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OSMRE Presents Colorado the Western States Abandoned Mine Land Reclamation Award

WASHINGTON – The Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement honored the Colorado Division of Reclamation, Mining and Safety, Inactive Mine Reclamation Program, during the National Association of Abandoned Mine Land Programs conference in Chicago, on Sept. 25. Colorado is the recipient of the award for exemplary reclamation work in Las Animas County. 

“The Abandoned Mine Land Reclamation Awards showcase exceptional reclamation projects done by our state and Tribal partners,” said David Berry, director of OSMRE’s Western Region. 

The West Sopris Coal Refuse Project before reclamation. The steep and heavily eroded waste piles were hazardous to walk on and sediment was being deposited in Trinidad Lake. Photo courtesy of Colorado Inactive Mine Reclamation Program.
The West Sopris Coal Refuse Project
before reclamation. The steep and heavily
eroded waste piles were hazardous to
walk on and sediment was being
deposited in Trinidad Lake. Photo courtesy
of Colorado Inactive Mine Reclamation
Program.

The West Sopris Coal Refuse Project is located near the entrance of Trinidad State Park. Reclamation work entailed a coal fire investigation, stabilizing coal refuse causing sediment runoff into Trinidad Lake, installing engineered drainage channels for runoff water diversion around the coal waste, and planting 1,500 sapling trees. Prior to reclamation, visitors were greeted by coal waste piles at the park entrance. Today, visitors are greeted by a landscape planted with native grasses and young trees, which will blend into the surrounding woodlands as the vegetation matures.

“The West Sopris Coal Refuse Project was a unique opportunity for our program to partner with our sister agency that manages Colorado state parks and address long standing concerns of the adjacent large coal refuse pile,” said Jeff Graves, Colorado AML director. “Completion of the project protects precious downstream water resources like Trinidad Lake from the erosional impacts of the unreclaimed coal waste.” 

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. 

The West Sopris Coal Refuse Project after reclamation in 2021. Photo courtesy of Colorado Inactive Mine Reclamation Program.
The West Sopris Coal Refuse Project
after reclamation in 2021. Photo courtesy
of Colorado Inactive Mine Reclamation
Program.

Colorado is among five recipients of the 2023 Abandoned Mine Land Reclamation Awards recognizing reclamation excellence. A National Award is presented to the state or Tribe with the best overall reclamation project. A 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 Projects

NATIONAL AWARD
Ohio Department of Natural Resources
Division of Mineral Resources Management

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

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.