Skip to main content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Federal Lands Program

Regulation of Coal Mining and Reclamation Operations

The Federal Lands Program regulates coal mining and reclamation operations on Federal lands pursuant to the SMCRA and the Mineral Leasing Act of 1920 (MLA).

SMCRA defines Federal lands as any land, including mineral interests, owned by the United States without regard to how the United States acquired ownership of the land and without regard to the agency having responsibility for management thereof.

In many states, OSMRE has delegated the administration of SMCRA on Federal lands to State regulatory agencies. This delegated authority is pursuant to Section 523(c) of SMCRA and State-Federal Cooperative Agreements between the Secretary of the Interior and the Governor of the respective State. The cooperative agreements provide that the States perform all permitting activities, as well as day-to-day inspections and enforcement on those mines.

However, sections 523(a) and 523(c) of the SMCRA provides that the Secretary may not delegate to the State the responsibilities to approve mining plans on Federal lands. Until the Secretary has approved the mining plan no person may conduct surface coal mining and reclamation operations on lands containing leased Federal coal.

Image of an active surface coal mine with operating equipment

Mining Plan Decision Documents

A mining plan is the plan for mining leased Federal coal required by the Mineral Leasing Act of 1920. OSMRE is charged with preparing a mining plan decision document (MPDD), which will be provided to the Assistant Secretary for Land and Minerals (ASLM). The Assistant Secretary has authority to approve, disapprove, or approve-with-conditions the mining plan.

The MPDD is developed in coordination with other agencies. This includes:

  • Findings and recommendations from the Bureau of Land Management on resource recovery and protection plans
  • State agencies on the surface coal mining and reclamation plans required by SMCRA
  • Compliance with federal regulations, such as NEPA, Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act, and the National Historic Preservation Act and other applicable requirements and executive orders.

MPDD and supporting documentation, including any NEPA analysis, are available to the public in the Mine Plan Reference Center: located in Denver, Colorado.

For information from the Mine Plan Reference Center, please contact Marcelo Calle (office: 303-236-2929; cell: 720-467-5524).

Federal Lands Mining Plan Decision Documents and NEPA Compliance Documentation

Below are links to the most recent mining plan recommendations. These links include copies of the NEPA analysis and supporting documentation related to either findings of no significant impact (FONSI) or findings of NEPA compliance. For mining plan recommendations older than 5 years, please contact the Mine Plan Reference Center.

Belle Ayr Mine North Tract, Contura Coal West LLC., Amendment for Federal Lease WYW-161248 (Mining Plan Approval Document Dated 12/12/2017)

The Department of the Interior announces the availability of the Final EIS and Record of Decision for the Bull Mountains Mine No. 1 Amendment 3 mining plan modification. The Final EIS and Record of Decision were prepared in compliance with the Department’s alternative arrangements for compliance with the NEPA. On January 20, 2025, President Donald J. Trump issued Executive Order 14156 – “Declaring a National Energy Emergency,” which declared a national energy emergency and directed Federal agencies to expedite permits and approvals for energy projects, including those on Federal lands, using emergency provisions.  During an emergency, a responsible official of the Department can adopt alternative arrangements to comply with NEPA before taking “urgently needed actions.” 

Bull Mountains Mine No. 1 EIS

Bull Mountains Mine No. 1, operated by Signal Peak Energy, LLC, is located 30 miles north of Billings, Montana, on private and public land in Musselshell and Yellowstone Counties. The proposed project would allow 247 acres of surface disturbance and recovery of 24 million tons of Federal coal. The EIS analyzes the Bull Mountains Mine No. 1 mining plan modification associated with Federal Coal Lease MTM 97988. OSMRE prepared this EIS for the Bull Mountains Mine No. 1 Amendment 3, as directed by the October 14, 2022, U.S. District Court of Montana court ruling, to address the deficiencies identified in OSMRE’s 2018 EA.

For more information contact the OSMRE Project Manager:

Marcelo Calle
U.S. Department of the Interior
Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement
mcalle@osmre.gov
Telephone: (303) 236-2929

All media inquiries should be directed to:

Office of Communications
U.S. Department of the Interior
Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement
osm-news@osmre.gov

Peabody Caballo Mining, LLC – Caballo Mine WYW172657 (Mining Plan Approval Document Dated 04/08/2020)

BNI Coal, Ltd – Center Mine Federal Coal Lease NDM-105513, BNCR-1101(Mining Plan Modification Approval Document Dated 06/25/2024)

BNI Coal, Ltd – Center Mine Federal Coal Lease NDM-105513, BNCR-9401(Mining Plan Modification Approval Document Dated 05/09/2023)

BNI Coal, Ltd – Center Mine Federal Coal Lease NDM-105513, BNCR-9702 (Mining Plan Modification Approval Document Dated 07/26/2023)

Alton Coal Development, LLC – Coal Hollow Mine UTU-081895 (Mining Plan Approval Document Dated 07/29/2019)

Colowyo Mine, L.P. – Colowyo Coal Mine COC-123475 01 and COC-68590 (Mining Plan Approval Document Dated 01/16/2017)

Colowyo Mine, L.P. – Colowyo Coal Mine COC-29225 and COC-29226 (Mining Plan Approval Document Dated 09/04/2015)

Cordero Mining, LLC. - Cordero Rojo Mine, Duvall Amendment for Federal Lease WYW-174407 (Mining Plan Approval Document Dated 02/06/2018)

Coyote Creek Mining Company, LLC. – Coyote Creek Mine, Permit No. NACC-1302, Revision 1 (Mining Plan Approval Document Dated 03/14/2024)

Western Fuels Wyoming, Inc. – Dry Fork Mine WYW0311810 (Mining Plan Approval Document Dated 02/20/2020)

Dry Fork Mine, Western Fuels-Wyoming, INC., Amendment for Federal Lease WYW-0271200 and Federal Lease WYW-0271201 (Mining Plan Approval Document Dated 12/19/2017)

Falkirk Mining Company, – Falkirk Mine, Revision 37 and 38 NDM107039 (Mining Plan Approval Document Dated 08/20/2018)

Foidel Creek Mine, Twentymile Coal, LLC’s, Federal Coal Lease COC54608 (Mining Plan Approval Document Dated 6/02/2017)

Freedom Mine, Coteau Properties Company, NDM 91535 (Mining Plan Approval Document Dated 10/19/2016)

Jim Bridger Mine, Bridger Coal Company, Federal Coal Lease WYW2727 (Mining Plan Approval Document Dated 03/27/2018)

King II Mine, GCC of America, Inc., Federal Coal Lease COC-62920 (Mining Plan Approval Document Dated 03/27/2018)

Western Energy Company - Rosebud Mine, Area F M82186 (Mining Plan Approval Document Dated 7/15/2019)

Westmoreland San Juan Mining LLC – San Juan Mine Deep Lease Extension NM- 99144 (Mining Plan Approval Document Dated 08/26/2019)

Skyline Mine, Canyon Fuel Company, LLC’s, Federal Coal Lease UTU-77114 (Mining Plan Approval Document Dated 5/11/2017)

Spring Creek Mine Mining Plan Modification for Federal Coal Leases MTM 94378 and MTM 110693 (03/13/2025)

Spring Creek Mine TR 1 Mining Plan Modification (Mining Plan Approval Document Dated (07/08/2020)

Spring Creek Mine LBA 1 Mining Plan Modification (Mining Plan Approval Document Dated 10/03/2016)

 

Canyon Fuel Company, LLC – Sufco Mine, Greens Hollow Tract UTU-84102 (Mining Plan Approval Document Dated 06/21/2018)

Trapper Mining Inc’s, Trapper Mine for Federal Coal Leases C07519 and C079641 (Mining Plan Approval Document Dated 4/29/16)

Mountain Coal Company – West Elk Mine COC1362 and COC67232 (Mining Plan Approval Document Dated 01/13/2020)