Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, SMCRA only regulates coal mining. Therefore, the regulations for OSMRE govern only coal mining.
No, there are no similar national laws or regulations governing non-coal surface mining.
Non-coal mining is primarily regulated by each State under the State’s laws and regulations. You can find contact information on the State and Tribal contact webpage.
The DOI Bureau of Land Management and the USDA Forest Service have also adopted regulations imposing some restrictions on mining on Federal lands. Please visit their websites for further information.
Please contact the Director’s Office at 202-208-4006 to discuss your specific areas of interest.
You can find advertisements for all OSMRE internships and job opportunities at USAJOBS.
OSMRE does not keep these kinds of statistics.
There are several organizations that might have the information such as the National Mining Association and the Energy Information Administration.
OSMRE does not keep that information.
You can may find this information by directly reaching out to the State and Tribal contacts. You can also request information from the National Mining Association and the Energy Information Administration.
Please direct these questions to the State regulatory agency in the State you are concerned with.
Check the State and Tribal contact webpage for each respective AML and Regulatory Program.
We advise you to contact the State regulatory agency to see what is required. Check the State and Tribal contact webpage for each respective program.
Visit our Offices and Organization webpage to locate contact information for OSMRE offices.
For more information, visit the Oversight webpage.
For annual state and tribal evaluation reports, visit the ODocs webpage.
Visit our Offices and Organization webpage to locate contact information for OSMRE offices. Each Regional and Field Office will be able to direct you to permitting and NEPA documents.
No, OSMRE does not keep an active database of mining companies.
Please direct these questions to the State regulatory agency in the State you are concerned with. Check the State and Tribal contact webpage for each respective program contact.
Please refer to our Offices and Organization webpage to locate contact information for OSMRE offices.
Questions regarding the AVS should be sent to: AVS Help at avshelp@osmre.gov or 1-800-643-9748
No, the AML Inventory only contains problems eligible for reclamation using the Abandoned Mine Reclamation Fund.
Only coal-related problems caused by mining prior to the enactment of SMCRA and that meet the first two objectives set out in SMCRA, Priorities 1 and 2, have been systematically inventoried.
The categories of problems in the Inventory and their share of unfunded reclamation costs in the Inventory are shown in the following table.
No. Under SMCRA sites are eligible for reclamation funding if there is no party with a continuing reclamation responsibility under State or Federal law.
You can learn more about accessing the National Mine Map Repository (NMMR) on their webpage.