Bureau Highlights | OSMRE | BH-37

Office of Surface 

Mining Reclamation 

and Enforcement

Mission—The mission of the Office of Surface 

Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSMRE) 

is to ensure, through a nationwide regulatory program, that coal mining is conducted in a manner 

that protects communities and the environment 

during mining, restores the land to beneficial use 

following mining, and mitigates the effects of past 

mining by aggressively pursuing the reclamation 

of abandoned mine lands.

Budget Overview—The 2022 budget request for 

OSMRE is $312.0 million in current appropriations, 

$89.4 million above the 2021 enacted level. OSMRE 

estimates staffing will equal 416 full time equivalents (FTEs) in 2022, an increase of 18 FTEs from 

the 2021 level. OSMRE expects to recover $40,000 of 

the costs to review, administer, and enforce permits 

for surface coal mining and reclamation on Federal 

and Indian lands in 2022. OSMRE also expects to 

collect $100,000 from civil penalties under Section 

518 of the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation 

Act (SMCRA).

Creating Jobs—The Administration is committed 

to taking immediate action to address and mitigate the effects of climate change and transition 

to using clean energy sources. The 2022 budget 

includes investments to ensure the transition not 

only protects the environment but also creates 

good-paying union jobs in communities where 

conventional energy development has driven the 

local economy. OSMRE programs play a significant role in the Administration’s Reclamation Jobs 

initiative to reclaim abandoned mines on Federal 

and non-Federal lands.

As part of the Reclamation Jobs initiative, the 2022 

budget for OSMRE provides $165.0 million for 

Abandoned Mine Land Economic Revitalization 

(AMLER) grants, an increase of $50.0 million above 

the 2021 enacted level. These grants support abandoned coal mine reclamation projects that have a 

nexus to local economic development. AMLER 

grants are distributed to six Appalachian States 

with the highest number of unfunded Priority 1 

and Priority 2 Abandoned Mine Land (AML) sites 

and three Tribes with AML programs for reclamation, in conjunction with economic and community 

development and reuse goals. The 2022 investment 

in the AMLER grants is part of the Administration’s overall goal to create 250,000 good-paying 

union jobs for cleaning up abandoned and often 

hazardous mining sites.

Clean Energy—The 2022 budget invests in clean 

energy across the Federal Government by leveraging Federal purchasing power to encourage a 

transition to clean vehicles. The budget includes 

funding across Interior’s bureaus to begin to 

OSMRE Funding

2,116

891 870

258 223

312

2020 2021 2022

Dollars (in millions)

Current Permanent
BH-38 | Bureau Highlights | OSMRE

replace combustion-powered fleet vehicles with 

zero emission cars and trucks and invest in the supporting infrastructure. OSMRE maintains a fleet of 

approximately 140 vehicles that are used to provide oversight for surface coal mining regulation 

and reclamation. The budget includes $1.4 million 

to begin the transition to zero emission vehicles to 

reduce transportation-related emissions, which are 

a significant contributor to climate change.

Promoting Equity and Diversity—The OSMRE 

budget includes $200,000 as part of a Departmentwide Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility budget initiative to address identified 

high-priority needs in support of Executive Order 

13985, Advancing Racial Equity and Support for 

Underserved Communities Through the Federal 

Government, and Executive Order 13988, Preventing and Combating Discrimination on 

the Basis of Gender Identity and Sexual 

Orientation. As part of this initiative, 

the Department, bureaus, and offices 

will jointly conduct a review of the 

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility program across Interior to identify gaps, challenges, and best practices 

and to examine Department and bureau 

roles, responsibilities, and governance.

Regulation and Technology—The 

2022 budget for the Regulation and 

Technology Account is $119.3 million, 

an increase of $26.5 million above the 

2021 level, which included a $25.0 million rescission.

The 2022 budget includes $87.9 million for Environmental Protection programs. Funding for State 

and Tribal regulatory grants is $65.0 million, a 

decrease of $3.6 million below the 2021 enacted 

level. The request fully funds estimated State 

requirements based on the return each year of previously awarded regulatory grant funds by States. 

The 2022 request for regulatory grants provides for 

the efficient and effective operation 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 budget includes $22.9 million for other functions under Title V of SMCRA, including State 

Program Evaluation and Federal Program operations, which regulate coal mining in States, and 

OFFICE OF SURFACE MINING RECLAMATION AND ENFORCEMENT Facts

• The Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement was created in 1977 when Congress 

enacted the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act.

• OSMRE institutes nationwide programs to protect society and the environment from the potential 

adverse effects of surface coal mining operations.

• In 2021, OSMRE made $260 million available to States and Tribes for abandoned mine reclamation 

and local economic revitalization.

• OSMRE funding allocations have resulted in the closure of more than 45,000 abandoned underground mine shafts and openings, the elimination of more than 990 miles of dangerous highwalls, 

and the restoration of more than 52,000 acres of clogged streams and affected land.

FY2011

FY2012

FY2013

FY2014

FY2015

FY2016

FY2017

FY2018

FY2019

FY2020 17,760 

15,399 

16,138 

12,319 

12,132 

12,339 

15,859 

11,347 

17,821 

10,836 

Acres of abandoned coal mine lands remediated 

by eliminating health, safety, and 

environmental concerns

ABANDONED MINE LAND RECLAMATION 
Bureau Highlights | OSMRE | BH-39

for Tribes without approved regulatory programs. 

This amount includes an increase of $1.5 million to 

establish a Federal regulatory program for Tribes 

in Oklahoma, as required by the July 2020 decision by the Supreme Court in the case of McGirt 

v. Oklahoma.

The 2022 budget includes $31.4 million—an increase 

of $2.2 million from the 2021 enacted level—to 

continue support for the Technology Development 

and Transfer, Financial Management, and Executive Direction activities that support the overall 

program. Included in that total is $124,000 to support OSMRE efforts to restructure its acquisition 

management activities to improve efficiency and 

effectiveness. Within the Regulation and Technology appropriation, the budget includes $1.1 million 

to transition OSMRE fleet vehicles to zero emission 

vehicles and $134,000 to address diversity, equity, 

inclusion, and accessibility.

Abandoned Mine Reclamation Fund—The 

2022 budget for the Abandoned Mine Reclamation 

Fund is $192.8 million—an increase of $62.9 million above the 2021 enacted level, which included 

a $10.0 million rescission. The budget expands the 

AML Economic Revitalization grant program with 

a requested increase of $50.0 million for grants to 

Appalachian States for the reclamation of abandoned mine lands, in conjunction with economic 

and community development activities. These 

grants benefit coal communities by reclaiming 

formerly mined lands for beneficial economic 

uses, providing local, good-paying union jobs for 

skilled technicians and operators in some of the 

financially hardest hit communities in the Nation. 

These grants also address long-standing hazards 

and environmental degradation near coal communities—such as acid-mine drainage—to provide clean, livable surroundings. The budget also 

includes $785,000 to address unforeseen Federal 

Reclaimed Crane’s Nest Gob pile in Wise County, VA. This AML Small Project Award winner cost less than $4,000 and featured a donation of 3,600 planted trees.
BH-40 | Bureau Highlights | OSMRE

SUMMARY OF BUREAU APPROPRIATIONS

(all dollar amounts in thousands) 

Comparison of 2022 Request with 2021 Enacted

Item 2021 Enacted 2022 Request Change

FTE Amount FTE Amount FTE Amount

Current

Regulation and Technology 1/ 298 92,768 308 119,257 +10 +26,489

Abandoned Mine Reclamation Fund 2/ 100 129,831 108 192,765 +8 +62,934

Subtotal, Current 398 222,599 416 312,022 +18 +89,423

Permanent

Abandoned Mine Reclamation Fund 0 143,768 0 122,266 0 -21,502

Payments to States in Lieu of Coal Fee Receipts 0 37,673 0 34,419 0 -3,254

Supplemental Payments to UMWA Plans 0 710,050 0 713,500 0 +3,450

Subtotal, Permanent 0 891,491 0 870,185 0 -21,306

Total, Office of Surface Mining

Reclamation and Enforcement 398 1,114,090 416 1,182,207 +18 +68,117

1/ The 2021 Enacted amount reflects a rescission of $25.0 million.

2/ The 2021 Enacted amount reflects a rescission of $10.0 million.

emergency reclamation projects, enabling OSMRE 

to provide immediate relief from emerging hazards 

in States and on Indian lands without an approved 

AML program.

The budget includes an increase of $1.2 million to 

establish a Federal reclamation program for Tribes 

in Oklahoma, as required by the Supreme Court 

decision in the McGirt v. Oklahoma case.

Within the Abandoned Mine Reclamation Fund 

appropriation, the budget includes increases of 

$285,000 to replace aging combustion engine vehicles with zero emission vehicles; $66,000 to address 

diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility; and 

$61,000 to restructure acquisition management 

activities to improve efficiency and effectiveness.

Fixed Costs—Fixed costs of $2.8 million are fully 

funded in the request.
Bureau Highlights | OSMRE | BH-41

HIGHLIGHTS OF BUDGET CHANGES

By Appropriation Activity/Subactivity

APPROPRIATION: Regulation and Technology

Item 2020 Actual 2021 Enacted 2022 Request Change

Environmental Protection 88,562 88,562 87,853 -709

Permit Fees 40 40 40 0

Offsetting Collections—Permit Fees -14 -40 -40 0

Technology, Development and Transfer 14,765 14,765 15,205 +440

Financial Management 505 505 518 +13

Executive Direction and Administration 13,936 13,936 15,681 +1,745

Civil Penalties 13 100 100 0

Offsetting Collections—Civil Penalties -13 -100 -100 0

TOTAL APPROPRIATION (w/o rescission) 117,794 117,768 119,257 +1,489

Rescission of Prior-Year BA 0 -25,000 0 +25,000

TOTAL APPROPRIATION (w/ rescission) 117,794 92,768 119,257 +26,489

Detail of Budget Changes

Item

2022 Change 

from 

 2021 Enacted

TOTAL APPROPRIATION +26,489

Environmental Protection -709

State and Tribal Funding—Regulatory 

Grant Funding -3,590

State Program Evaluation—

Zero Emission Vehicles +365

Federal Programs—

Zero Emission Vehicles +140

Federal Lands—

Zero Emission Vehicles +45

Indian Lands +1,554

Establish Indian Lands Program 

in Oklahoma +1,450

Zero Emission Vehicles +104

Fixed Costs +777

Technology, Development and Transfer +440

Zero Emission Vehicles +86

Fixed Costs +354

Item

2022 Change 

from 

 2021 Enacted

Financial Management +13

Fixed Costs +13

Executive Direction and Administration +1,745

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and 

Accessibility Capacity +134

Zero Emission Vehicles—Charging 

Infrastructure +400

Restructure Division of Acquisition 

Management +124

Fixed Costs +1,087

Elimination of Rescission +25,000

Subtotals for Changes Across Multiple 

Subactivities

Zero Emission Vehicles [+1,140]

Fixed Costs [+2,231]
BH-42 | Bureau Highlights | OSMRE

APPROPRIATION: Abandoned Mine Reclamation Fund

Item 2020 Actual 2021 Enacted 2022 Request Change

Environmental Restoration 124,480 124,480 176,671 +52,191

Technology, Development and Transfer 3,576 3,608 3,695 +87

Financial Management 5,191 5,277 5,485 +208

Executive Direction and Administration 6,466 6,466 6,914 +448

TOTAL APPROPRIATION (w/o rescission) 139,713 139,831 192,765 +52,934

Rescission of Prior-Year BA 0 -10,000 0 +10,000

TOTAL APPROPRIATION (w/ rescission) 139,713 129,831 192,765 +62,934

Detail of Budget Changes

Item

2022 Change 

from 

 2021 Enacted

TOTAL APPROPRIATION +62,934

Environmental Restoration +52,191

State Program Evaluation—

Zero Emission Vehicles +44

Federal Reclamation Program—

Operations +1,208

Establish Federal Reclamation Program 

in Oklahoma +1,170

Zero Emission Vehicles +38

Federal Emergency Projects +785

AML Economic Development Grants +50,000

Fixed Costs +154

Technology, Development and Transfer +87

Zero Emission Vehicles +21

Fixed Costs +66

Financial Management +208

Zero Emission Vehicles +82

Fixed Costs +126

Item

2022 Change 

from 

 2021 Enacted

Executive Direction and Administration +448

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and 

Accessibility Capacity +66

Zero Emission Vehicles—Charging 

Infrastructure +100

Restructure Division of Acquisition 

Management +61

Fixed Costs +221

Elimination of Rescission +10,000

Subtotals for Changes Across Multiple 

Subactivities

Zero Emission Vehicles [+285]

Fixed Costs [+567]