Update on the continuing
functions of the former
US Bureau of Mines

In fiscal 1996, the US Congress directed that the US
Bureau of Mines (USBM) be closed. Certain functions
were reassigned to other agencies. The remaining em-
ployees were separated and the unoccupied sites were
decommissioned. As a result, 12 locations were closed
and about 1,200 employees were terminated in March
1996. About 600 employees at five locations were reas-
signed to other federal agencies. This article provides a
summary of the continuing functions, the agencies in-
volved and the points of contact for each continuing
function. The functions that were discontinued are also
identified.

The functions that have been maintained and trans-
ferred to other agencies are:

* Portions of USBM’s Mineral Information and
Analysis program formerly conducted in Washing-
ton, DC and Denver, CO were assigned to the US
Geological Survey (USGS).

* The Mineral Land Assessment program in Alaska
(Anchorage and Juneau) was transferred to the US
Bureau of Land Management (BLM).

* The Health and Safety Research program in Pitts-
burgh, PA and Spokane, WA was reassigned on an
interim basis to the US Department of Energy
(DOE). In fiscal year 1997, it was permanently as-
signed to the National Institute for Occupational
Safety and Health (NIOSH). NIOSH is part of the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention within
the US Department of Health and Human Services.

* Environmental Research at Pittsburgh, PA was as-
signed to DOE.

* Materials Research at Albany, OR was assigned to
DOE.

¢ The helium program was assigned to BLM, where it
will be managed pending privatization.

* Coal and noncoal mine maps were transferred to the
Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforce-
ment (OSMRE).

The following locations were closed:

* Research centers in Denver, CO; Minneapolis, MN;
Reno, NV; Rolla, MO; Salt Lake City, UT and
Tuscaloosa, AL.

* Field operations centers in Denver, CO and Spo-
kane, WA.

« Washington, DC headquarters office.

To provide a concise picture of all of the affected
functions, the following is a synopsis of the USBM pro-
gram functions and facilities immediately before the clo-

sure. There were two principal programs: information
and analysis, and research,

Information and analysis
* Alaska Field Operations Center, Anchorage and Ju-
neau —~ continuing program, assigned to BLM.

* Intermountain Field Operations Center, Denver —

closed.

° Western Field Operations Center, Spokane —
closed.

* Division of International Minerals (including branch
of Africa and Middle East, branch of Asia and the
Pacific, branch of Europe and Central Eurasia and
branch of Latin America and Canada), Washington,
DC — continuing program, assigned to USGS. Op-
erates as the Mineral Information Team.

* Minerals Availability Field Office, including Office
of Special Projects, Denver — continuing program,
assigned to USGS. Operates as the Mineral Infor-
mation Team.

* Division of Mineral Commodities, including Branch
of Metals and Branch of Industrial Minerals, Wash-
ington, DC — continuing program, assigned to
USGS. Operates as the Mineral Information Team.

+ Division of Statistics and Infor-
mation, including Branch of
Data Administration, Branch of
Minerals Information Systems,
Branch of Data Collection and
Coordination, Branch of Publi-
cations Services, Branch of Sta-
tistics and Methods Develop-

John Wl. Murohy
John W. Murphy,

ment, Washington, DC — con-
tinuing program, assigned to member SME,
USGS. Operates as the Mineral senior scientist,
Information Team. "

* Division of Regulatory and — Pittsburgh
Policy, including Branch of Eco-
nomic Analysis, Branch of Issue Research Center,
Analysis and Branch of Techni- . 7
cal Analysis, Washington — — National Institute
closed. ‘,

+ Division of Resource Evalua- 0" Occupational

tion, including Branch of Miner-
als Availability and Branch of
Mineral Land Assessment,
Washington, DC — closed.

Safety and
Health, PO Box
18070,
Pittsburgh, PA
15236-0070.

Research

* Office of Mineral Institutes,
Washington, DC — closed.

* Office of Process Evaluation,


Washington, DC — closed.

» — Office of Technology Transfer — closed.

* Division of Environmental Technology — closed.

* Division of Health, Safety and Mining Technology,
Branch of Health and Safety Technology, Branch of
Mining Technology — closed.

* Division of Minerals and Materials Science —
closed.

* Albany Research Center — continuing program at
reduced level, assigned to DOE.

¢ Denver Research Center — closed.

* Pittsburgh Research Center — continuing program,

health and safety only — assigned to NIOSH, envi-

ronmental research reduced in scope and assigned
to DOE.

Reno Research Center — closed.

Rolla Research Center — closed.

Salt Lake City Research Center — closed.

Spokane Research Center — continuing program,

health and safety only, assigned to NIOSH.

* Tuscaloosa Research Center — closed.

¢ Twin Cities Research Center — closed.

eeee

Helium operations

The helium operations consisted of production and
engineering, Amarillo, TX; Maintenance Division,
Satanta, KS; Excel Refinery; Masterson, TX and Crude
Reserve. Cliffside, TX.

The helium operations are now assigned to BLM; in
accordance with the Helium Privatization Act of 1996.
The helium refinery will cease production by April 1998.
BLM will continue to manage and operate the pipeline,
which extends from the Cliffside gas field in Texas to
Santanta, KS. Market sales of crude helium from the re-
serve at Cliffside will commence no later than 2005 and
continue through 2015 to a level of 600,000 scf.

Continuing program synopsis

Minerals Information Team (USGS). Typical prod-
ucts and their application include monthly and quarterly
mineral industry surveys; annual mineral commodity
summaries; annual country, county and state mineral in-
dustry surveys; comment on proposed legislation; coordi-
nation with national security agencies on mineral
stockpiling, Defense Production Act programs; and spe-
cial commodity studies.

Mineral land assessment Alaska (BLM). This func-
tion performs resource assessments in Alaska. The pro-
gram will continue. Current projects include studying
the Kuyukuk, Dupreanot and Petersburg mining dis-
tricts, Airborne geophysics will be performed in selected
areas. Special studies of resource areas or (and manage-
ment units), including an industrial minerals survey of
the Chugach National Forest. Mineral investigations will
be performed for land exchanges

Health and safety (NIOSH). The mining health and
safety program is implemented principally by the
NIOSH laboratories in Pittsburgh and Spokane with as-
sistance from the other parts of the institute as appropri-
ate. The program will devote more effort to health-
related issues, although mine safety remains a priority
area.

Focus areas include silica dust control, noise, diesel

emissions, haulage, ground control, health and safety is-
sues associated with automation, human factors and di-
saster prevention.

Environmental research (DOE). USBM personnel
in Pittsburgh who were conducting research in the area
of water quality were assigned to DOE. The level of ef-
fort in mining-related work has been reduced but some
work continues, focusing on the prediction and control of
acid-mine drainage (AMD). The passive-water-treat-
ment research has been shut down. However, research
continues on the treatment of metal-mine drainage using
biogenic hydrogen sulfide, the effect of coal combustion
residues on acid generation at mine sites and densifica-
tion/stabilization of AMD sludge.

Materials research (DOE). The Materials Conserva-
tion and Substitution program (formerly the US Bureau
of Mines Materials Program) at the Albany Research
Center (ALRC) is to provide stewardship for the
nation’s mineral resources by conserving, through sev-
eral technologies, those materials produced from miner-
als. The center addresses all materials, from cost-
effective production and processing to their disposal and
recycling.

The center seeks to determine the factors that limit
the service life of materials in industrial, structural or
engineering applications and to provide solutions to
service-life problems through new materials and conser-
vation technologies.

Within this broad mission, the center must also coor-
dinate its efforts to contribute to fossil energy’s collabo-
rative goals in energy efficiency and renewable energy,
energy research and environmental management. The
center also seeks to establish mutually beneficial part-
nerships with industry and other agencies to share the
costs, tasks and national benefits of its research program.

Helium program (BLM). The helium program in-
volves the production and storage of helium. Under the
program, helium is sold to other federal agencies.

In 1996, Congress passed legislation that proposes to
privatize the federal helium operations. The legislation
requires a study by the National Academy of Sciences to
assess the implications of depleting the federal helium
reserve. Specifically, the academy is to investigate the
long-term national implications expressed by the scien-
tific community on the loss of that helium storage cur-
rently owned and managed by the government. The
estimated completion time for the study is 18 months.

The helium refinery is targeted to close in April 1998.
About 140 employees will be separated, including engi-
neers and scientists. Any interests in these individuals
should be directed to BLM.

Mine maps (OSMRE). Mine map repository facili-
ties were established in USBM to collect and archive
mine maps. These functions were transferred to the
OSMRE in 1983. Supplemental materials were trans-
ferred when USBM closed.

‘The mine map repository in Pittsburgh, PA maintains
more than 100,000 mine maps on microfiche. The maps
include underground and surface coal mines, as well as
surface and underground metal and nonmetal mines
throughout the world.


Requests for map-related information and data from
he repository may be made in writing, by telephone or
ry appointment.

Contacts for the continuing programs

Minerals information — US Geological Survey Min-
erals Information Team, chief scientist — John De Young
(acting), 920 National Center, Reston, VA 20192, phone
703-648-6057, fax 703-648-4995, Internet jdeyoung-
@usgs.gov.

Publications — Keith Harris, publications services
‘including mailing list changes), 984 National Center,
Reston, VA 20192, phone 703-648-4750, fax 703-648-
7792.

Data — Minerals yearbook chapters, mineral indus-
try surveys, mineral commodity summary chapters, per-
sonnel directories, via Internet http://minerals.er.-
usgs.gov/minerals/pubs. Mines Faxback 703-648-4999,

Mineral land assessment, Alaska

Roger Baer, Bureau of Land Management, Juneau
Office, P.O. Box 20550, Juneau, AK 99802-0550, phone
907-364-2111, fax 907-364-3622, Internet rbaer@ak.-
blm.gov. Or Donald W. Baggs, Bureau of Land Manage-
ment, Anchorage Office, 222 West 7th Avenue,
Anchorage, AK 995-13-5076, phone 907-271-2454, fax
907-271-3933, Internet dbaggs@ak.blm.gov.

Health and safety research

Program — Gregory Wagner, MD, acting associate
director for mining, National Institute for Occupational
Safety and Health, 1095 Willowdale Road, Morgantown,
WV 26505, phone 304-285-6162, fax 304-285-5861,
Internet grw3@cde.gov. Or Richard W. Metzler, acting
research director, Pittsburgh Research Center-NIOSH,
Cochrans Mill Rd., PO Box 18070, Pittsburgh, PA
15236-0070, phone 412-892-6601, fax 412-892-6614
Internet rwm0@cdc.gov. Or John R.M. (Ros) Hill, acting
research director, Spokane Research Center-NIOSH,

315 East Montgomery Ave., Spokane, WA 99207, phone
509-484-1610, fax 509-354-8099 Internet gzhO@cdc.gov.

Publications — Research publications from the
former USBM and the continuing heath and safety are
available as follows:

* Bibliographic search and selected publications are
at: Common Information Service System (CISS)
http://speedy.usbm.gov:8000/.

* Copies of all research publications can be ordered
through National Technical Information Service
(NUS), 5285 Port Royal Rd., Springfield, VA 22161,
phone 703-487-4650, fax 703-321-8547, Internet
http://ntis.fedworld.gov.

Mining environmental research

Program and publications — Robert L. P. Kleinmann,
director, environmental science and technology division,
Federal Energy Technology Center-Pittsburgh Site, PO
Box 10940, Pittsburgh, PA 15236, phone 412-892-6555,
fax 412-892-4067, Internet kleinman@fetc.doe.gov

Materials research, orogram and publications —
George J. Dooley II, research director, US Department
of Energy, Albany Research Center, 1450 Queen Ave.
SW, Albany, OR 97321-2198, phone 541-967-5892, fax
541-967-5936, Internet dooley@alrc.doe.gov, World Wide
Web www.alrc.doe.gov. Or William D. Riley, chief, tech-
nology transfer, Albany Research Center, 1450 Queen
Ave. SW, Albany, Oregon 97321-2198, phone
541-967-5851, fax 541-967-5991, Internet riley@alrc.-
doe.gov, World Wide Web www.alrc.doe.gov.

Helium program — Robert E. Doyle Jr., manager,
helium office, Bureau of Land Management, 18th and C
Streets, NW, Washington, DC 20240, phone 202-501-9340,
fax 202-501-3740, Internet bdoyle@sc0126wp.sc.blm.gov.

Mine maps — Greig J. Robertson, mine map
tepository, Office of Surface Mining, 3 Greentree Park-
way, Greentree, PA 15220, phone 412-937-3001, fax
412-937-2888, Internet groberts@osmre.gov. ll