The federal Surface Mining Law was written to ensure that coal is mined under stringent public safety and environmental protection standards, and that all mined lands are fully reclaimed to their pre-mining capability. It also established a strong regulatory authority with enforcement powers to ensure mine operator compliance. To help make sure there was compliance, the public was provided unprecedented citizen rights to participate at every level of mining. The architects of the law said The success or failure of a national coal surface mining regulation program will depend, to a significant extent, on the role played by citizens in the regulatory process (H.R.95-218).
Following is an index to the principal ways that citizens can become involved with the Surface Mining Law and some specific information about participating in the regulatory process. Note: Several of the links on this page are not completed. We are working on them and they should be available in the near future. In the meanwhile if you have a question or need assistance with a citizen issue send us an E-mail message and we will get right back to you.
Getting involved with implementation of the Surface Mining Law
