The USGS will provide coal-resource assessment and economic analysis to OSM to support the rulemaking. These areas are in National Parks, Wilderness Areas, Wild and Scenic Rivers, Wildlife Refuges, National Trail Systems, National Recreation Areas, National Forests, state and local parks, and National Historic Sites. Assessment of deep coal resources in areas where OSM rulemaking could limit longwall mining.-The USGS and the Pennsylvania Topographic and Geologic Survey are working together to gather data that can be used to show the effects of such a rule. Also, a comparison of economic costs for longwall mining and for the next best mining method will be made as a basis for assessing the cost of the rulemaking. Even with increased energy conservation and the use of natural gas to meet increased demand, coal will continue to be a major energy source.
New technologies require coal of very specific quality.
The USGS works with the Pennsylvania Topographic and Geologic Survey to identify the location, quantity, and quality of coal resources on public and private lands in Pennsylvania, including coal suitable for export. The USGS is conducting a mineral-resource assessment of the Eastern United States, including Pennsylvania. Planned products will include maps delineating areas favorable for different kinds of mineral resources and tables listing known and estimated undiscovered mineral resources. Some data sets will be useful for environmental purposes, including determining the occurrence of toxic elements. This information is used by Federal and State agencies to evaluate human-induced contamination and to provide baseline data for environmental remediation.