Surface mining: Difficulties in reclaiming mined lands in Pennsylvania and West Virginia

Technical Report · Wed Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1986

OSTI ID:5983764

The Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 provides uniform, minimum environmental protection standards. It requires mine operators to post a bond to ensure that mined lands will be adequately reclaimed if the operator is not willing or able to do so. GAO found a number of problems in implementing SMCRA requirements. In particular, unreclaimed acreage exists in Pennsylvania and West Virginia, posing risks to the health and safety of the public and the environment. Under the interim program - after enactment of SMCRA but before the states received primary regulatory authority - bond amounts in the two states have not been adequate to reclaim all interim program lands. In addition, the adequacy of the permanent program bonding systems in either state has not been formally assessed. The impact of using reclamation funds for program administration on the ability of the states to reclaim their bond forfeiture lands has not been assessed either.

• Research Organization: General Accounting Office, Washington, DC (USA)
• OSTI ID: 5983764
• Report Number(s): GAO/RCED-86-221
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT
010900 -- Coal
Lignite
& Peat-- Environmental Aspects
29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY
290300* -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Environment
Health
& Safety
293000 -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Policy
Legislation
& Regulation
510500 -- Environment
Terrestrial-- Site Resource & Use Studies-- (-1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
CAPITAL
ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY
FEDERAL REGION III
FINANCING
GOVERNMENT POLICIES
IMPLEMENTATION
LAND RECLAMATION
LAND USE
LAWS
MANAGEMENT
MINING
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
NORTH AMERICA
PENNSYLVANIA
POLLUTION REGULATIONS
PROGRAM MANAGEMENT
PUBLIC HEALTH
REGULATIONS
SAFETY STANDARDS
STANDARDS
SURFACE MINING
US GAO
US ORGANIZATIONS
USA
WEST VIRGINIA