OSM NEWS U. S. Department of the Interior Office of Surface Mining EDITOR'S NOTE: Jerry Childress (202) 208-2719 Embargoed For Release until October 11, 1999 jchildre@osmre.gov INTERIOR SECRETARY BABBITT ANNOUNCES WINNERS OF EXCELLENCE IN SURFACE MINING RECLAMATION AWARDS Secretary of the Interior Bruce Babbitt today announced that coal mine operators in Colorado, Indiana, Kentucky, Montana, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia and Wyoming are winners of 1999 Excellence in Surface Mining Reclamation Awards. "The winners of this year's competition have all gone beyond the established standards to ensure that the surface mining law works as intended," Babbitt said. "I applaud their remarkable efforts to preserve and protect the environment for future generations." The awards are sponsored each year by Interior's Office of Surface Mining (OSM), the agency responsible for regulating the environmental impacts of coal production. Nominations from coal mine operators were first screened by state coal mining regulatory agencies and OSM Field Offices, which forwarded state-level winners to OSM Headquarters for final judging. The final judging was completed by a panel of experts from OSM and the Department of Agriculture's Rural Abandoned Mine Land Program. OSM Director Kathy Karpan will present the 1999 awards during ceremonies at the National Mining Association's annual meeting in St. Louis, Missouri, on October 11, 1999. "I have had the opportunity to visit some of these award-winning sites and they are truly impressive," Karpan said. "The outstanding on-the-ground reclamation by each of the winners shows what a commitment to excellence in both mining and environmental protection can achieve." TXU (Texas Utilities Mining Company), Big Brown and Monticello Winfield Mines, Fairfield and Mt. Pleasant, Texas, won the prestigious OSM Director's Award for 1999. The focus of the Director's Award changes each year; for 1999, it was for exemplary prime farmland reclamation. TXU not only reclaimed existing prime farmland soils, it also improved soils during reclamation that resulted in an additional 9,000 acres of highly productive prime farmland. TXU developed a soil handling technique that has wide-spread future application. Most native East Texas soils are sandy and have clay layers that prevent root development and water movement. During mining and reclamation the layers are broken up and mixed. The reclaimed soils then have consistent texture that encourages deep root development and improved water holding capacity. The crop yields on the reclaimed soils have consistently outperformed the unmined native soils. Other winners include: Western Energy Company, Rosebud Mine, near Colstrip, Montana. Western Energy, a mining subsidiary of Montana Power, operates a large surface mine that provides coal to an adjacent power plant. While the reclamation is outstanding, this year Western Energy is being recognized for their far reaching accomplishments in wildlife conservation. These efforts have resulted in reestablishing a habitat for the sharp tailed grouse, an important Montana game bird. Western Energy has helped ensure the viability of the Montana grouse population for many years to come. Paramont Coal Corporation, Cane Branch Mine, Clintwood, Virginia, for reclaiming a 600-acre site, which included 13,000 feet of abandoned highwalls from previous mining, changing the area from a barren wasteland into an aesthetically pleasing landscape with productive hay and pasture land. Paramont Coal Company has shown that previously mined and abandoned land can be remined, the environment restored, and productivity increased. Cyprus Amax Company, Ayrshire Mine, Evansville, Indiana, where reclamation has led to a unique fish and wildlife habitat which will benefit the community for years to come. When the reclamation bond is released in 2003, this land will be used for public recreation activities such as hunting, fishing, hiking, biking, and bird watching. Its close proximity to major highways and the city of Evansville make it a unique resource for the whole region. Panther Creek Partners, Nesquehoning, Pennsylvania, for reclaiming 150 acres of coal waste as part of a coal recovery operation on anthracite coal refuse. The company's special effort to control water runoff from the refuse resulted in immediate improvements to nearby streams. In addition, topsoil that was constructed using ash and other waste materials has provided an excellent seed bed, and vegetation is growing on the site for the first time in over 70 years. The improvements are so dramatic that a housing development has begun adjacent to the site. Jamieson Construction Company, Permit No. 863-0280, Langnay, Kentucky, for its reclamation efforts which helped to preserve Rockcastle River, one of the last "wild" rivers remaining in Kentucky. Special care was taken to keep sediment from leaving the mine site and draining into the river. Diversion ditches were constructed to control the flow of water through ponds. Today the ponds are used for livestock and wildlife. Completed two years ago, it's now difficult to distinguish from the surrounding countryside. RAG Coal West, Inc. (Amax Coal West, Inc.), Belle Ayr Mine, Gillette, Wyoming, for reclamation which preserved the historical integrity of the mine site, which was one of the first to ship coal out of the Powder River Basin. In 1865, an expedition that was establishing a wagon road to the western gold fields had several skirmishes with the Sioux and Northern Cheyenne Tribes. At the proposed mine site, the expedition had dug rifle pits or shallow bunkers, that were eligible for the National Register of Historical Places. Basin Resources, Inc., Golden Eagle Mine, Weston, Colorado, for reclaiming a 30,000 acre mine site, which had been once an important wildlife habitat for bear, deer, mountain lion, turkey and the second largest elk herd in the state. Once reclamation was complete, the company transferred the land to the Colorado Division of Wildlife. The site is now used for public recreation and a greatly expanded wildlife area. The OSM Excellence in Surface Mining Reclamation awards program began in 1986 to publicly recognize outstanding active coal mine reclamation and publicize exemplary reclamation techniques. A brochure announcing the year 2000 program, with complete details about how to nominate a project is available from State regulatory agencies, OSM Headquarters, Regional and Field Offices, and from the OSM homepage at www.osmre.gov/awards.htm. -OSM- OSM news release and other information may be downloaded from OSM's Homepage at: (http://www.osmre.gov.). Frequently requested information about OSM is available 24 hours a day by Fax-on-Demand at: (202) 219-1703.