OSMRE Presents Pennsylvania with the Abandoned Mine Land Reclamation Award for the Appalachian States Region

WASHINGTON – The Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement has awarded the 2024 Appalachian States Regional Abandoned Mine Land (AML) Reclamation Award to the Pennsylvania Bureau of Abandoned Mine Land Reclamation for its exemplary reclamation work in Allegheny County. The award was presented to Pennsylvania by OSMRE Principal Deputy Director Sharon Buccino during the National Association of AML Programs conference in Canaan Valley, West Virginia, on Sept. 23. This is the fifth consecutive year Pennsylvania has been recognized by OSMRE for outstanding reclamation, earning national awards in 2020 and 2022 and regional awards in 2021 and 2023.

“The Abandoned Mine Land Reclamation Awards showcase the best reclamation projects done by our State and Tribal partners,” said OSMRE Principal Deputy Director Sharon Buccino. “Pennsylvania is consistently recognized for reclamation projects that make communities safer, while improving the quality of life for its citizens.” 

The Penn Hills Township project remediated dangerous conditions that affected 11 residences, with acid mine drainage saturating backyards and seeping into basements, while putting the homes at risk for potential landslides. The homeowners now have safer homes with dry yards, dry basements, structurally intact foundations, and increased property values. The project also addressed hazards associated with acid mine drainage flooding a well-traveled road that made driving and walking conditions treacherous for the neighborhood, and restored a dilapidated park for future recreation opportunities. 
“The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection’s Bureau of Abandon Mine Reclamation is honored to earn this year’s Appalachian States AML Reclamation Award for the Penn Hills AML Reclamation Project and to improve public health and safety,” said Patrick Webb, director of the Bureau of Abandoned Mine Reclamation at DEP. 

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
Interior States Award
Indiana Department of Natural Resources, Abandoned Mine Land Program
Lynnville Highwall; Lynnville, Indiana

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.