2012 Abandoned Mine LAND Reclamation Awards

Nominations Closed

Winners will be announced by News Release September 2012

Award Ceremony held in Des Moines, Iowa - September 2012

2012 Call for Nominations brochure [507 KB]

Abandoned Mine Land Reclamation Awards

History and objectives of the program

The Surface Mining Law was enacted to ensure that land mined for coal would be restored to beneficial use as part of the mining process, and that lands abandoned without reclamation prior to the law would be reclaimed as well.

Today, abandoned mine land reclamation funded under the Surface Mining Law has eliminated thousands of dangerous health, safety, and environmental problems resulting from abandoned mine lands throughout the country.

Abandoned mines can harm the environment and endanger the lives and health of those living in the coal fields. Eliminating these problems through reclamation requires specialized skills, innovative thinking, and dedication.

For the past 20 years, the Department of the Interior’s Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSM) has recognized those responsible for the nation’s highest achievements in abandoned mine land reclamation.

Begun in 1992, the annual Abandoned Mine Land Reclamation Awards Program publicly recognizes outstanding abandoned mine land reclamation and publicizes exemplary reclamation techniques.

Nominations and questions about the awards should be e-mailed to:

Peter Mali
pmali@osmre.gov
(202) 208-2565

Cynthia Johnson
cjohnson@osmre.gov
(202) 208-2565

2012 Excellence in Surface Coal Mining Reclamation Awards
Awards Main Page