RECLAMATION AND ENFORCEMENT OSMRE FY 2018 ANNUAL REPORT | U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 2

ABOUT OSMRE

ABOUT 

Photo: Poster design capturing text from the 

Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 

1977. 

MISSION STATEMENT

The mission of the Office of Surface Mining 

Reclamation and Enforcement (OSMRE) 

is to carry out the requirements of the 

Surface Mining Control and Reclamation 

Act of 1977 (SMCRA) in cooperation 

with States and Tribes. OSMRE’s primary 

objectives are to ensure that coal mines 

are operated in a manner that protects 

citizens and the environment during mining 

and assures that the land is restored to 

productive use following mining and to 

mitigate the effects of past mining by 

aggressively pursuing reclamation of 

abandoned coal mines.

The OSMRE is a bureau within the 

United States Department of the 

Interior. OSMRE is responsible for 

establishing a nationwide program to 

protect society and the environment 

from the adverse effects of surface 

coal mining operations.

OSMRE was created in 1977 when 

Congress enacted the Surface 

Mining Control and Reclamation 

Act. OSMRE works with states and 

tribes to ensure that citizens and 

the environment are protected 

during coal mining and that the land 

is restored to beneficial use when 

mining is finished. OSMRE and its 

partners are also responsible for 

reclaiming and restoring lands and 

water degraded by mining operations 

before 1977.

Photo: The signing of the Surface Mining Control 

and Reclamation Act of 1977.
3 OFFICE OF SURFACE MINING RECLAMATION AND ENFORCEMENT OSMRE FY 2018 ANNUAL REPORT | U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

4

OSMRE AT A GLANCE

BUDGET AND WORKFORCE FIGURES • $255.5 million in 2018 in 

discretionary funds

• $632.2 million in mandatory funds • 398 Full-Time Equivalent positions

To learn more about OSMRE’s historical 

budgets, please visit

www.doi.gov/budget/appropriations/.

ABANDONED MINE LAND PROGRAM

www.osmre.gov/programs/aml.shtm

Addresses environmental and public safety 

hazards on pre-SMCRA mine sites. In Fiscal 

Year (FY) 2018, the program made more 

than $300 million in grants available to 

states and tribes.

Total Abandoned Mine Land Grants

FY 2018: $300.7 million

REGULATORY PROGRAM

www.osmre.gov/programs/rcm.shtm

Implements SMCRA and sets administrative 

and technical standards, performs 

oversight of state regulatory programs, 

administers regulatory programs in states 

that do not have their own approved 

programs, and provides assistance to 

state regulatory programs. In FY 2018, 

the Bureau’s Regulatory Program made 

available $68 million in regulatory grant 

funding to state and tribal regulatory 

authorities.

Total Regulatory Grants FY 2018: 

$68.6 million 

TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT AND 

TRANSFER PROGRAM

www.osmre.gov/programs/TDT.shtm

Provides technical support, assistance, 

training, and technology transfer for 

OSMRE’s Abandoned Mine Land (AML) 

and Regulatory Programs. In FY 2018, 

the Technology Development and Transfer 

Program received $16.3 million of which 

$12.8 million was provided in regulation 

and technology funds, and $3.5 million was 

allotted in AML funding.

Photo: Farmers informed about the reclamation of prime 

farmland soils on active mines as part of Indiana’s Prime 

Farmland Day.

Photo: The wheelhouse at the abandoned Mid-Lothian mine in 

Chesterfield, County, Virginia. Structures like this are protected 

on abandoned mine land projects through consultation with 

State Historic Preservation offices.

FY 2018 HIGHLIGHTS
5 OFFICE OF SURFACE MINING RECLAMATION AND ENFORCEMENT OSMRE FY 2018 ANNUAL REPORT | U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 6

Approval of Mining Plans For Federal Coal

Fiscal Year (FY) 2018 saw the Office 

of Surface Mining Reclamation and 

Enforcement (OSMRE) complete eight 

mining plan decision documents (across 

five different states), that recommended 

approval of mining on lands containing 

leased Federal coal. 

The mining plan recommendations 

were made after the preparation of 

environmental documents that analyzed 

the effects of the proposed actions on 

the environment in compliance with the 

National Environmental Policy Act. 

Photo: An underground longwall mine at Bull Mountains Mine, 

Montana.

Photo: A dragline and shovel removes overburden and loads 

coal at the Falkirk Mine, North Dakota.

Photo Previous Page: OSMRE Employees conduct water tests 

at The Wilds, a 10,000-acre conservation center built on 

reclaimed mine lands in southeastern Ohio.

Photo: Active mining facilities at the underground 

Sufco Mine.

Photo: Dry Fork Mine, Wyoming.

Name of Mine Coal Company State Number of 

Employees

Tons of 

Recoverable 

Federal Coal

Average 

Annual 

Production 

(in tons)

Acres

Belle Ayr Contura Coal West WY 259 221.7 million 20 million 1,671

Bull Mountains #1 Signal Peak Energy MT 260 30.2 million 9.6 million 1,725

Cordero Rojo Cordero Mining, LLC WY 383 55.8 million 20 million 852

Dry Fork Western Fuels 

Wyoming, Inc. WY 82 33.4 million 6 million 365

Falkirk Rev 37 Falkirk Mining Co. ND 530 2.2 million 8.5 million 160

Jim Bridger Bridger Coal Company WY 466 4.5 million 6.5 million 560

King II GCC Energy, LLC CO 88 2.7 million 1.1 million 590

Sufco Canyon Fuel 

Company, LLC UT 450 56 million 6.3 million 6,175

TOTAL 2,518 407 million 78 million 12,098

Photo: Belle Ayr Mine, Wyoming.

Photo: King II Mine, Colorado.
7 OFFICE OF SURFACE MINING RECLAMATION AND ENFORCEMENT OSMRE FY 2018 ANNUAL REPORT | U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 8

OSMRE’s Watershed Cooperative Agreement 

Grants Flow to Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West 

Virginia Streams

OSMRE awarded almost $1 million in 

watershed cooperative agreement grants to 

nonprofit watershed restoration groups in 

Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia in FY 

2018.

Five non-profit organizations across 

Appalachia shared the funding for work 

on 10 acid mine drainage (AMD) projects 

selected through the merit review process 

for federal funding opportunities.

The funds are a part of OSMRE’s Watershed 

Cooperative Agreement Program (WCAP), 

which provides supplemental financial 

assistance to nonprofit watershed 

restoration groups and other non-profit 

organizations for the construction of AMD 

treatment facilities that help restore the 

biological health of local streams.

WCAP grants result in partnerships 

that encourage long-term commitment 

to projects through engagement with 

local communities and environmental 

conservation. Other contributions from 

the non-profits’ partners added additional 

funds, over $3 million, to the projects. FY 

2018 funds will focus on a range of projects 

including the removal of abandoned coal 

mining spoil piles and the installation and 

rehabilitation of existing AMD treatment 

systems to restore water and fisheries.

Between 1999 and 2017, OSMRE awarded 

299 cooperative agreement grants totaling 

nearly $27 million. With a contribution ratio 

of 2.5 to 1, approximately $65 million has 

been leveraged from additional sources to 

further the cleanup of streams affected by 

AMD.

Photo: AMD treatment facility within the Cheat River watershed 

in West Virginia.

The following watershed projects will 

benefit from this round of OSMRE

WCAP grants:

OHIO

• $200,000 - Ilesboro Road

PENNSYLVANIA

• $89,200 - Kyler Run Anoxic Limestone 

Drain #1 (ALD1) Rehabilitation

• $82,000 - Kyler Run Anoxic Limestone 

Drain #2 (ALD2) Rehabilitation

• $100,000 - Hayes Run

• $23,500 - Howe Bridge Rehabilitation

• $54,755 - Filson 1 and 2 Rehabilitation

• $100,000 - Big Run Enhancement

WEST VIRGINIA

• $93,600 - Valley Highwall #3 Upgrade

• $100,000 - Sandy Run

• $99,900 - Swamp Run #2

Photo: Swamp Run #2 planned water treatment site in

West Virginia.

Photo: Construction machinery at work during the Valley 

Highwall #3 upgrade project in West Virginia.

Photo: An aerial view of an acid mine drainage treatment 

facility at Sandy Run in West Virginia.
9 OFFICE OF SURFACE MINING RECLAMATION AND ENFORCEMENT OSMRE FY 2018 ANNUAL REPORT | U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 10

Who would have thought that 

a PGA golf course temporarily 

served as home to the easiest 

hole in the country? Just 

after the fourth green on the 

Raymond C. Firestone Public 

9 and Driving Range course in 

Akron, Ohio and just before 

the residential neighborhood 

nearby, golfers had the rare 

opportunity to aim for a hole 

6 feet long, 6 feet wide, and 30 feet deep. 

No, this hole was not an attempt to get the 

course into a record book; rather, it was 

a hidden danger waiting to strike. Luckily, 

thanks to the work of course management, 

the Ohio Department of Natural Resources 

(ODNR), and OSMRE, this air shaft from 

an abandoned mine was filled and sealed. 

Everyone chipped in to score a hole-in-one 

Photo: Workers filling in 

the hole with concrete 

near the fourth green at 

Firestone Country Club.

for public safety. Naturally, there is the 

question of how a 30-foot deep hole found 

its way onto a golf course in the first place. 

To answer that, it makes sense to start at 

the beginning. The Brewster Coal Company 

abandoned its mine in the Coventry 

Township of Summit County in 1874. All 

that is known for sure is that sometime 

Photo: Firestone Country 

Club subsidence event 

shown on the golf course

Rubber Capital Golf Course

Bounces Back After AML Emergency

(AND OTHER TALES OF RECLAMATION)

OSMRE, states, and tribes continue to see the impacts 

of abandoned mine lands (AML) on communities across 

the U.S. In fact, millions of people live within a mile of 

an AML issue. As communities grow into more remote 

areas, once minor AML issues are now becoming 

greater public risks in need of attention.

OSMRE saw numerous emergency projects pop up in 

FY 2018 and staff responded quickly to help 

communities address these serious problems.

Top Photo: The air shaft from the former Brewster Mine 

being filled with concrete at the Firestone Country Club. 

Center Photo: The shaft that opened up at the Firestone 

Country Club that created a dangerous situation.

after that year, locals used the land for 

farming. By 1915, Harvey Firestone 

purchased 1,000 acres of land, which 

included the former site of the Brewster 

Mine, to develop parks and houses for 

employees of his rubber factory. To keep 

this large workforce happy, Firestone had 

the Firestone Country Club constructed on 

that same land in 1929. 

On the eve of the Great Depression, the 

rubber industry was booming in Akron, 

and not just for Firestone. The town 

served as the hub for four major rubber 

manufacturers, earning it the title, “Rubber 

Capital of the World.” Meanwhile, the total 

population of the city increased by 201.8 

percent. The rising popularity of bicycles, 

and later cars and trucks, all of which 

rely on the production of rubber, brought 

prosperity to the town, but it did not last. 

During the ‘60s and ‘70s, Akron went 

from rubber to rust, as manufacturing left 

the Midwest. While Akron was suffering, 

the Firestone Country Club was thriving, 

hosting the PGA Championship, the 

American Golf Classic and the World Series 

of Golf for multiple years. The city of 

rubber eventually bounced back, becoming 

a haven for the development of polymers, 

a necessity in the age of new technologies. 

Though both Akron and the Firestone 

Country Club have visibly changed since 

the Brewster Coal Company left its mine 

behind 145 years ago, the legacy of mining 

has often laid unchanged and invisible, 

buried beneath the surface. That was, 

of course, until April 16th of 2018, when 

the cap placed over the abandoned shaft 

collapsed into the mine after a period of 

Bottom Photo: The subsidence on the Firestone Country Club 

golf course is just hundreds of feet from homes

Continued page 11

Airshaft
11 OFFICE OF SURFACE MINING RECLAMATION AND ENFORCEMENT OSMRE FY 2018 ANNUAL REPORT | U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 12

(AND OTHER TALES OF RECLAMATION)

Rubber Capital Continued from page 10

Photo: A worker assessing the subsidence event of the 

Davidson Ditch in Colorado.

heavy rain. For a hidden danger that posed a threat for over a century, the 

efforts of OSMRE and ODNR remedied it quite quickly. Three days after the 

discovery of the air shaft, OSMRE declared the project an emergency, issuing 

an Authorization to Proceed to ODNR. This authorization allowed ODNR to 

use abandoned mine land (AML) funds to complete the project. At the cost 

of $6,000, the hole was backfilled with concrete and finished with soil and 

grasses. Less than 90 days later, a spot that was once an eye-sore and a safety 

hazard was made to be as pristine as the manicured greens that surround 

it, after the country club replaced the turf – par for the course when doing 

reclamation work.

DAVIDSON DITCH SUBSIDENCE - COLORADO

OSMRE partnered with the Colorado Inactive Mine 

Reclamation Program (IMRP) to address an 

emergency mine subsidence event that occurred 

below a concrete irrigation ditch just days before 

water was scheduled to begin flowing.

“If the ditch fails, it would be a catastrophic 

event for the dwelling located below,” said one 

investigative report from IMRP. Due to the 

presence of a private residence downhill, the 

mine subsidence presented an immediate threat 

to public safety and property. As a result, OSMRE 

declared the project an emergency. The local 

area where the subsidence occurred was home to 

underground mines that were last in use during 

the 1940s. 

Mine subsidence is a surface caving or sinking of 

a part of the earth’s crust due to underground 

mining excavations. These events can range in 

size and severity.

To resolve the subsidence event, staff pumped 

very wet, flowable material to backfill the 

subsidence openings as close to the bottom 

of the ditch as possible. The project took 

approximately two days and at a cost of 

approximately $25,000.

Photo: Landslide pushing into a roadway in Maryland.

SHALLMAR LANDSLIDE - MARYLAND

OSMRE worked on a landslide in Maryland that occurred after heavy rainfall 

raised the water table and mine pool levels. The slide occurred at the Wolfden 

Mine in Garrett County which was in operation from 1919-1971.

The landslide affected the only road in and out of the Town of Shallmar. The 

community was cut off from emergency vehicles and other services. While staff 

quickly cleared the road, stabilizing the slope is the next critical step.

To confirm that the Wolfden Mine was the cause of the landslide, staff took 

water samples that showed the chemistry from the mine drainage was 

extremely similar to that of the landslide. The next step was a geotechnical 

evaluation: A review of the physical properties of soil and rock to repair 

damage caused by subsurface conditions. The survey allowed staff to 

determine the best way to stabilize the land.
13 OFFICE OF SURFACE MINING RECLAMATION AND ENFORCEMENT OSMRE FY 2018 ANNUAL REPORT | U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 14

In FY 2018 OSMRE’s Unmanned Aircraft 

Systems (UAS) program took to the skies. 

OSMRE is using UAS to enhance its evaluation 

of active and abandoned mine sites, 

especially on large land areas with diverse 

or complicated topography or on areas such 

as landslides where unstable, dangerous 

conditions may be avoided. OSMRE’s national 

and regional aviation management plans 

need of the missions. OSMRE is finding 

that as it develops its expertise, many 

states are seeking OSMRE assistance in 

using this technology for data collection 

and processing on sites that require 

quick action and accurate digital terrain 

modeling. 

Among the missions flown in FY 2018 was 

over the abandoned Isabella mine site 

Photo: An image taken by OSMRE employees while operating 

an Unmanned Aircraft System.

OSMRE is Flying High After Launch of 

Unmanned Aircraft Systems Program

were approved, which for the first time in the 

Bureau’s history, recognize UAS as aircraft. 

These plans also implement procedures, 

including, but not limited to, safety, protection 

of privacy, and mission reporting for 

transparency.

So far, OSMRE has certified 19 trained pilots 

and purchased 14 aircraft nationwide to 

enhance its mission success. OSMRE will 

continue to train personnel as UAS operators 

and purchase additional aircraft as needed.

OSMRE is taking advantage of the versatility 

that comes with UAS which can be mounted 

with various sensors based on the desired 

Photo: Unmanned Aircraft System image of acid mine 

drainage treatment ponds at the Flight 93 National Memorial 

in Pennsylvania. 

Photo: OSMRE employees using Unmanned Aircraft Systems 

during training.

near Uniontown, Pennsylvania. The site 

has numerous safety and environmental 

concerns, from polluted water, large 

unprotected refuse piles, and an 

impoundment that floods a nearby public 

road after heavy rainfall.

UAS flights were conducted to generate 

3D models and Geographic Information 

System (GIS) data that can be used to 

create a reclamation plan to remedy 

the problems and improve water quality 

discharges.

In the summer of 2018, Alabama’s 

Department of Labor, Abandoned Mine 

Land Reclamation Program requested a 

pre-construction drone mission at Three 

Read more about the work being done 

at the Isabella, Pennsylvania project 

in the Technology Development and 

Transfer Program section of this report.

Photo: Unmanned Aircraft System image over the Three Forks AML project during clearing operations in Alabama.

Forks AML project site located near 

Oakman, Alabama. OSMRE pilots delivered 

orthomosaic images, elevation models, 

video, and photos. The Alabama AML 

program liked the results so much that it 

asked OSMRE to fly two more missions in 

FY 2019.
15 OFFICE OF SURFACE MINING RECLAMATION AND ENFORCEMENT OSMRE FY 2018 ANNUAL REPORT | U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 16

Situated in the Appalachian foothills of rural 

southeastern Ohio on nearly 10,000 acres 

of reclaimed coal mine land, The Wilds 

is a private, non-profit safari park and 

wildlife conservation center. The facility is 

home to a number of rare and endangered 

species from around the world. Visitors 

may see the southern white rhinoceros, 

greater one-horned asian rhinoceros, 

sichuan takin, sable antelope, Grevy’s 

zebra, Père David’s deer, giraffe, Bactrian 

camel, and many other wildlife species. 

The Wilds also supports conservation of 

the endangered eastern hellbender through 

population surveillance, hand-rearing, and 

reintroduction.

The Wilds originated as a public-private 

partnership with the Ohio Departments of 

Natural Resources and Development, Ohio 

zoos, and the private sector in the 1970s. 

In 1984, The Wilds was incorporated as a 

501(c)(3) non-profit organizations under 

the name The International Center for the 

Preservation of Wild Animals, Inc. That 

same year, the Central Ohio Coal Company, 

a subsidiary of American Electric Power 

Company, gifted The Wilds 9,154 acres.

Before 1984, the property was part of 

a large surface coal mine operation. The 

land was mined for coal using truck/shovel 

and dragline methods from the 1940s 

until the early 1980s. The northern part of 

The Wilds property was reclaimed before 

the enactment of SMCRA and includes 

both reclaimed deciduous and coniferous 

forests. As a result of the previous coal 

mining, there are over 100 ponds and a 

number of tributaries that are potentially 

impacted by acid mine draingage (AMD). 

The remaining coal mining waste and mine 

spoil are the primary sources of AMD on 

the property.

To continue its mission of conservation 

and environmental stewardship, The 

Wilds requested assistance from OSMRE’s 

Appalachian Region Technical Support 

Division to help determine the extent 

of AMD issues on the property, prioritize 

problem areas, and suggest possible 

treatment options. OSMRE agreed to assist 

The Wilds and formulated a work plan that 

outlined the objectives for the project. 

First, water quality and flow measurements 

from sampling sites will be used to assess 

existing conditions, identify potential AMD 

impacts, and estimate pollutant loads. The 

second objective of the project is to rank 

AMD issues at The Wilds in order of priority 

(i.e., greatest pollution load to lowest) and 

identify which ponds/seeps can be treated 

to provide the most beneficial impact 

with the least cost. The third objective 

is to evaluate the effect of potential dam 

decommissioning on AMD impacts within 

the watershed. The possible treatment 

properties of existing wetlands and beaver 

Photo: Body of water impaired by acid mine drainage 

at The Wilds.

The Wilds:

AN ACID MINE DRAINAGE STUDY

dams will be assessed as part of this 

objective. The final goal is to provide The 

Wilds with suggestions for water quality 

treatment and water management.

OSMRE is currently conducting weekly field 

reconnaissance to assess water quality 

and identify areas impacted by AMD. Initial 

water quality parameters measured in 

the field include pH, specific conductivity, 

temperature, total iron, total aluminum, 

and total manganese. Future water quality 

samples will include dissolved metals and 

lab samples to verify field results. Due to 

the large area and the remote, rugged 

terrain, OSMRE will use an unmanned 

aircraft system, or drone, to map the area 

and obtain high-quality aerial images. 

This information will assist the team in 

an efficient and thorough assessment of 

potential AMD impacts in the study area. 

Results obtained from this study will aid in 

the reclamation efforts at The Wilds and 

provide valuable comparison data sets to 

note improvements over time.

Photo: A crash of rhinoceroses at The Wilds.

Photo: Zebras grazing on 

reclaimed mine lands

at The Wilds.
17 OFFICE OF SURFACE MINING RECLAMATION AND ENFORCEMENT OSMRE FY 2018 ANNUAL REPORT | U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 18

Photo: Trout angler on the Shavers Fork of the Cheat 

River in West Virginia.

ABANDONED MINE 

LAND PROGRAM
19 OFFICE OF SURFACE MINING RECLAMATION AND ENFORCEMENT OSMRE FY 2018 ANNUAL REPORT | U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 20

Abandoned Mine Land

PROGRAM

Title IV of the Surface Mining Control 

and Reclamation Act of 1977 (SMCRA) 

requires the Office of Surface Mining 

Reclamation and Enforcement (OSMRE) to 

address environmental, public health, and 

safety hazards posed by past coal mining 

practices, including water pollution, acid 

mine drainage, unstable or open mining 

areas, landslides, and subsidence of 

underground coal mines.

Title IV provides the authority for OSMRE 

to assess a reclamation fee on coal 

production. The fee provides most of the 

funding for the Abandoned Mine Land 

Reclamation (AML) Program. In general, 

through SMCRA, Congress created the 

fee based on the mining method used to 

produce the coal as well as the mechanism 

to collect monies. SMCRA also prescribes 

the formula by which AML grants are 

distributed. The authority to collect AML 

reclamation fees is scheduled to expire in 

2021.

Over the last four decades, some of 

the achievements of the SMCRA AML 

Program include:

• Closure of over 19,000 abandoned 

underground mine shafts and openings

• Elimination of over 630 miles of 

dangerous highwalls

• Abatement of over 2,400 dangerous 

water bodies

• Restoration of over 23,000 acres of 

clogged streams and land

• Abatement of nearly 13,000 acres of 

dangerous spoils and embankments

• Treatment of almost 50,000 polluted 

water supplies

• Improvement of land and water health 

by reclaiming or mitigating the 

equivalent of 16,138 acres of land from 

the effects of natural resource 

degradation from past mining

Currently, there remains over $10 billion 

worth of unfunded coal problems in the 

Abandoned Mine Land Inventory System’s 

(e-AMLIS) inventory. 

Since FY 2016, Congress has authorized 

the Abandoned Mine Lands Reclamation 

Economic Development Pilot Program 

(AML Pilot Program) through Consolidated 

Appropriations. In FY 2018, the AML Pilot 

Photo Previous Page: A Monarch butterfly on a reclaimed site in 

Iowa. Photo courtesy of Iowa Department of Agriculture & Land 

Stewardship.

FY 2018 AML GRANTS TO STATES & TRIBES

NATIONAL TOTAL $300,728,939

State/Tribe Amount Allocated

Alabama $ 5,268,273

Alaska $ 2,802,000

Arkansas $ 2,802,000

Colorado $ 3,255,110

Illinois $ 19,022,872

Indiana $ 8,113,445

Iowa $ 2,802,000

Kansas $ 2,802,000

Kentucky $ 19,042,090

Louisiana $ 210,633

Maryland $ 2,802,000

Mississippi $ 118,095

Missouri $ 2,802,000

Montana $ 7,552,769

New Mexico $ 2,802,000

North Dakota $ 2,802,000

Ohio $ 10,759,651

Oklahoma $ 2,802,000

Pennsylvania $ 55,657,898

Tennessee $ 2,802,000

Texas $ 2,787,150

Utah $ 2,802,000

Virginia $ 5,835,711

West Virginia $ 36,274,249

Wyoming $ 91,340,088

Crow Tribe $ 1,160,946

Hopi Tribe $ 551,961

Navajo Nation $ 2,955,996

All figures are rounded to the nearest dollar.

Program made $115 million in funding 

available to three Tribal AML Programs 

(Crow Tribe, Hopi Tribe, and Navajo 

Nation) and six Appalachian states with the 

highest amount of unfunded high-priority 

coal problems (Alabama, Kentucky, Ohio, 

Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia). 

Additional information on the AML Pilot 

Program can be found in OSMRE’s 

AML Pilot Program Report. To read the 

report, please visit www.osmre.gov/

programs/AML/2016_2018_Annual_Report_

AML_Economic_Development_Pilot_Program.

pdf.

OSMRE continues to administer the 

Federal Reclamation Program to conduct 

emergency abatement and reclamation of 

high priority coal projects in ten (10) states 

and on Indian lands that have had past 

coal mining but that do not have approved 

AML programs. 

For complete information on the funding 

provided to states and tribes, the laws, 

regulations, and policies governing the 

AML Fund, AML grants, OSMRE’s projects 

and initiatives under the AML Program, 

and more, please visit www.osmre.gov/

programs/AML.shtm.

ABANDONED MINE LAND PROGRAM
21 OFFICE OF SURFACE MINING RECLAMATION AND ENFORCEMENT OSMRE FY 2018 ANNUAL REPORT | U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 22

Photo: Monarch butterflies on an AML site. Photo courtesy of the 

Iowa Department of Agriculture & Land Stewardship

2018’s Abandoned Mine Land

RECLAMATION AWARDS

OSMRE first recognized outstanding 

abandoned mine land reclamation and 

exemplary reclamation techniques in 

1992, when it started the annual AML 

Reclamation Awards Program. The program 

mirrors one of the objectives of SMCRA to 

ensure that land mined for coal would be 

restored to beneficial use as part of the 

mining process and that lands abandoned 

without reclamation before the law would 

be reclaimed. 

AWARD ELIGIBILITY

AML projects funded wholly or in part 

and completed by approved state or 

tribal programs are eligible for an award, 

including coal, non-coal, high-priority, and 

emergency projects. Abandoned mine 

reclamation completed by citizen groups or 

other non-state/nontribal organizations are 

not eligible for these awards. One project 

may be submitted by each state or tribal 

program each year.

AWARD WINNERS

Winning projects represent the nation’s 

highest achievements in AML reclamation, 

demonstrating innovative reclamation 

techniques and completing reclamation 

that results in outstanding on-the-ground 

performance.

OSMRE has traditionally given five awards:

• One national award

• One award for small projects 

(restricted to projects awarded less 

than $1 million in a state or tribe that 

receives less than $6 million annually 

in AML funding)

• One award in each of OSMRE’s

three regions. Any entry is eligible for 

the national award. 

Any entry is eligible for the national award. 

A list of eligible voters and organizations 

able to submit nominations is located 

at www.osmre.gov/programs/awards/

AMLAwards.shtm.
23 OFFICE OF SURFACE MINING RECLAMATION AND ENFORCEMENT OSMRE FY 2018 ANNUAL REPORT | U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 24

NATIONAL AWARD

Logan Abandoned Mine Land 

Reclamation Project, Iowa

Before reclamation, the site’s barren, 

eroded spoil piles and pits were concealed 

by invasive shrubs, stunted trees, and a 

small plot of pines. The Logan Reclamation 

Project provided several opportunities 

to adopt and refine new approaches 

to overcome technical challenges. The 

site was seeded with plants that attract 

pollinators, in particular, monarch 

butterflies. The effort is already showing 

results. The vegetation is attracting local 

wildlife, including a goose nest and a 

beaver dam. 

APPALACHIAN REGION AWARD

Joan Bernat Slide Project, Kentucky

The Joan Bernat Slide High Priority 

Abandoned Mine Land Reclamation Project 

was completed at the historic coal camp 

town of Hardburly, near Hazard, Kentucky. 

In May 2016, residents reported that a 

slide had occurred on a hillside above 

multiple residences and feared that further 

movement would threaten their homes. 

Hazard Kentucky Department of Abandoned 

Mine Lands Emergency Branch personnel 

hastily worked to reroute the drainage 

above the slide, controlling drainage and 

silt from the slide, and improving drainage 

structures near the homes. The actions of 

the state and partners brought peace of 

mind to the residents of Hardburly. 

MID-CONTINENT REGION AWARD

Snow Hill Abandoned Mine Land Site 

882 Project, Indiana

The Snow Hill Abandoned Mine Land 

project addressed public safety concerns 

and environmental damage caused by 

two large, coarse, coal refuse piles, with 

a total area of 40 acres on each side of 

North Coal Creek in Vigo County, Indiana. 

Acid mine drainage and eroding coal refuse 

from the two refuse piles clogged the 

2018’S ABANDONED MINE LAND RECLAMATION AWARDS

North Coal Creek channel and substantially 

degraded its water quality. The Division 

of Reclamation took actions to make the 

area safe for the community by installing 

drainage structures, establishing a 

wetland, and regrading the coal refuse 

embankments. 

WESTERN REGION AWARD

Hydraulic Pit Reclamation Project, 

Alaska

Coal mined in the first half of the 20th 

century by various companies created 

3.5 miles of large open pits along the 

south side of Healy Creek. The highwall 

extended for 1,600 feet in length and 

stood as high as 265 feet. The reclamation 

project eliminated the dangerous high wall, 

improved safety, conserved and improved 

water quality, enhanced wildlife habitat, 

and augmented recreation opportunities. 

SMALL PROJECT AWARD

Mid-Lothian Mines Park Project, 

Virginia

The historic Mid-Lothian Mines abandoned 

mine land features the remains of the first 

documented mining in Virginia’s Richmond 

Coalfields. Unfortunately, the features 

were in dire disrepair and disintegration. 

Open shafts, subsidence areas, and falling 

structures were huge safety hazards to 

the surrounding residential areas. After 

the landowner donated the land to Chester 

County, the state was able to close two 

vertical openings, stabilize and close 

two hazardous equipment and facilities 

structures, close one subsidence area, and 

stabilize two pits and three slumps. Today, 

the Mid-Lothian Historical Mines Park 

comprises the 42-acre reclamation site and 

is the most visited park in the county. 

2018’S ABANDONED MINE LAND RECLAMATION AWARDS

Check out the OSMRE website for videos of this year’s winning projects and the past winners 

at www.osmre.gov/programs/awards/AMLwinners.shtm. 

Videos of the award winners and additional content is located on OSMRE’s YouTube channel 

at www.youtube.com/OSMRE.
25 OFFICE OF SURFACE MINING RECLAMATION AND ENFORCEMENT OSMRE FY 2018 ANNUAL REPORT | U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 26

Photo: A Monarch butterfly on an AML site in Iowa.

This Mid-America Monarch Conservation 

Strategy (Strategy) builds off partner and 

state planning efforts and identifies 

conservation targets, programs, and 

coordinated strategies to provide a 

blueprint on how to successfully reverse 

the species decline and achieve a viable 

monarch population.

OSMRE’s Alton Field Division (AFD) worked 

with Iowa, Illinois, and Missouri to promote 

enhancement of monarch butterfly habitat 

on active and abandoned mines. A Monarch 

Butterfly Habitat public field day was held 

in Iowa and brought to public attention the 

importance of using AML projects as 

foundations for creating enhanced habitat 

through partnerships with other likeminded organizations. The AFD also worked 

with the Illinois Land Reclamation Division 

to encourage planting monarch-friendly 

seed during reclamation efforts at active 

and AML sites.

Iowa’s and Missouri’s AML programs 

received grant funding from the National 

Fish and Wildlife Foundation to move 

forward with pollinator habitat and 

monarch butterfly conservation initiatives 

on their respective AML projects:

• The Iowa Department of Agriculture and 

Land Stewardship/Division of Soil 

Conservation and Water Quality/Mines 

and Minerals Bureau/Abandoned Mine 

Lands Reclamation Program in 

partnership with Pathfinders RC&D and 

the Iowa Division of Soil and Water 

Conservation received portions of a 

National Fish and Wildlife Foundation 

grant in 2015. The AML program in Iowa 

committed to several educational field 

days and seeded upwards of 150 acres 

with pollinator friendly plant species. 

Future plans will incorporate pollinator 

habitat seed mixes on reclamation 

projects as it fits with landowner use of 

the site. The AML program in Iowa is 

also actively involved with the Iowa 

Monarch Consortium along with Iowa 

State University.

• The Missouri Department of Natural 

Resources/Land Reclamation Program/

Abandoned Mine Lands formulated a new 

initiative focused on increasing the 

ecological fitness of pollinator species by 

improving the quality, quantity, and 

connectivity of habitat on landscapes 

affected by historic mining activities. The 

state AML program pursued a multiobjective approach to re-vegetating 

mined lands, which included the 

integration of native milkweed and other 

nectar-producing forbs into warm season 

grass mixes. The Missouri program 

received grant funding from the National 

Fish and Wildlife Foundation Monarch 

Butterfly Conservation Fund and planted 

native warm season grasses and forbs in 

the spring of 2018 on approximately 100 

acres.

Mid-America Monarch Butterfly Conservation 

Strategy Seeks to Increase Pollinator Habitat

REGULATORY 

PROGRAM
27 OFFICE OF SURFACE MINING RECLAMATION AND ENFORCEMENT OSMRE FY 2018 ANNUAL REPORT | U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 28

Photo Previous Page: (L-R), Jason Taylor, OSMRE, Steve Vance, 

Regional Manager, Kentucky Division of Mine Reclamation 

and Enforcement, Jim Holliday, OSMRE, Chet Edwards, 

OSMRE, explaining how new technology is improving mine 

inspections.

Regulatory

PROGRAM

The Surface Mining Control and 

Reclamation Act of 1977 (SMCRA) directs 

the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation 

and Enforcement (OSMRE) to establish, 

maintain, and update Federal standards 

that a state or tribe must meet to 

administer its coal mining regulatory 

program. OSMRE also provides states and 

tribes with advice and consultation needed 

to assume primary responsibility—or 

“primacy”—for regulatory activities under 

SMCRA. When states assume primacy, 

OSMRE transitions to an oversight role, 

ensuring that state agencies properly 

implement their regulatory programs. 

OSMRE retains the ability to take direct 

enforcement action when states do not 

implement their programs appropriately.

OSMRE is the regulatory authority for 

the Federal Program States as well as on 

Indian lands. To date, no Indian tribe has 

assumed primacy. For more information on 

the array of programs, initiatives, projects, 

and more under OSMRE’s Regulatory 

Program, please visit www.osmre.gov/

programs/RCM.shtm.

The review of state permitting actions and 

inspections of mine sites remain among 

the most effective ways to determine if a 

state’s mining law is properly implemented. 

In FY 2018, states performed 24,550 

complete and 37,591 partial mine 

inspections. OSMRE completed 614 partial 

and 475 complete inspections in its Federal 

and Indian Lands Programs.

Federal regulations require all active 

inspectable units under the permanent 

program to have four complete and eight 

partial inspections per year. Four complete 

inspections are required annually for all 

inactive units. Inspections conducted by 

primacy states in any given year depend, in 

part, on the number of active and inactive 

permits in each state. The primacy states 

conducted 62,141 total inspections in FY 

2018.

FY 2018 REGULATORY GRANT AWARDS

NATIONAL TOTAL $68,590,000

State/Tribe Final Allocated

Alabama $ 1,330,276

Alaska $ 374,153

Arkansas $ 135,352

Colorado $ 2,351,315

Crow Tribe $ 571,955

Hopi Tribe $ 402,285

Illinois $ 3,223,305

Indiana $ 1,648,573

Iowa $ 43,733

Kansas $ 89,909

Kentucky $ 11,663,338

Louisiana $ 186,586

Maryland $ 903,506

Mississippi $ 221,356

Missouri $ 204,899

Montana $ 2,025,990

Navajo Nation $ 1,800,000

New Mexico $ 862,150

North Dakota $ 994,638

Ohio $ 1,684,226

Oklahoma $ 1,187,009

Pennsylvania $ 13,098,735

Texas $ 2,974,815

Utah $ 2,532,165

Virginia $ 3,661,287

West Virginia $ 12,145,099

Wyoming $ 2,273,345

OSMRE provides matching funding in the form of regulatory 

grants to primacy states up to 50 percent of the cost of their 

regulatory programs.

2018’s Excellence in Surface Coal Mining 

RECLAMATION AWARDS

ACTIVE MINE AWARDS

The Excellence in Surface Coal Mining 

Reclamation Awards are presented to coal 

mining companies that achieve the most 

exemplary coal mine reclamation in the 

nation. Past winners have demonstrated a 

commitment to sound mining practices and 

effective reclamation plans that enhanced 

beneficial post-mining use of the land.

OSMRE has honored high-quality coal mine 

reclamation since 1986.

AWARD ELIGIBILITY

Surface coal mining and reclamation 

operations conducted under a Title V 

permit (1978 - present) are eligible 

for nomination. Also, non-permitted 

mining and reclamation completed using 

Government Financial Reclamation 

Contracts under the Enhanced Abandoned 

Mine Land (AML) regulations are eligible 

for nomination. AML reclamation projects 

carried out exclusive of active mining are 

not included in this program. AML projects 

integrated with Title V permitted operations 

are eligible for an award.

AWARD WINNERS

Award winners are recognized for 

developing innovative reclamation 

techniques or have completed reclamation 

that resulted in outstanding on-theground performance. The awards 

program is designed to help state and 

federal regulators transfer exceptional 

reclamation methods and techniques from 

award-winning operations to other coal 

mine operators who work under SMCRA 

nationwide.

Coal companies, regulatory authorities, 

state or federal mine inspectors, interest 

groups, or landowners may submit 

nominations. Company officials and 

employees may nominate their own 

operations.

NATIONAL AWARDS

A coal mining operation may be nominated 

for achievement in a specific aspect of 

reclamation or for overall reclamation 

performance in meeting goals of SMCRA.

GOOD NEIGHBOR AWARDS

Good Neighbor Awards are given to mine 

operators for successfully working with 

the surrounding landowners and the 

community while completing mining and 

reclamation.
29 OFFICE OF SURFACE MINING RECLAMATION AND ENFORCEMENT OSMRE FY 2018 ANNUAL REPORT | U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 30

NATIONAL AWARD

Peabody Energy, Inc.

Big Sky Mine Area B Project

Rosebud County, Montana

Big Sky Mine Area B was recognized for 

the creation of postmining water sources in 

a reclaimed, semi-arid landscape. On-site 

monitoring between 2006 and 2011 has 

shown that water levels in the reclaimed 

area have risen between four and six feet. 

The site features stream channels and 

wetlands for use by livestock and wildlife.

NATIONAL AWARD

Peabody Midwest Mining, LLC

Wild Boar Mine Barren Fork Pit project 

Lynnville, Indiana

A majority of the 8,500-acre Wild Boar 

mining area was surface mined for its 

upper seams of coal before SMCRA was 

passed in 1977. The site contained 1.2 

miles of dangerous unreclaimed highwall 

and more than three miles of polluted 

streams. While mining, the company took 

responsibility for cleaning up the mine, 

eliminating the abandoned highwall and 

properly reclaiming 90 percent of the 

area mined before the passage of SMCRA. 

The company created approximately 

100 rock brush piles within the forested 

areas for wildlife habitat and developed 

11 shallow water sources for wildlife to 

reclaim the previously mined site properly. 

The company also restored eight streams 

among the reclaimed forest.

2018’S EXCELLENCE IN SURFACE COAL MINING

RECLAMATION AWARDS

GOOD NEIGHBOR AWARD

Trapper Mining Inc. 

Trapper Mine project

Craig, Colorado

The judges selected Trapper Mine for a 

Good Neighbor Award for a wide range 

of community-related activities. Activities 

included building local soccer fields with mine 

equipment and workers, catering lunch for 

law enforcement agencies, contributing more 

than $700,000 to local communities and 

projects, creating a hunting and outdoors 

program for people with disabilities, and 

funding critical research on the Columbian 

sharp-tailed grouse. Trapper Mining also set 

up a trust fund to provide grant money for 

future community activities after mining is 

complete.

GOOD NEIGHBOR AWARD

Peabody Energy, Inc.

Bear Run Mine project

Carlisle, Indiana 

Peabody’s Bear Run Mine is the largest 

active surface mine in Indiana. Over the 

past three years, the mine has taken an 

aggressive approach to reclamation, with 

a 1.3:1 ratio of reclaimed land to mined 

land. The judges recognized Bear Run 

for its involvement in various community 

programs that the company either operates 

or supports through financial, in-kind, 

and volunteer donations, including the 

Coal Miner Christmas, during which the 

company raised over $70,000 to help 

children from local communities. Bear 

Run also provided a new roof for a local 

gym, constructed a new parking lot, 

provided funds for its backup generator, 

and repaired its electrical and heating 

systems. The company also improved a 

local cemetery, hosted farmers during the 

Indiana Department of Natural Resources 

Prime Farmland Field Day, provided 

ecotherapy opportunities to veterans and 

children with disabilities, and hosted a 

turkey hunt for veterans who had lost their 

vision.

Check out the OSMRE website for current 

and past winners at www.osmre.gov/

programs/awards/ActiveWinners.shtm.

Additional videos of the awards and other 

OSMRE activities, projects, and events are 

on YouTube at www.youtube.com/OSMRE.

2018’S EXCELLENCE IN SURFACE COAL MINING

RECLAMATION AWARDS
31 OFFICE OF SURFACE MINING RECLAMATION AND ENFORCEMENT OSMRE FY 2018 ANNUAL REPORT | U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 32

OSMRE received a 2017 Department of the 

Interior Environmental Achievement Award 

in Environmental Remediation. The winning 

project is an acid mine drainage (AMD) 

water treatment system at the Flight 93 

National Memorial in Pennsylvania.

In 2012, OSMRE provided grant funding 

and expertise to the Flight 93 National 

Memorial to help fix AMD coming from an 

underground coal mine near the crash site. 

OSMRE Appalachian Region staff 

determined aerating the water from an 

existing pump would help improve the 

quality of the water. At Flight 93 National 

Memorial, the water was exposed to pyrite 

from the old mine, resulting in sulfuric acid 

and dissolved iron when the water was 

exposed to air. The dissolved iron 

precipitated as sediment at the bottom of 

streams and waterways at the site creating 

an orange color.

OSMRE also determined the site would 

benefit from the construction of a wetland 

area, which includes a wide diversity of 

water-borne plants. Plants are effective in 

removing the iron from the water and 

increasing the water quality. Today, the 

AMD treatment system continues to be 

effective in removing iron and other 

minerals from the water.

What started as an initiative to clean up 

the water at the Flight 93 National 

Memorial has turned into a long-lasting 

partnership. OSMRE and National Park 

Service staff continue to work together to 

ensure the success of this AMD treatment 

system to restore the environment.

OSMRE would be remiss if it didn’t mention 

its great partners: Flight 93 National 

Memorial, the Friends of Flight 93, the 

Pennsylvania Department of Environmental 

Protection, the United States Department 

of Agriculture Natural Resources 

Conservation Service, and many others. 

Thank you for all you do! • OSMRE also received honorable 

mention in the Department of the 

Interior’s Environmental Achievement 

Awards for its collaboration with the 

Pittsburgh Botanic Garden. OSMRE 

provided a Watershed Cooperative 

Agreement Program grant and 

technical assistance to help the Garden 

remediate AMD from an abandoned 

underground mine. The work also 

restored a stream that was considered 

dead due to the AMD; it has improved 

to the point that it is now supporting 

native fish.

OSMRE TAKES HOME THE 2017 

ENVIRONMENTAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

Photo: (L-R) Ben Owens, OSMRE; Dave Mankamyer, 

Somerset County Conservation District; Brent Means, 

OSMRE, Rich Beam, Pennsylvania Department of 

Environmental Protection, and David Hamilton, OSMRE, 

accepting the 2017 Department of the Interior Environ-

mental Achievement Award.

TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT 

& TRANSFER PROGRAM
33 OFFICE OF SURFACE MINING RECLAMATION AND ENFORCEMENT OSMRE FY 2018 ANNUAL REPORT | U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 34

Technology Development and Transfer

PROGRAM

As part of OSMRE’s mandate under SMCRA, 

the Bureau provides technical support, 

assistance, and training to State and 

Tribal surface coal mining programs. The 

Technology Development and Transfer 

Program covers a range of activities that 

promote and use technological innovations 

that better protect the environment 

during mining and in reclaiming active and 

abandoned mines.

OSMRE also provides training that ensures 

that States, Tribes, and the Bureau’s other 

partners continue to administer their 

surface mining programs efficiently and 

effectively. In FY 2018, the Technology 

Development and Transfer Program 

received $16.3 million.

For more information on OSMRE’s 

Technology Development and Transfer 

Program, visit www.osmre.gov/programs/

tdt/appliedScience.shtm.

Photo Previous Page: OSMRE employee preparing an Unmanned Aircraft System for takeoff.

Photo: An OSMRE AmeriCorps member setting up a bat 

detector at the Flight 93 National Memorial in Pennsylvania.

Photo: OSMRE employee placing a bat detector at the Flight 

93 National Memorial.

National Technical Training

PROGRAM 

OSMRE provides resources for technical 

assistance and training through the 

National Technical Training Program 

(NTTP).

The NTTP provides training related 

to permit approval, bond release, 

reclamation, and enforcement within 

the technical disciplines of engineering, 

hydrology, blasting, agronomy, 

and botany and may advance 

technical solutions developed during 

benchmarking workshops.

In total, NTTP provided 49 training 

classes for 834 students during FY 

2018. Photo: OSMRE’s course titled Surface and Groundwater 

Hydrology provides participants with information on the basic 

effects of surface coal mining operations on surface and 

groundwater hydrology.

Photo: NTTP students in the Acid-Forming Materials: Fundamentals

course visited a site at the Pittsburgh Botanic Gardens in 

Pennsylvania.

Photo: A researcher holding a bat. 
35 OFFICE OF SURFACE MINING RECLAMATION AND ENFORCEMENT OSMRE FY 2018 ANNUAL REPORT | U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 36

Technology Innovation and 

Professional Services

The Technical Innovation and Professional 

Services (TIPS) is a national service by 

OSMRE that provides off-the-shelf scientific 

and engineering modeling software to 

state, tribal, and federal offices that 

administer SMCRA. TIPS also delivers 

comprehensive instructor-led and online 

training courses in the use of those tools. 

The training developed in-house by state, 

tribal, and OSMRE experts is customized to 

mining and reclamation applications.

The goal of TIPS is to provide state, tribal, 

and OSMRE personnel with a 

comprehensive set of analytical tools to aid 

in technical decision-making related to 

regulatory and reclamation processes. The 

services provided are centered around 

off-the-shelf scientific and engineering 

computer hardware and software supported 

by OSMRE in partnership with the states 

and tribes.

This technical assistance has grown from a 

few applications available on a single 

specially designed shared workstation to a 

software suite available for use on desktop 

computers.

TIPS also provides commercial software 

applications to state, tribal, and OSMRE 

offices at considerable cost savings by 

sharing the commercial licenses for the 

software via the Internet and OSMRE Wide 

Area Network. Thirty commercially 

available software applications cover a wide 

range of regulatory and abandoned mine 

land subjects. The customer base includes 

over 100 state, tribal, and OSMRE office 

locations throughout the country—nearly 

2,000 users.

The TIPS suite of engineering, scientific, 

database and mapping core software aids 

the technical decision-making associated 

with: 

• Conducting reviews of permits

• Performing cumulative hydrologic 

impact assessments

• Quantifying potential effects of coal 

mining

• Preventing acid mine drainage

• Quantifying subsidence impacts

• Measuring revegetation success

• Assisting in the design of abandoned 

mine land projects

• Providing the scientific basis for 

environmental assessments and 

environmental impact statements

Demand for TIPS tools and support 

continues to increase, especially in the 

demand for geospatial data and mobile 

computing tools for field use. TIPS also 

offers training to accommodate the use of 

mobile computing devices by inspectors. 

Mobile computing allows inspectors to be 

more efficient, which, in turn, raises the 

quality and quantity of inspections. TIPS 

has also begun an effort to make satellite 

and aerial imagery available nationwide 

through a centralized server accessible 

from any state, tribal, or OSMRE office.

For more information on OSMRE’s 

Technology Innovation and Technical 

Services, visit www.tips.osmre.gov.

Investigations funded for over $3.4 million 

since FY 2015. These technical 

investigations differ from Applied Science 

projects in that they are supported 

internally by OSMRE rather than through 

Applied Science funding. OSMRE has not 

received funding for the Applied Science 

program since FY 2012. OSMRE requested 

$1.2 million in funding for Applied Sciences 

during FY 2018.

For more information on completed 

Applied Science studies and the program, 

please visit www.osmre.gov/programs/tdt/

appliedScience.shtm.

Applied Science projects support studies by 

universities and other research institutions 

in the areas of coal mine reclamation, 

geomorphic reclamation practices, stream 

protection, AMD, and other topics relevant 

to environmentally responsible mining and 

reclamation. The projects are conducted as 

cooperative agreements between 

researchers and OSMRE to maintain a 

secure connection between sound science 

and the practical applications needed to 

carry out SMCRA on the ground.

To date, OSMRE has awarded over $11.5 

million in grants to 82 projects. These 

projects included 19 Technical 

Photo: Scientist takes a water sample from an area impacted 

by acid mine drainage in eastern Pennsylvania.

Applied Science
37 OFFICE OF SURFACE MINING RECLAMATION AND ENFORCEMENT OSMRE FY 2018 ANNUAL REPORT | U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 38

Underground Mine Maps

The Underground Mine Mapping Initiative 

seeks to enhance the capabilities of 

the states, tribes, and OSMRE to make 

underground coal mine maps available 

to the public. The initiative supports the 

identification, acquisition, preservation, 

scanning, and digital rendering of historic 

mine maps. It also supports developing 

standard practices and, where necessary, 

acquiring hardware, software, and 

personnel resources needed to properly 

archive mine maps.

When maps are scanned and cataloged 

by each state, copies are sent to OSMRE’s 

National Mine Map Repository (NMMR) in 

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. OSMRE archives 

maps and reciprocally provide copies to the 

states for their collections. In this fashion, 

the NMMR provides map information from 

a central location to homeowners and other 

interested parties and serves as a backup 

location for the states to ensure longterm protection of these valuable historic 

records.

Since the program began, OSMRE has 

funded 61 projects for a total expenditure 

of more than $3 million. The total state 

cost share contributed was over $1.6 

million, which is a 53 percent matching 

fund ratio. As a result of this finding, five 

states will complete all remaining digital 

underground mine mapping efforts and 

will provide this information to the general 

public via the Internet. In 2018, OSMRE did 

not distribute a solicitation for Underground 

Mine Mapping projects due to budget 

constraints.

Photo: One of the scanners used by the National Mine Map 

Repository staff to transform old maps into digital images.

Photo: Image of the Dessecker Mine 

map in Ohio. One of the many maps 

archived by the National Mine Map 

Repository

For more information about mine maps, visit

www.osmre.gov/programs/tdt/ugmm.shtm.

Notes from the Field

TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE PROJECTS AND SERVICES

Kansas Monahan AML Passive 

Treatment System Design: The Kansas 

Department of Health and Environment 

(KDHE) made a request for an AMD 

treatment option and engineering design of 

the finalized treatment option for the 

Monahan AML site in Kansas. An OSMRE 

Mid-Continent Region (MCR) hydrologist 

and mining engineers formulated the best 

treatment option and developed a draft 

design in CAD format. The final products 

were delivered to KDHE in August 2018.

Illinois Old Ben 25 Bathymetry Work:

The Illinois Land Reclamation Division 

(LRD) contacted MCR on short notice to 

conduct a bathymetric survey at SI Energy 

slurry impoundment Old Ben 25 near West 

Frankfort, Illinois. The 70+ acre slurry 

impoundment is part of a bond forfeiture 

project in which the slurry pond volume 

had to be determined. MCR staff surveyed 

on May 16, 2018. Subsequent data 

processing took place immediately after the 

survey, and final products (e.g., contour 

maps, surface models, and fill calculations) 

were delivered the next week.

Photo: UAS flight over Monahan AML project in Kansas.

Photo: A graphic showing bathymetric and LiDAR data for Old 

Ben 25 slurry pit in Illinois.
39 OFFICE OF SURFACE MINING RECLAMATION AND ENFORCEMENT OSMRE FY 2018 ANNUAL REPORT | U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 40

Isabella, PA Bathymetry Work: The 

Mid-Continent Region (MCR) can conduct 

bathymetric surveys of water features 

such as final impoundments, slurry ponds, 

sediment ponds, and other water bodies 

on active and AML sites. The work 

involves collecting water depth 

measurements using sonar pulses and 

GPS positions. The data can be used to 

derive underwater surface models and 

contours. At the request of the 

Pennsylvania Department of 

Environmental Protection, MCR conducted Photo: OSMRE technical staff setting up bathymetric survey 

equipment in Pennsylvania.

a bathymetric survey of a large 

impoundment (approximately 32 acres) on 

a bond forfeiture site (Isabella, 

Pennsylvania) during the week of 

December 18, 2017. The surface models 

generated from this technical assistance 

enabled the project team to develop an 

accurate reclamation cost estimate.

Notes from the Field

CONTINUED

MCR Technical Transfer Roadshow: The 

MCR Technical Transfer Roadshow is a 

showcase of technologies and information 

for stakeholders. Through the Roadshow, 

stakeholders learn about technical 

equipment available for use in regulatory 

and reclamation activities. 

The first MCR Roadshow was held July 

2018 in Birmingham, Alabama. OSMRE 

trainers met with staff from the Alabama 

Department of Labor and the Alabama 

Surface Mining Commission and 

demonstrated the latest monitoring 

equipment and techniques including:

• A borehole Camera

• Bathymetry

• Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR)

• Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS)

• Global Mapper

Photo: Images from a borehole camera.

Photo: An OSMRE employee discusses the use of a borehole 

camera in Birmingham, Alabama.
41 OFFICE OF SURFACE MINING RECLAMATION AND ENFORCEMENT OSMRE FY 2018 ANNUAL REPORT | U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 42

Photo: Surface facilities at the Bull Mountains Underground 

Mine, Montana.

FY 2018 TABLES
43 OFFICE OF SURFACE MINING RECLAMATION AND ENFORCEMENT OSMRE FY 2018 ANNUAL REPORT | U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 44

Significant Court Decisions in FY 2018

Case Name Citation Summary of Decision

M.L. Johnson 

Family Props., 

LLC v. Zinke

298 F. Supp. 3d 

1014 (E.D. Ky.)

M.L. Johnson Family Properties, LLC (Johnson Family) initiated 

this lawsuit in 2016, seeking judicial review of a Department 

of the Interior Administrative Law Judge’s (ALJ’s) decision. 

The ALJ upheld OSMRE’s decision to terminate a cessation 

order it issued to Premier Elkhorn Coal LLC (Premier Elkhorn), 

which lifted an order to cease mining. Premier Elkhorn, a 

defendant-intervenor in the case, owns 100 percent of the 

mineral interests under the subject property. Three of eight 

cotenants conveyed their surface estates to Premier Elkhorn’s 

land management arm. Johnson Family, the other cotenant, 

owns a five-eighths interest in the surface estate and has not 

consented to mining. On March 21, 2018, the U.S. District 

Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky issued a decision 

affirming the ALJ’s decision. Among other things, the court 

held that both the applicable section of SMCRA, 30 U.S.C. 

§ 1260(b)(6)(C), and the analogous Kentucky regulation, 405 

KAR 8:030 Sec. 4(2)(c), permit consideration of all applicable 

state law, including Kentucky cotenancy law, when the 

regulatory authority determines whether a permit applicant 

has met the right of entry requirements. The court explained 

that, under Kentucky cotenancy law, Johnson Family “has no 

right as a cotenant to be free from surface mining operations 

where another cotenant has consented to surface mining.” 

The court also rejected all other arguments that plaintiff raised 

in seeking to reverse the ALJ’s decision.

Data Source: U.S. Department of the Interior, Office of the Solicitor

Photo Previous Page: A bumblebee harvesting pollen and 

nectar from a flower on an AML site. Photo courtesy of the 

Iowa Department of Agriculture & Land Stewardship.

FY 2018 Federal Oversight of State Programs1

State Oversight 

Inspections2

Ten-Day 

Notices for 

Observed 

Violations3

Ten-Day 

Notices 

for Citizen 

Complaints4

Notices of 

Violations 

(NOVs)5

FailureTo-Abate 

Cessation 

Orders 

(FTACOs)6

Imminent 

Harm 

Cessation 

Orders 

(IHCOs)7

Alabama 48 0 0 0 0 0 

Alaska 5 0 0 0 0 0 

Arkansas 2 0 0 0 0 0 

Colorado 11 0 1 0 0 0 

Illinois 23 0 0 0 0 0 

Indiana 19 0 0 0 0 0 

Iowa 0 0 0 0 0 0 

Kansas 4 0 0 0 0 0 

Kentucky 355 6 0 0 0 0 

Louisiana 13 0 0 0 0 0 

Maryland 7 0 0 0 0 0 

Mississippi 4 0 0 0 0 0 

Missouri 4 0 0 0 0 0 

Montana 3 0 3 0 0 0 

New Mexico 2 0 0 0 0 0 

North Dakota 13 0 0 0 0 0 

Ohio 40 0 2 0 0 0 

Oklahoma 15 0 0 0 0 0 

Pennsylvania 322 10 0 0 0 0 

Texas 8 0 0 0 0 0 

Utah 11 0 0 0 0 0 

Virginia 65 0 0 0 0 1 

West Virginia 241 0 2 0 0 0 

Wyoming 10 0 0 0 0 0 

 TOTAL 1,225 16 8 0 0 1 

1 Table displays inspection and enforcement actions taken and cited by OSMRE in states with approved regulatory programs during 

FY 2018.

2 “Oversight Inspections” are those conducted solely by OSMRE and reported in the Inspection and Enforcement Tracking (INE)

system using “Table 3-Field Office Visits and Inspections.” Assisted inspections and field visits performed jointly with states are 

not included.

3 OSMRE issues a “Ten-Day Notice for an Observed Violation” to the state regulatory authority when OSMRE observes a violation. The 

state has ten days to take enforcement action to cause the violation to be corrected or to demonstrate good cause for not taking 

such an action. 

4 OSMRE issues a “Ten-Day Notice for a Citizen Complaint” to the state regulatory authority when a citizen complaint gives OSMRE 

reason to believe a violation exists. The state has ten days to take enforcement or other action to cause the violation to be 

corrected or to demonstrate good cause for not taking such an action.

5 OSMRE issues a Federal “Notice of Violation” to a coal mine operator when performance standards or permit conditions are not 

being met, and the state regulatory authority has not resolved an issue raised by OSMRE in a Ten-Day Notice.

6 OSMRE issues a “Failure to Abate Cessation Order” when a violation has not been abated within the established abatement period.

7 OSMRE issues an “Imminent Harm Cessation Order” requiring cessation of surface coal mining and reclamation operations if an 

OSMRE inspector finds, on the basis of any Federal inspection, that there is an imminent danger to the health or safety of the public 

or the threat of significant, imminent environmental harm to land, air, or water resources.

 

Data Source: OSMRE Inspection & Enforcement Tracking (INE) System 
45 OFFICE OF SURFACE MINING RECLAMATION AND ENFORCEMENT OSMRE FY 2018 ANNUAL REPORT | U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 46

FY 2018 Regulatory Program Statistics State/Tribe Regulatory Staffing1 New Permits New Acreage Permitted 2 Total Acreage Permitted Inspectable Units Complete Inspections Partial Inspections Notices of Violation Failure-To-Abate CO’s Imminent Harm CO’s Bond Forfeitures

Acreage of Phase I Bond 

Released

Acreage of Phase II Bond 

Released

Acreage of Phase III Bond 

Released

Alaska 5 0 0 11,651 11 23 46 0 0 0 0 78 0 0 

Alabama 23 1 535 77,452 167 2,000 8 109 9 0 1 827 1,453 3,994 

Arkansas 2 0 0 1,688 6 24 56 17 3 0 0 57 0 0 

Colorado 20 0 0 167,079 30 120 206 0 3 0 0 208 59 736 

Crow Tribe 5 0 0 9,787 2 8 16 0 0 0 0 0 39 0 

Georgia 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 

Hopi Tribe 4 0 0 6,237 2 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 

Iowa 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 

Illinois 38 4 1,000 80,727 168 304 614 36 0 0 0 633 453 248 

Indiana 28 0 0 168,846 78 304 568 21 2 0 1 1,688 4,770 5,596 

Kansas 3 0 0 2,841 7 28 56 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 

Kentucky 169 23 9,524 1,719,961 1,471 6,315 10,488 1,341 270 10 8 8,195 7,192 9,430 

Louisiana 3 0 0 44,286 3 12 30 2 0 0 0 0 0 54 

Maryland 12 0 0 4,916 53 256 542 4 0 0 0 80 219 249 

Missouri 4 0 0 2,916 11 32 64 0 0 0 0 1,142 1,142 1,069 

Mississippi 3 0 0 11,899 2 8 16 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 

Montana 18 0 0 75,219 13 77 88 0 0 0 0 86 83 904 

North Dakota 10 0 0 132,174 25 102 514 0 0 0 0 0 0 813 

New Mexico 9 0 0 79,782 6 28 24 0 0 0 0 0 0 491 

Navajo Nation 8 0 0 87,031 10 27 29 0 0 0 0 2,391 1,179 0 

Ohio 21 3 6,287 69,792 181 709 1,280 7 0 1 0 895 1,164 2,219 

Oklahoma 19 3 1,294 20,465 55 232 241 26 0 2 0 0 149 393 

Pennsylvania 179 15 1,196 297,629 1,192 4,660 6,540 548 7 8 4 1,770 2,646 3,058 

Tennessee 23 0 0 21,864 106 426 545 46 29 0 0 402 167 0 

Texas 38 1 2,707 320,167 30 132 264 6 0 0 0 2,400 1,443 3,184 

Ute Tribe 3 0 0 182 2 4 8 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 

Utah 13 0 0 2,850 32 102 161 4 0 4 1 56 77 11 

Virginia 54 4 267 73,761 305 1,312 2,003 169 45 3 1 1,236 2,875 1,197 

Washington 5 0 0 14,821 2 8 16 0 0 0 0 486 194 0 

West Virginia 212 16 3,905 342,430 2,011 7,649 13,594 806 79 10 26 2,898 3,933 3,244 

Wyoming 17 0 0 434,523 30 121 188 0 0 0 0 1,836 2,721 12 

TOTAL 946 70 26,715 4,282,976 6,011 25,025 38,205 3,142 447 38 42 27,364 31,958 36,902 

1 Staffing rounded to nearest whole number.

2 New acreage includes acreage for new permits, incidental boundary revisions, and any other permit revisions that add acreage.

State statistics based on 2018 State Program evaluation year (July 1, 2017 to June 30, 2018); Federal statistics, for Federal Program 

States and Indian Tribes, based on 2018 Federal fiscal year (October 1, 2017 to September 30, 2018).

Data Source: 2018 Data for States and Tribes (DST)

Regulatory Grant Funding FY 2018 Obligations

State/Tribe FY 2018

Federal Funding

Total FY 2017

Federal Funding

Cumulative Through FY 

2018

Federal Funding1

Alabama $ 1,290,153 $ 1,290,153 $ 44,096,961 

Alaska $ 372,448 $ 376,633 $ 9,749,928 

Arkansas $ 111,384 $ 158,492 $ 5,631,637 

Colorado $ 2,324,635 $ 2,351,315 $ 64,372,673 

Illinois $ 3,223,305 $ 3,686,090 $ 96,024,047 

Indiana $ 1,648,573 $ 1,708,000 $ 59,913,021 

Iowa $ 43,733 $ 41,001 $ 3,781,966 

Kansas $ 73,850 $ 120,480 $ 4,230,608 

Kentucky $ 13,400,000 $ 12,238,470 $ 443,230,934 

Louisiana $ 186,586 $ 153,257 $ 5,748,723 

Maryland $ 899,525 $ 831,640 $ 22,545,571 

Michigan $ 0 $ 0 $ 135,458 

Mississippi $ 183,002 $ 183,002 $ 3,281,689 

Missouri $ 204,899 $ 201,946 $ 11,084,900 

Montana $ 2,025,990 $ 2,050,356 $ 39,380,156 

New Mexico $ 862,150 $ 880,731 $ 25,166,091 

North Dakota $ 994,638 $ 994,638 $ 22,653,695 

Ohio $ 1,635,010 $ 1,743,607 $ 93,477,840 

Oklahoma $ 1,187,009 $ 1,166,020 $ 34,420,535 

Pennsylvania $ 12,959,156 $ 12,539,088 $ 401,222,664 

Rhode Island $ 0 $ 0 $ 158,453 

Tennessee $ 0 $ 0 $ 5,340,085 

Texas $ 2,632,728 $ 2,592,728 $ 50,496,235 

Utah $ 2,532,165 $ 2,532,165 $ 57,528,143 

Virginia $ 3,661,287 $ 3,914,382 $ 119,963,244 

Washington $ 0 $ 0 $ 4,893 

West Virginia $ 11,320,305 $ 11,696,446 $ 299,328,901 

Wyoming $ 2,273,345 $ 2,273,345 $ 65,822,508 

Crow Tribe $ 571,955 $ 571,955 $ 5,559,155 

Hopi Tribe $ 402,285 $ 402,285 $ 6,662,008 

Navajo Tribe $ 1,800,000 $ 1,800,000 $ 17,453,166 

N. Cheyenne Tribe $ 0 $ 0 $ 86,888 

TOTAL $ 68,820,116 $ 68,498,225 $ 2,018,552,777 

Figures shown above have been adjusted for rounding

1 Regulatory grants are used to fund OSMRE regulatory activities. This may include the Applicant/Violator System, Technical 

Innovation and Professional Services, and other Title V cooperative agreements. Cumulative figures are net of all prior-year 

adjustments.

Data Source: Financial Business Management System
47 OFFICE OF SURFACE MINING RECLAMATION AND ENFORCEMENT OSMRE FY 2018 ANNUAL REPORT | U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 48

FY 2018 Appropriations in Thousands

2017 2018

Discretionary Appropriations

 Regulation & Technology

 Environmental Restoration1 $ 81 $ 4 

 Environmental Protection $ 90,168 $ 88,602

 Technology Development & Transfer $ 15,205 $ 12,801

 Financial Management $ 505 $ 505

 Executive Direction & Adminstration $ 15,169 $ 13,936

 Subtotal $ 121,128 $ 115,848 

 Abandoned Mine Reclamation

 Environmental Restoration $ 9,480 $ 9,480 

 Technology Development & Transfer $ 3,544 $ 3,544 

 Financial Management $ 6,396 $ 5,182 

 Executive Direction & Administration $ 7,743 $ 6,466 

 AML Economic Development Pilot Program $ 105,000 $ 115,000 

 Subtotal $ 132,163 $ 139,672 

 Total Discretionary Appropriations $ 253,291 $ 255,520

Mandatory Appropriations

Payments to States in Lieu of Coal Fee 

Receipts (Treasury Funds)

$ 46,239 $ 106,678 

 Grants to States and Tribes (AML Fund) $ 134,725 $ 194,052 

 Transfer to United Mine Workers Fund $ 295,549 $ 331,459 

 Total Mandatory Appropriations $ 476,513 $ 632,189 

 Total OSMRE $ 729,804 $ 887,709 

1 Amounts include Civil Penalty collections of $ 71 thousand and Permit Fees of $ 10 thousand for FY2017, and Civil Penalty collections 

of $ 4 thousand for FY2018 (figures rounded).

Data Source: Fiscal Year 2018 Congressional appropriations

FY 2018 Watershed Cooperative Agreements

State Project Name

Sponsor Organization Grant Amount (dollars)

Ohio Ilesboro Road

Raccoon Creek Partnership

200,000 

Pennsylvania

Kyler Run ALD 1

Headwaters Charitable Trust

89,200 

Kyler Run ALD 2

Headwaters Charitable Trust

82,000 

Hayes Run

Headwaters Charitable Trust

100,000 

Howe Bridge Rehabilitation

Headwaters Charitable Trust

23,500 

Filson 1 and 2 Rehabilitation

Headwaters Charitable Trust

54,755 

Big Run Project Enhancements

Blackleggs Creek Watershed Association

100,000 

West Virginia

Valley Highwall #3

Friends of Deckers Creek

93,600 

Sandy Run Renovation

Friends of Deckers Creek

100,000 

Swamp Run #2

Buckhannon River Watershed Association

99,900 

TOTAL 942,955
49 OFFICE OF SURFACE MINING RECLAMATION AND ENFORCEMENT OSMRE FY 2018 ANNUAL REPORT | U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 50

FY 2018 Watershed Assistance: OSMRE/VISTAs 

and Interns

State Year-Long Positions 

(OSMRE/VISTA)

Year-Long Positions 

(OSMRE/AmeriCorps)

Short-Term Positions 

(Interns)

Short-Term Positions 

(OSMRE/VISTA)

Alabama 1 0 0 0

Alaska 0 0 0 0

Arizona 1 0 0 0

California 0 0 0 0

Colorado 22 5 0 0

D.C. 0 4 5 0

Florida 0 0 0 0

Georgia 2 0 0 0

Illinois 0 1 0 0

Indiana 0 0 0 0

Iowa 0 0 0 0

Kentucky 0 3 1 0

Maryland 1 0 0 0

Missouri 0 0 0 0

Montana 0 0 0 0

New Mexico 5 0 0 0

New York 0 0 0 0

North Carolina 0 0 0 0

Ohio 2 0 0 0

Oklahoma 0 1 0 0

Pennsylvania 8 0 1 0

South Carolina 0 0 0 0

Tennessee 6 3 0 0

Texas 0 0 0 0

Virginia 5 1 0 0

West Virginia 11 2 0 0

Wyoming 0 0 0 0

TOTAL 64 20 7 0

OSMRE routinely employs AmeriCorps VISTAs (Volunteers in Service to America)

NTTP FY 2018 Courses and Enrollment

Course Name Students

Blasting and Inspection Special Session BLI-SS-81 30

Forensic Hydrologic Investigations FHI-81 25

Enforcement Procedures ENF-81 28

Evidence Preparation and Testimony EVI-81 24

Blasting and Inspection Special Session BLI-SS-82 20

AML Design Workshop: Landslides (AMLL-81) 10

AML Drilling and Grouting (AMLDG-81) 18

Blasting and Inspection Special Session (BLI-SS-State Parks) 25

AML Design Workshop: Subsidence (AMLS-81) 10

Erosion and Sediment Control (ERS-81) 26

Blasting and Inspection (BLI-81) 17

Blasting and Inspection Special Session (BLI-SS-83) 24

AML Design Workshop: Dangerous Highwalls (AMLDH-81) 15

Blasting and Inspection Special Session (BLI-SS-State Parks-1) 30

Acid-Forming Materials: Fund. & App. (ACF-81) 17

Passive Treatment (PAS-81) 16

Coalfield Communications Special Session (CCOM-SS-83) 22

Forensic Hydrologic Investigations (FHI-82) 19

Introduction to SMCRA Inspections (SMCRA-81) 19

Blasting and Inspection Special Session (BLI-SS-84) 12

Excess Spoil Handling and Disposal (ESHD-81) 13

NEPA Procedures (NEPA-81) 22

Soils and Re-vegetation (SOI-81) 14

Wetlands Awareness (WET-81) 14

Mine Gas Safety and Investigations Spec. Sess. (MGSI-SS-81) 15

Erosion and Sediment Control (ERS-82) 17

AML Realty (AMLR-81) 15

Surface and Groundwater Hydrology (SGW-81) 12

Coalfield Communications (CCOM-81) 12

Geology and Geochemistry of AFM (GGCA-81) 11

Instructor Training Course (ITC-81) 15

Passive Treatment (PAS-82) 14

Soils and Re-vegetation (SOI-82) 17

Surface and Groundwater Hydrology (SGW-82) 10

AML Design Workshop: Fires (AMLF-81) 11

Underground Mining Technology (UMT-81) 13

Historical and Archaeological Resources (HAR-81) 22

Subsidence (SUB-81) 19

Blasting and Inspection Special Session (BLI-SS-85) 16

AML Reclamation Projects (AREC-81) 12

Applied Engineering Principles (AENG-81) 19

Acid-Forming Materials: Fund. & App. (ACF-82) 15

Mine Gas Safety and Investigations (MGSI-81) 17

AML Design Workshop: Dangerous Openings (AMLDO-81) 11

Applied Engineering Principles (AENG-82) 10

Permitting Hydrology (PHY-81) 21

Introduction to SMCRA Inspections (SMCRA-82) 15

Geology and Geochemistry of AFM (GGCA-82) 15

Underground Mining Technology (UMT-82) 10

TOTAL 834 

Data Source: National Technical Training Program (NTTP)
51 OFFICE OF SURFACE MINING RECLAMATION AND ENFORCEMENT OSMRE FY 2018 ANNUAL REPORT | U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 52

OSMRE OFFICES

APPALACHIAN 

REGIONAL OFFICE

Three Parkway Center

Pittsburgh, PA 15220

(412) 937-2828

www.arcc.osmre.gov

MID-CONTINENT 

REGIONAL OFFICE

William L. Beatty Federal Bldg.

501 Belle Street, Room 216

Alton, IL 62002

(618) 463-6460

www.mcrcc.osmre.gov

WESTERN

REGIONAL OFFICE

1999 Broadway, Suite 3320

Denver, CO 80202

(303) 293-5000

www.wrcc.osmre.gov

HEADQUARTERS

1849 C Street, NW

Washington, DC 20240

(202) 208-2565

www.osmre.gov

ADDITIONAL WESTERN

REGIONAL OFFICES

DENVER FIELD DIVISION

(Alaska, Colorado, Utah)

1999 Broadway

Suite 3320

Denver, CO 80202

(303) 293-5026

OLYMPIA AREA OFFICE

(Washington)

Evergreen Plaza Bldg.

711 South Capitol Way, Suite 703

Olympia, WA 98501

(360) 753-9538

ALBUQUERQUE AREA OFFICE

(Arizona, California, New Mexico, 

Navajo Tribe, Hopi Tribe, Ute Tribe)

100 Sun Avenue, NE

Pan American Building

Ste 330

Albuquerque, NM 87109

(303) 293-5035

CASPER FIELD OFFICE

(Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, 

South Dakota, Wyoming, Crow 

Tribe, Northern Cheyenne Tribe, 

Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe)

150 East B Street, Room 1018

Casper, WY 82601-1018

(301) 261-6550

ADDITIONAL

MID-CONTINENT

REGIONAL OFFICES

ALTON FIELD DIVISION

(Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Missouri)

William L. Beatty Federal Bldg.

501 Belle Street, Room 216

Alton, IL 62002

(618) 463-6460

Birmingham Field Office

(Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi)

Barber Business Park

135 Gemini Circle, Suite 215

Homewood, AL 35209

(205) 290-7282

Tulsa Field Office

(Arkansas, Kansas, Oklahoma, 

Texas)

1645 South 101st East Avenue

Suite 145

Tulsa, OK 74135-6548

(918) 581-6430

ADDITIONAL APPALACHIAN

REGIONAL OFFICES

PITTSBURGH FIELD DIVISION

(Maryland, Massachusetts,

Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, 

Rhode Island)

Three Parkway Center

Pittsburgh, PA 15220

(412) 937-2828

HARRISBURG AREA OFFICE

215 Limekiln Rd.

New Cumberland, PA 17070 

(717) 730-6985

CHARLESTON FIELD OFFICE

(West Virginia)

1027 Virginia Street, East

Charleston, WV 25301

(304) 347-7158

BECKLEY AREA OFFICE

313 Harper Park Dr.

Beckley, WV 25801

(304) 255-5265

MORGANTOWN AREA OFFICE

604 Cheat Road, Suite 150

Morgantown, WV 26508

(304) 291-4004

LEXINGTON FIELD OFFICE

(Kentucky)

2675 Regency Road

Lexington, KY 40503-2922

(859) 260-3902

LONDON AREA OFFICE

421 West Highway 80

P.O. Box 1048

London, KY 40741

(606) 878-6440

KNOXVILLE FIELD OFFICE

(Georgia, North Carolina,

Tennessee, Virginia)

710 Locust Street, 2nd Floor

Knoxville, TN 37902

(865) 545-4103

Fax: (865) 545-4111

FIELD OVERSIGHT BRANCH

1947 Neeley Road, Suite 201

Compartment 116

Big Stone Gap, VA 24219

Back Cover Photo: Pyramid State Park near Pickneyville, Illinois. (276) 523-4303
53 OFFICE OF SURFACE MINING RECLAMATION AND ENFORCEMENT

Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement

1849 C Street NW, Washington, DC 20240 | www.osmre.gov