Transcript Slide 1

Mountaintop Mining
A Perspective from David Hartos, Physical Scientist
U.S. Department of Interior - Office of Surface Mining
Reclamation and Enforcement
9th Annual Wetlands & Watershed Workshop
October 25, 2007
Disclaimer
The views expressed are those of the presenter and do not necessarily
represent to the views of the Department of Interior or the Office of
Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement
Public Law 95-87
• Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977
• Provides for the cooperation between the Secretary of Interior and
the States with the respect to the regulation of surface coal mining
operation and the acquisition and reclamation of abandoned mines,
and for other purposes
• Referred to by it acronym “SMCRA”, which is sound like “smack-ra”
• Because of the diversity in terrain, climate, biologic, chemical, and
other physical condition, encourages the States to take primary role
in developing, authorizing, issuing, and enforcing regulations for
surface coal mining reclamation operations subject to this act.
U.S. Department of Interior
Office of Surface Mining and Enforcement
OSM’s Mission
To carry out the requirements of SMCRA in
cooperation with States and Tribes.
OBJECTIVES
• Protect citizens
• Protect the environment
• Restore active mines
• Reclaim abandoned coal mines
Federal Surface Mining Program
• SMCRA codified @ 30 U.S.C. 1201-1328
• SMCRA Federal regulations @ 30 CFR Part 700
– End.
• Policy directives at www.osmre.gov/directiv.htm
Distribution of Coal Resources in the lower
48 States
Production Facts
• In 2004, coal was mined within 26 states and tribal lands.
• The top ten producing states and tribes in 2004:
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Wyoming
West Virginia
Kentucky
Pennsylvania
Texas
Montana
Colorado
Indiana
Illinois
Virginia
396.5 million tons
148.0 million tons
114.2 million tons
66.0 million tons
45.9 million tons
40.0 million tons
39.9 million tons
35.1 million tons
31.9 million tons
31.4 million tons
Source: Table 1 of the U.S. DOE - Energy Information Administration / Annual Coal Report,
DOE/EIA-0584 (2004)
Primacy
States are encouraged to regulate coal mining but must demonstrate
that they have State laws, regulations, policies and organizational
structure to carryout the provisions of SMCRA
• Of the 26 coal producing states and tribal lands, 24 have primacy &
only two states --Tennessee and Washington – have federally
administered SMCRA programs.
• OSM also administers the SMCRA program for:
– Arizona Hopi
– Arizona Navajo
– Montana Crow
– New Mexico Navajo
Regulatory Goals in a Nutshell
• Collection of adequate baseline information
• Good planning – mine operation and
reclamation designs that minimize
environmental impacts and protect citizens
• Perform well – complying with the terms of
program requirements and in accord with the
approved permit
Mountaintop removal coal mine in southern WV
Photo by Vivian Stockman
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Mountaintop removal coal mine in southern WV
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Photo by Vivian Stockman
Mountaintop removal coal mine in southern WV
Photo by Vivian Stockman
Mine Reclamation
• Ultimate goal – reclamation of mined land
• SMCRA encourages the enhancement of fish
and wildlife habitat
• SMCRA encourages reclaiming the land to a
higher and better land use.
Indiana, Vigo Coal Company, Discovery #1
Montana, Western Energy Company,
Rosebud Mine
Alabama, Drummond Coal Company, Mill
Creek Mine
Kentucky, Saarcar Coal, Inc. & Rifle Coal
Company
North Dakota, Bellaire Corporation, Indian Head
Mine
Texas, TXU Mining, previously Texas Utilities
Mining Company, Big Brown Mine
Texas, TXU Mining, previously Texas Utilities
Mining Company, Monticello Mine
Ohio, R & F Coal Company
Indiana, Black Beauty Coal Company
North Dakota, The Coteau Properties
Company, Freedom Mine
Pennsylvania
Maryland, tree farms, Buffalo Coal Company
Kentucky, Stone Mining Company, Grants
Branch Impoundment
Peabody – Gibraltor Mine - Kentucky
Some Notable Current Initiatives
• As we learn, we are striving to do better
Appalachian Clean
Streams Initiative
• Introduced in the fall of 1994.
• The mission of the Appalachian Clean Streams
Initiative is to facilitate and coordinate citizen
groups, university researchers, the coal industry,
corporations, the environmental community, and
local, state, and federal government agencies
that are involved in cleaning up streams polluted
by acid drainage.
• OSM and EPA Region III signed a statement of
mutual intent on February 9, 1995.
Interesting Facts
• In 2005, OSM provided 11 states with $3.2 million
• Since 1994 when the supplemental state grants began,
OSM has provided $47 million for 158 projects, 119 have
been completed and outside funding grew to over $23
million on the projects
• In 1999, OSM began the Watershed Cooperative
Agreement Program as part of the Clean Streams
Program and has awarded 141 cooperative agreements
and amendments at cost of $12,468,665.
More Interesting Facts
Watershed Internship Program
• The Office of Surface Mining and the Environmental
Protection Agency initiated the Summer Watershed
Internship program in 1999, and in 2005, funded 22
interns in eight states.
• Since the program began, 168 interns have been
placed in ten states all of them working directly for
watershed groups on acid mine drainage issues.
More Interesting Facts
OSM / VISTA Watershed Team
• OSM and the AmeriCorps VISTA program partnered to
create the OSM/VISTA Team.
• There are more than 30 full-time OSM/VISTA Volunteers
serving as Watershed Development Coordinators in 7
Appalachian coal states.
• This was not done alone: other agency funds and other
agency personnel play critical roles in virtually every one
of these partnership efforts, efforts that bring state and
federal partners together in support of local projects
assisted by OSM/VISTAs to make a difference.
Ohio, Majesty Mine Complex, Monday
Creek Restoration Project
Before
After
ARRI advocates using a technique known as the Forestry Reclamation
Approach, or FRA, to plant trees on reclaimed coal mined lands.
GOALS
• Plant more high-value hardwood trees on reclaimed coal mined
lands in Appalachia;
• Increase the survival rates and growth rates of planted trees;
• Expedite the establishment of forest habitat through natural
succession
Can you identify which of the trees
were grown on a reclaimed mine?
• The inventory provides vital statistics on about 300 Acid
Mine Drainage (AMD) treatment projects in West
Virginia, Maryland, Ohio and Pennsylvania. It is available
online at http://amd.osmre.gov/passtreat/.
• AMD Treat 4.0 AMDTreat helps government
agencies and citizens select the most cost
effective method to treat streams damaged by
acid mine drainage (AMD).
Technology Transfer
• Great ideas need to be shared