MAKING OVERSIGHT OF
surface COAL MINING
MORE EFFECTIVE

On June 11, 2009, the U.S. Department of the Interior (Interior Department) entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to reduce the harmful environmental impacts of coal mining in six states in central Appalachia. Through the MOU, the three agencies intend to strengthen oversight and regulation and minimize the adverse environmental consequences of mountaintop removal mining. The Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSM) is coordinating closely with the Interior Department to implement the short- and long-term actions called for in the MOU.

Under the MOU, by December 31, 2009, OSM will evaluate and determine how it will more effectively conduct oversight of state permitting, state enforcement, and regulatory activities under the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 (SMCRA). The MOU also calls for OSM to complete two other short-term actions by December 31, 2009. These two actions, involving stream buffer zones and permit defects, are being addressed separately.

To accomplish the MOU’s call for OSM to evaluate its oversight activities, OSM is proposing Oversight Improvement Actions that will improve and make OSM oversight of state surface mining programs more effective. Comments on the proposed Oversight Improvement Actions will be accepted through January 19, 2010.

The documents for your review are available at the links below. Also, information on opportunities to comment and submitting comments can be found at the links below.

• News Release
• Overview of Making Oversight of Surface Coal Mining More Effective
• Oversight Improvement Actions
• What is Oversight? [66 KB]
• Memorandum of Understanding (June 11, 2009) [91.55 KB]
• Submitting Comments or Questions (Due by January 19, 2010)