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Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement

Department of the Interior, 1951 Constitution Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20240

202-208-2565
TDD, 202-208-2694
http://www.osmre.gov

DIRECTOR *(vacancy)
Deputy DirectorGlenda H. Owens
https://www.osmre.gov/about/offices

The Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSMRE) was established in the Department of the Interior by the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 (30 U.S.C. 1211).

http://www.osmre.gov/about.shtm

The OSMRE carries out the requirements of the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act in cooperation with States and tribes. The Office protects people and the environment from the adverse effects of coal mining. The OSMRE assures that land is restored to beneficial use after mining operations cease, and it mitigates the effects of past operations by reclamation of abandoned coal mines. The Office mainly oversees State mining regulatory and abandoned-mine reclamation programs, assists States in meeting the objectives of surface mining law, and regulates mining and reclamation activities on Federal and Indian lands and in those States opting not to assume primary responsibility for regulating coal mining and reclamation activities within their borders.

The Office establishes national policy for the surface mining control and reclamation program, reviews and approves amendments to previously approved State programs, and reviews and recommends approval of new State program submissions. It also manages the collection, disbursement, and accounting of abandoned-mine land reclamation fees; administers civil penalties programs; establishes technical standards and regulatory policy for reclamation and enforcement; offers guidance for environmental considerations, research, training, and technology transfers; and monitors and evaluates State and tribal regulatory programs, cooperative agreements, and abandoned-mine land reclamation programs.

Sources of Information

Abandoned Mine Land Inventory System

To provide information for implementing the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977, the OSMRE maintains an inventory of land and water affected by past mining. The inventory contains information on the location, type, and extent of abandoned mine land impacts, as well as information on the reclamation costs. The inventory is based on field surveys by State, tribal, and OSMRE program officials.

https://amlis.osmre.gov/About.aspx

Business Opportunities

Information to assist small business operators and owners is available online. For additional information, contact the Acquisition Management Branch. Phone, 202-208-2902.

http://www.osmre.gov/contacts/business.shtm

Career Opportunities

To find employment opportunities at the OSMRE, visit the "Jobs at OSMRE" Web page and click on the USAJobs quick link.

http://www.osmre.gov/contacts/jobs.shtm

Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)

A FOIA request for OSMRE records may be submitted via electronic or postal mail or by using the Department of the Interior's electronic request form and selecting "Office of Surface Mining" in the drop-down menu.

http://www.osmre.gov/lrg/foia.shtm | Email: foia@osmre.gov

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

The OSMRE posts answers to FAQs online.

http://www.osmre.gov/resources/FAQs.shtm

The OSMRE website also has a "How Do I?" section.

http://www.osmre.gov/howdoi.shtm

Grants

Information on regulatory program grants and abandoned mine land grants is available on the OSMRE website.

http://www.osmre.gov/resources/grants.shtm

Library

The general public may use the OSMRE online library catalog to locate legal and technical information.

http://o10007.eos-intl.net/O10007/OPAC/Index.aspx

Mine Maps

The National Mine Map Repository collects and maintains mine map information and images for the entire country.

http://mmr.osmre.gov

An index that includes over 180,000 maps of closed and abandoned mines is available online. The index serves as an inventory for determining which maps are available. To obtain actual copies of maps, contact the National Mine Map Repository. Fax, 412-937-2888.

http://mmr.osmre.gov/MultiPub.aspx

Most Requested Content

The OSMRE website maintains a collection of links for its most frequently requested web pages.

http://www.osmre.gov/resources/mostRequested.shtm

Newsroom

The newsroom features OSMRE stories and news releases.

http://www.osmre.gov/resources/newsroom.shtm

The OSMRE tweets announcements and other newsworthy items on Twitter.

https://twitter.com/OSMRE

The OSMRE has a Facebook page.

https://www.facebook.com/Office.of.Surface.Mining.Reclamation.Enforcement

Regional Offices

Appalachian Region Office

http://www.arcc.osmre.gov/contacts.shtm

Mid-Continent Region Office

http://www.mcrcc.osmre.gov/contacts.shtm

Western Region Office

http://www.wrcc.osmre.gov/contacts.shtm

Resources

The OSMRE website has a section that is dedicated to electronic, informational resources.

http://www.osmre.gov/resources.shtm

Site Map

The website map allows visitors to look for specific topics or to browse content that aligns with their interests.

http://www.osmre.gov/resources/sitemap.shtm

An A–Z index is also available to help visitors find the information that they seek.

http://www.osmre.gov/resources/AtoZ.shtm

Top Priorities

The OSMRE website has a section highlighting the agency's major programs.

https://www.osmre.gov/programs.shtm
http://www.osmre.gov/contacts.shtm | Email: getinfo@osmre.gov

For further information, contact the Office of Communications, Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement, Department of the Interior, 1951 Constitution Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20240. Phone, 202-208-2565. TDD, 202-208-2694.