MAKING OVERSIGHT OF
surface COAL MINING
MORE EFFECTIVE

In June 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 actions called for in the MOU.

Under the MOU, OSM was to 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 called for OSM to complete two other actions. Information on one of these actions -- to develop a new rule that will better protect streams affected by coal mining -- is located at: Building a Stream Protection Rule. The remaining action, involving permit defects, is addressed through the link below titled, “Memorandum from the OSM Director to Regional Directors: Application of the Ten-Day Notice Process and Federal Enforcement to Permitting Issues Under Approved Regulatory Programs (November 15, 2010).”

To accomplish the MOUs call for OSM to evaluate its oversight activities, OSM has proposed Oversight Improvement Actions that will make OSM oversight of state surface mining programs more effective.

The documents that appear below are products that OSM recently finalized pursuant to its efforts to improve oversight.

• FINAL Oversight Products:
  • Directive REG-8: Oversight of State Regulatory Programs [1.81 MB]
  • Directive REG-23:Corrective Actions for Regulatory Program Problems and Action Plans [754 KB]
  • Directive INE-35: Ten-Day Notices [2.01 MB]
    
    
  • Oversight Public Participation and Outreach

The documents that appear below represent draft products that OSM is developing as it implements these Oversight Improvement Actions.

• Oversight Draft Products:
  • Draft - MOU - Oversight Outreach Improvement Team Summary and Report, [173 KB] (the comment period has ended.)
  • Draft - Off-site Impacts Summary and Report, [108 KB] (the comment period has ended.)
  • Draft - Inspection Methodology Team Report and Recommendations, [388 KB] (the comment period has ended.)
  • Draft-Geospatial Strategic Plan, April 9, 2010, [4.5 MB]. (the comment period has ended.)
• 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]
• List of Projects Subject to Enhanced Coordination Procedures Between EPA and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. (NOTE: This page provides updates and background information regarding activities and permits under Clean Water Act Section 404 and Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act subject to the Enhanced Coordination Procedures under the June 11, 2009, Memorandum of Agreement.)

Other Links:

Building a Stream Protection Rule
Memorandum from the OSM Director to Regional Directors: Application of the Ten-Day Notice Process and Federal Enforcement to Permitting Issues Under Approved Regulatory Programs (November 15, 2010) [211 KB]