Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement

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Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSMRE) is part of the U.S. Department of the Interior. It was created in 1977 to enforce the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act (SMCRA), which added a per-ton fee on mined coal to fund a trust for reclaiming abandoned mines and set environmental standards for mining and reclamation.

As of 2008, OSMRE had about 500 employees in Washington, DC, and regional and field offices, with an annual discretionary budget of about $170 million. The agency was led by Director Lanny Erdos.

OSMRE operates in three regions:
- Appalachian region: 12 states, based in Pittsburgh
- Western region: 9 states, based in Denver
- Mid-Continent region: 11 states, based in Alton, Illinois

The agency mainly oversees state and tribal mining programs. States and tribes regulate mines, but OSMRE inspects programs to ensure they meet federal standards. If a state program falls short, OSMRE can take over. For example, in 2003 Missouri could not meet federal requirements due to funding problems, so OSMRE took partial control of Missouri’s mining program until improvements were made in 2006; Missouri now receives federal funding again.

OSMRE also works on abandoned mine lands (AML), which are lands and waters harmed by mining that wasn’t properly reclaimed. Problems include polluted water, open mine entrances, water-filled pits, unstable sites, sediment in streams, landslides, and mine fires. AML reclamation projects aim to fix these issues.

Two notable programs:
- Appalachian Coal Country Team: helps local watershed groups with training, tools, and volunteers to protect the environment in coal country.
- Bat conservation project: started in 1998 after a memorandum of understanding with Bat Conservation International. It aims to conserve bats and their habitats during AML reclamation, monitor bat activity in shaft and portal areas before reclamation, use bat-friendly gates when needed, and educate staff and partners about bats and habitat conservation.