The act sought to redress both current and historical abuses to the environment. However, a report prepared for Congress by the General Accounting Office in 1987 indicated that several key unresolved technical issues frustrated the full realization of the act. These were acid mine drainage, prime farmland restoration, subsidence control, and groundwater degradation. The Center's programs address reclamation issues for both abandoned and active mine sites. The Center is committed to solving the problems faced every day by regulatory agencies and the mining industry.
American coal is mined in several different regions, each having particular research needs.
The Center is organized to provide a flexible, responsive means of applying research to the needs of agencies and companies within these regions. To support this strategy, three regional centers consisting of five universities have been established. Each regional center is advised by a committee consisting of government and industry representatives. Reclamation research is applied research. This requires that technologies be demonstrated at the operational scale.