OSM FACT SHEET
U.S. Department of the Interior                                    
Office of Surface Mining                     
January 28, 1999
                                                                                                                                                
                  OSM AWARDS NORTH DAKOTA $1, 627, 411 GRANT
                         FOR ABANDONED MINE LANDS PROGRAM

          The Interior Department's Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and

Enforcement (OSM) is providing North Dakota a $1, 627, 411 grant to fund

the state's abandoned mine lands (AML) reclamation 

program. 

     The $1, 627, 411 grant includes $1, 550, 000 in current year money, 

plus $77, 411 in funds carried over from prior year funding.

     The grant money comes from the National Abandoned Mine 

Reclamation Fund, which receives reclamation fees from active coal 

producers at the rate of 35 cents per ton of surface mined coal and 15 

cents per ton of coal mined underground. 

   
                                                              -DOI-

                                
For additional information about the grant contact Louis a. Ogaard

(701) 328 - 4108.