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OSMRE presents Alabama with the National Abandoned Mine Land Reclamation Award

WASHINGTON – The Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement has awarded the National Abandoned Mine Land (AML) Reclamation Award to the Alabama Department of Labor Abandoned Mine Land Reclamation Program for exemplary work in Bibb County. The award was presented to Alabama by OSMRE Principal Deputy Director Sharon Buccino during the National Association of AML Programs conference in Canaan Valley, West Virginia, on Sept. 23. The National Award is presented to the State or Tribe with the best overall reclamation project in the country.

“The Abandoned Mine Land Reclamation Awards honor the best examples of AML reclamation in our nation,” said OSMRE Principal Deputy Director Sharon Buccino. “Our State and Tribal partners work hard to remove health hazards and reclaim former coal mines. These reclamation projects showcase innovation, community collaboration, and how reclaiming legacy coal mining problems builds a better future for former coal communities.”

Alabama earned the National Abandoned Mine Land Reclamation Award for reclamation work that eliminated dangerous abandoned mine land features and enhanced access and recreational amenities at the Cahaba River Wildlife Refuge in Bibb County, Alabama. Photo courtesy of Alabama Department of Labor Abandoned Mine Land Reclamation Program.
Alabama earned the National Abandoned Mine Land Reclamation Award for reclamation work that eliminated dangerous abandoned mine land features and enhanced access and recreational amenities at the Cahaba River Wildlife Refuge in Bibb County, Alabama. Photo courtesy of Alabama Department of Labor Abandoned Mine Land Reclamation Program.

The Piper Mine Reclamation Project, located near the historic coal community of West Blocton, eliminated public safety hazards by reclaiming the dangerous abandoned mine land features that remained from legacy coal mining in the early 1900s. Two dangerous highwall segments 4,830 feet long and 80 feet high, six acres of gob area, 59 acres of spoil material, three impoundments covering 1.1 acres, a mine portal, and three acres of mine slump were all mitigated.

The community can now enjoy expanded access to the refuge and enhanced recreational amenities. The project included construction and installation of a 10-acre pond, a canoe launch ramp, gravel roads, parking areas, new trails, improvements to existing trails, and interpretive and informational signage.

“The Alabama AML program is honored to receive the 2024 OSMRE National Reclamation Award for the Piper Mine Reclamation. This project is an example of what is possible through partnership and collaboration,” said Dustin Morin, director, Alabama Mining and Reclamation Division. “Although Alabama has a relatively small AML program, we are incredibly proud of the quality of reclamation work we accomplish.”

The Alabama Department of Labor Abandoned Mine Land Reclamation Program earned the Small Project Award in 2020 and 2019.

About the Awards

The Abandoned Mine Land Reclamation Awards, established in 1992, recognize exemplary state and Tribal reclamation projects that reclaim coal mine sites abandoned prior to the signing of the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977. 

Pennsylvania is one of five recipients of the 2024 Abandoned Mine Land Reclamation Awards recognizing reclamation excellence. The national award is presented to the State or Tribe with the best overall reclamation project. The small project award is presented to the State or Tribe that receives less than $6 million annually in AML fee-based funding that has the best project costing less than $1 million. Regional awards are presented to the State or Tribe with the best project within each of the following regions: Appalachian States, Interior States, and Western States and Tribes. 

Other Award-Winning Reclamation Programs

Small Project Award
New Mexico Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department; Abandoned Mine Land Program
Tin Pan Gob Reclamation Project; Raton, New Mexico

Regional Awards
Appalachian States Award
Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, Bureau of Abandoned Mine Land Reclamation
Penn Hills Project; Penn Hills Township

Interior States Award
Indiana Department of Natural Resources, Abandoned Mine Land Program
Lynnville Highwall; Lynnville, Indiana

Western States and Tribes Award
Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality, Abandoned Mine Land Division
17.6C-Brierley, CR 297 Drilling and Grouting Project; Carbon County, Wyoming

To learn about these award-winning projects, visit AML Reclamation Awards. 

– OSMRE –

OSMRE carries out the requirements of the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 in cooperation with states and Tribes. OSMRE’s objectives are to ensure that coal mining activities are conducted in a manner that protects citizens and the environment during mining, to ensure that the land is restored to beneficial use after mining, and to mitigate the effects of past mining by aggressively pursuing reclamation of abandoned coal mines. For more information, visit www.osmre.gov or connect with us through any of these social media channels: Facebook, Flickr, Instagram, LinkedIn, X, and YouTube.