WASHINGTON – The Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSMRE) has awarded the 2024 Excellence in Surface Coal Mining Reclamation Awards to Navajo Transitional Energy Company LLC, of New Mexico, and Black Mesa Pipeline LLC, of Arizona, in recognition of exemplary results in returning a site to productive use after completion of coal mining.
“It takes corporate stewards, citizen public servants, and all levels of government working in partnership to ensure that land mined for coal is restored and transformed,” said Principal Deputy Director Sharon Buccino. “The reclamation performed by this year’s awardees are examples of the ideals envisioned by Congress for coal mine land reclamation under the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act.”
OSMRE’s Excellence in Surface Coal Mining Reclamation Awards recognize mine operators in two award categories: the National Award and the Good Neighbor Award.
The National Award is presented to a coal mining company for achieving the most exemplary mine reclamation in the country. A coal mining operation may be nominated for achievement in a specific aspect of the reclamation, such as the design and implementation of sedimentation control practices, or for its overall performance in meeting the goals of the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act (SMCRA).
The Good Neighbor Award is presented to a mine operator for successfully working with surrounding landowners and the community while completing mining and reclamation.
National Award
Navajo Transitional Energy Company LLC
Yazzie Reclamation Project
Navajo Mine, Fruitland, New Mexico
engineering and environmental creativity.
Navajo Mine engineers redesigned the final
surface configuration to keep the golden
eagle nest undisturbed, ensure proper
drainage, and cover all coal seams.
Photo courtesy of National Transitional
Energy Company.
The Navajo Mine Yazzie pit, mined from the 1970s through 2010, is located in badlands, a type of dry terrain with extensively eroded soil characterized by steep slopes, minimal vegetation, and water runoff. The Yazzie Reclamation Project re-engineered and restored the Yazzie watershed by reclaiming a 2.5-mile-long open pit. The project, which began in 2018 and ended in 2023, required a 43-day topsoil haul, 629,000 cubic yards of topsoil, 22.5 million cubic yards of regrade material, and a conservation plan to protect a golden eagle nesting near the site. Using geomorphic principles, Navajo Transitional Energy Company LLC designed the watershed with a larger flood plain able to withstand a 100-year storm event. The restored watershed filters sediment from the badlands and serves as a water source for wildlife. Each year, Navajo Mine invites the public, school children, and others to the site to educate them about the reclamation process.
“We are honored to receive the 2024 OSMRE National Award for Excellence in Surface Coal Mining Reclamation for the Yazzie reclamation at Navajo Mine. The Yazzie reclamation exemplifies Navajo Transitional Energy Company’s ongoing commitment to doing the right thing, respecting and preserving our land, consistent with Navajo values,” said Vern Lund, chief executive officer for NTEC. “We commend the Navajo Mine teams involved in the project, which took six years to complete and is a notable example of governing agencies and NTEC working in harmony to achieve excellence in mine reclamation.”
Good Neighbor Award
Black Mesa Pipeline LLC (ONEOK)
Preparation Plant and Pump Station No. 1
Black Mesa High Plateau (Big Mountain), Navajo County, Arizona
No. 1 Reclamation Project removed 15
structures, three large storage areas,
six coal slurry/water catchment
basins/lagoons paved roads, parking lots,
collection ditches and drains, and a
chain-link fence. Photo courtesy of
Black Mesa Pipeline LLC.
Preparation Plant and Pump Station No. 1 closed in 2005 after operating since the late 1960s, processing and transporting coal mined from the Black Mesa Mine as a slurry to the Mohave Power Plant in Laughlin, Nevada. This reclamation project, covering nearly 40 acres, removed all wastes, surface facilities, and underground infrastructure, and restored the mined land to as close to pre-mining conditions as possible. Environmental restoration included re-establishing hydrologic systems, planting native vegetation, and developing a migratory bird conservation and compliance plan. Today, the area is protected to encourage robust establishment of native vegetation but, in the near future, the Navajo Nation community will use the area for agriculture, foraging, wildlife habitat, and livestock grazing.
“ONEOK is honored to receive the Good Neighbor Award for our 40-acre Black Mesa Coal Preparation Plant reclamation project. We accept this recognition with deep gratitude for the invaluable contributions and support of the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement, the Navajo Nation Surface Mining Program, and the surrounding community of Kayenta, Arizona,” said Melissa Carlson, ONEOK environmental director. “We are committed to environmental responsibility, and because of partnerships like these, ONEOK was able to restore nearly 40 acres of habitat - leaving a lasting impact for generations to come.”
OSMRE has recognized high-quality coal mine land reclamation since 1986. The awards program was designed to encourage citizen and private sector involvement in the care of America’s resources, recognize the outstanding reclamation that is being achieved by companies under SMCRA, capture and infuse in others a spirit of commitment to restoring the land after it is mined for coal, and provide a catalyst for the transfer of new or innovative technology for wider use.
For more information on the Excellence in Surface Coal Mining Reclamation Awards, visit https://www.osmre.gov/active-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.