PROCLAMATION

Last year almost a billion tons of coal were mined in the United
States and land reclamation was an integral part of that mining.
There was a time -- not that long ago -- when coal mining left
behind a scarred and barren landscape. Green hills and valleys were
turned brown. The blue waters of our rivers and streams were made
unfit for human use. Groundwater near the mines became contaminated
and undrinkable.

Seventeen years ago, on August 3, 1977, a landmark piece of
legislation -- the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act --
was enacted. Today. despite increased coal production, our land and
water resources are better protected than at any time in recent
American history. Tough federal and state laws require thorough
reclamation at coal mine sites. The interior Department, through
its Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement, in
cooperation with the states. requires that reclamation be a part of
the mining process.

In addition to the reclamation of newly mined lands thousands of
abandoned mines that once dotted the landscape in the coal mining
regions have been reclaimed. These old mines presented an enormous
hazard to anyone who happened to wander near them. Today. combined
federal and state efforts to rid the landscape of these hazards are
making entire communities safer places to live.

Many people will remember that prior to the passage of the surface
mining law we heard the usual industry predictions of gloom and
doom. The fact Is that despite all those dire predictions. the
American coal industry has not disappeared. it has not moved
offshore. and it has not gone broke. Quite the contrary; the
industry is more prosperous than ever. and successful reclamation
is the norm. In fact. American coal operators have set the standard
for the entire mining industry.

To fulfill the commitment Congress made in 1977, that all coal
mines would be properly operated and reclaimed and the coal field
citizens would be protected, the work of reclaiming mine land
continues, and there is much more to do. Reclamation is a
cooperative effort of concerned citizens, the mining industry, and
the government.  The results of good reclamation directly improve
the environment and the quality of life for all Americans. This is
work that deserves recognition and encouragement.

Therefore, as Secretary of the Interior, I am naming August 3 of
each year as National Land Reclamation Day in the Department of the
Interior. I call upon all interior employees to observe this day by
reflecting on the many ways that reclamation improves our lives and
the country, and by participating in appropriate programs and
activities, particularly educational activities, that stress the
importance of reclamation.

Bruce Battitt                       July 29, 1994
Secretary of the Interior               Date