OSMRE Presents Ohio the National Abandoned Mine Land Reclamation Award

WASHINGTON – The Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement honored the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Mineral Resources Management, during the National Association of Abandoned Mine Land Programs conference in Chicago, Sept. 25. Ohio is the recipient of the National Award for exemplary reclamation work at Friendship Park in Jefferson County. The National Award is presented to the state or Tribe with the best overall reclamation project.
 
“The Abandoned Mine Land Reclamation Awards honor the best examples of AML reclamation in our nation,” said OSMRE Regional Director Thomas Shope. “Our state and Tribal partners work hard to remove health hazards and reclaim abandoned coal mine sites. These awards showcase what is possible in transforming legacy coal mine sites into places that build robust communities.”

The Friendship Park Highwall Reclamation Project eliminated significant public health and safety problems by remediating more than 9,000 linear feet of dangerous highwalls and associated water-filled pit impoundments. Highwalls are steep, exposed cliffs left behind after coal mining. The unstable ground can pose many dangers, including falling rock.

The project prioritized adding long-lasting economic and environmental benefits to the community by enhancing recreation opportunities and building diverse habitats for wildlife. Project accomplishments included:

•    Conversion of 27.5 acres of unusable land into safe open space.
•    Creation of 1.5 acres of wetlands and 1,800 feet of natural stream channel.
•    Construction of 8,070 feet of new trail. 
•    Improvements to 2,120 feet of existing trail.
•    Reforestation of 7.6 acres with more than 5,000 native Ohio trees and shrubs
•    Construction of roosting habitat for Indiana and Northern Long-eared bats. 
•    Establishment of 4.3 acres of native pollinator/prairie plots.

“We’re delighted to see the Friendship Park Highwall Reclamation Project earn this great honor,” said Mary Mertz, director of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources. “It showcases the kind of work we do in Ohio, not only to make these formerly mined lands safe but to also breathe new life into the region where people can hike, bike, and enjoy the great outdoors.”

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.

OSMRE annually presents five Abandoned Mine Land Reclamation Awards recognizing reclamation excellence. In addition to the National Award, the Small Project Award is presented to the state or Tribe receiving less than $6 million annually in AML funding and completes a 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 
New Mexico Mining and Minerals Division
Abandoned Mine Land Program

REGIONAL AWARDS

Appalachian States Award
Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection
Bureau of Abandoned Mine Reclamation

Interior States Award
Iowa Department of Agriculture
Abandoned Mine Land Program

Western States Award
Colorado Division of Reclamation Mining and Safety
Inactive Mines Program

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.