OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY
For Release January 24, 1990
Steve Goldstein (202) 343-6416 (0); (202) 887-5248 (H)

INTERIOR SECRETARY LUJAN ANNOUNCES ENFORCEMENT IMPROVEMENTS FOR
SURFACE MINE RECLAMATION

Secretary of the Interior Manuel LuJan today announced a
comprehensive agreement with major environmental groups on
improvements in the computerized system for screening coal mine
permit applicants.  The pact ends an eight-year legal dispute
between the groups and Interior's Office of Surface Mining (OSM).

In exchange for dropping legal action against the Interior
Department over enforcement of the surface mining law, Interior
agreed to a major agenda of improvements in OSM's Applicant
Violator System (AVS) for screening compliance records of coal mine
permit applicants.

"Our aim is fair, even-handed enforcement of the surface mining
law," LuJan said.  "This new agreement underscores our willingness
to cooperate with citizen groups and Congress in seeing that the
law is enforced consistently and effectively."

The Secretary also noted that the agreement strengthens enforcement
of the surface mining law.  "This settlement does not go beyond the
law's requirements, or compromise coal mine operators' entitlement
to due process of law,' said LuJan.

Plaintiffs in the newly settled case are Save Our Cumberland
Mountains Inc. and the Council of the Southern Mountains.

The agreement sets out multiple tasks and commitments for OSM,
including:

--Completing, correcting, and refining the AVS database of
potential ownership and control links between permit applicants and
persons or entities responsible for uncorrected violations.

--Interfacing with databases maintained by the U.S. Mine Safety &
Health Administration, the Energy Information Administration and
the states.

--Augmenting and verifying AVS data by reviewing federal inspection
and legal files, company records, audit information and by field
investigations.

--Formalizing agreements with state surface mine regulators on
screening permit applicants and verifying AVS information.

--Working with the Tennessee Valley Authority to block purchase of
coal from violators of '{he surface mining law.

--Reviewing permits already in force, to suspend or revoke any that
should not have been issued because of uncorrected violations or
ownership and control links with violators.

--Proposing formal sanctions against people who intentionally œire
incomplete or incorrect ownership and control information on coal
mine permit applications.

--Developing standards, through rulemaking if necessary, for
determining how AVS ownership and control links say be Judged
erroneous and for updating ownership and control information.

The agreement, which expires January 19, 1993, also sets the stage
for settling a separate court case involving enforcement actions
against abusers of the surface mining law's former exemption for
coal mines affecting two acres or less.  The exemption itself was
repealed in 1987.