OSMRE presents Indiana with the Abandoned Mine Land Reclamation Award for the Interior States Region
3,200 linear feet of highwall left over from legacy
mining. Photo courtesy of Indiana Abandoned
Mine Land Program.
WASHINGTON – The Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement has awarded the 2024 Interior States Region Abandoned Mine Land (AML) Reclamation Award to the Indiana Department of Natural Resources for its exemplary work in Lynnville. The award was presented to Indiana by OSMRE Principal Deputy Director Sharon Buccino during the National Association of AML Programs conference in Canaan Valley, West Virginia, on Sept. 23. Since 2017, Indiana’s AML program has earned the Interior States Award in 2022, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017.
“The Abandoned Mine Land Reclamation Awards honor the best examples of AML reclamation in our nation,” said Sharon Buccino, OSMRE principal deputy director. “Our State and Tribal partners work hard to remove health hazards and reclaim former coal communities. Indiana is consistently recognized for reclamation projects that make communities safer, while improving the quality of life for its citizens.”
with a water cascade and naturalized landform,
a safe swim beach, and potential for camp sites
and mountain bike trails. Photo courtesy of
Indiana Abandoned Mine Land Program.
On multiple occasions, first responders have been called to Lynnville Park to provide emergency care to adventure seekers jumping into an adjacent lake from a highwall left over from legacy coal mining. The Lynnville Highwall Project removed more than 3,200 linear feet of highwall and replaced it with a water cascade and naturalized landform, a safe swim beach, and potential for new camping sites and mountain bike trails. Increased recreational opportunities, improved quality of life, and future economic development are just a few benefits of this award-winning AML reclamation.
“This project is a great example of the benefits that can be provided through a state abandoned mine land program,” said Kit Turpin, AML program director, Indiana Abandoned Mine Land Program. “While many enjoy the rugged nature of the post-industrial landscape, this project demonstrates the recreational resources and beauty that can be provided by reclamation and restoration to a naturalized landscape. It also creates a safe and inviting space for the community to enjoy for years to come.”
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
National Award
Alabama Department of Labor, Abandoned Mine Land Reclamation Program
Piper Mine Reclamation Project; Cahaba River Wildlife Refuge in Bibb County, Alabama
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
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.