OSMRE presents Wyoming with the Abandoned Mine Land Reclamation Award for the Western States and Tribes Region
Carbon County, Wyoming. Photo courtesy of
Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality
Abandoned Mine Land Division.
WASHINGTON – The Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement has awarded the 2024 Western States and Tribes Regional Abandoned Mine Land (AML) Reclamation Award to the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality Abandoned Mine Land Division for its reclamation work in Carbon County. The award was presented to Wyoming by OSMRE Principal Deputy Director Sharon Buccino during the National Association of AML Programs conference in Canaan Valley, West Virginia, on Sept. 23.
“The Abandoned Mine Land Reclamation Awards honor the best examples of AML reclamation in our nation,” said Sharon Buccino, OSMRE principal deputy director. “These reclamation projects showcase innovation, community collaboration, and how reclaiming legacy coal mining problems builds a better future for former coal communities.”
was poured into Hanna No. 3 Mine workings to
mitigate subsidence along Carbon County Road
297 in Carbon County, Wyoming. Photo courtesy
of Wyoming Department of Environmental
Quality Abandoned Mine Land Division.
Situated on top of the Hanna No. 3 Mine, Carbon County Road 297 (CR297) is a key alternate route used extensively by emergency personnel to deliver service to the communities of Hanna and Elmo, Wyoming. In this remote 1,800 square mile area, the nearest healthcare and grocery stores are 40 miles to the west and 70 miles to the east. Collapsing underground mine workings along CR297 cause subsidence and pose a danger to the traveling public. The Hannah #3 Mine Subsidence and Bridge Repair project filled voids under the road with 26,672 cubic yards of void-fill grout, mitigating subsidence risk for 0.7 miles.
“In 2020, a prairie fire threatened the town and the main access into the town. During the 2022-23 winter, blowing and drifting snow plugged the main access for weeks with 6-foot drifts, leaving CR297 as the easiest route to keep open,” said David Pendleton, program manager, Wyoming Abandoned Mine Land Division. “These two events are prime examples of the necessity of keeping CR297 open to ensure the health and safety of the nearby communities.”
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
Interior States Award
Indiana Department of Natural Resources, Abandoned Mine Land Program
Lynnville Highwall; Lynnville, Indiana
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.