OSMRE Stories
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OSMRE and partners get planting for Arbor Day
In the weeks surrounding Arbor Day, former coal mine sites in Appalachia sprout new seeds as volunteers from around the region gather to plant trees. Dense forests are a staple of the Eastern U.S. but have declined…
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Cleaning community waterways through the Watershed Cooperative Agreement Program
Watersheds are interconnected systems of rivers and streams that drain into the same body of water. Water from a small creek can travel dozens of miles and drain into a larger river or lake. As a result, watersheds collect runoff and pollution…
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Highlighting OSMRE employees for Women's History Month
Bobbi Martinez Hernandez Natural Resource Specialist – Western Region About:Bobbi lives in Denver and is a Colorado native. She has a 17-year-old foster son, a cat, a turtle, and five chickens. She holds a master’s degree in environmental…
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Black History and Coal Communities
(OSMRE graphic by Emily Isaac)“Those who have no record of what their forebears have accomplished lose the inspiration which comes from the teaching of biography and history” – Carter G. Woodson
Carter G. Woodson, the descendant of…
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OSMRE takes inspiration from nature to solve modern environmental challenges
What do wetlands and abandoned coal mines have in common? Although they appear to be complete opposites, there are several ways in which these features affect each other.
Wetlands…
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OSMRE and Partners Tour AMD sites
MACOUPIN COUNTY, Ill. – The Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources Abandoned Mine Land Program and Amanda Pankau, senior energy campaign coordinator with Prairie Rivers Network,…
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AMLER funding spurs development of camping at The Wilds
Cumberland, Ohio – A 59-acre campground is underway at The Wilds, a nonprofit conservation center located on 10,000 acres of reclaimed mine land. The park expansion is made in part because of the Abandoned Mine Land Economic Revitalization…
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10 years of Plant a Tree at Flight 93
Volunteers gathered at the Flight 93 National Memorial, on April 22, for a two-day event to plant native trees. The event is the culmination of more than 10 years of work to reclaim former coal mine land where the memorial resides.
Under…
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Constructed Wetlands for Mine Drainage Treatment
One of the most obvious tell-tale signs of abandoned coal mine pollution is mine drainage. A bright orange oxidized iron or a milky white aluminum, that spreads to local waterways devastating habitats and ecosystems. How is this issue…
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2021: A Year in Review
The Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement, or OSMRE, works with State and Tribal partners to reclaim abandoned coal mine land and regulate active coal mines reclamation practices. OSMRE works every year to ensure abandoned mine…