2. OKLAHOMA ABANDONED MINE LAND PROGRAM
Director
Robert Toole
AssistantDirector
MikeSharp
Operations Manager
DianneIreton
Engineering/
Environmental
ValerieRogers
GIS Specialist
ShellieWilloughby
U. M. Specialist/
Emergency Coordinator
Henry Roye
Attorney
JanetStewart
ConstructionSupervisor/
Surveyor
Tracy Reeder
Environmental
Technician/
Project Inspector
Trampas Tripp
Admin. Assistant
(vacant)
3. Abandoned Mine Land (AML)
Reclamation Program
MISSION
To protect lives, repair scarred land and improve the
environment
4. Mission
• Protect Lives: By eliminating existing hazards found around
abandoned surface and underground coal mines.
• Repair Scarred Land: By performing reclamation practices
that return the land, as close as possible, to it’s original
condition prior to the mining operation.
• Improve The Environment: By performing best management
practices during the reclamation process that will remain intact
after the site is returned to the management of the landowner.
5. Abandoned Mine Land (AML) Reclamation
Federal-State-Local-Private Partnership
Program
• AML Program is 100 percent federally funded from fees on
active coal mine production. Oklahoma has received grants
totaling over $52 million.
• AML performs financial, technical and administrative
functions.
• Coordinates with 16 local conservation districts with particular
emphasis placed on the public's involvement in identifying
hazardous AML sites.
• Private landowners allow reclamation work to be performed.
8. Rights of Entry
1. Consensual – Written Consent
• Agreement – not easement
2. Nonconsensual entry – Least preferred
• Exercise legislative authorities
o federal & state
• “Police Power”
9. Eligible Land
• The land must have been mined for coal before
August 3, 1977, or if after August 3, 1977, there is
no continuing responsibility for reclamation by the
coal operator and little or no bond money is
available from the state or federal government to
accomplish the reclamation.
• The land was left either un-reclaimed or
inadequately reclaimed.
• The land is in a condition which endangers the
health or safety of the public, or the quality of the
environment, or prevents or damages the
beneficial use of the land or water resources.
10. Abandoned Mine Land (AML)
Reclamation Program
MISSION
To protect lives
Repair scarred land
Improve the environment
30. National Environmental Policy Act
of 1969 (NEPA)
▸Health, Safety & General Welfare
▸Cultural or Historical ▸ Geology
▸Water Quality ▸ Floodplain
▸Wetlands ▸ Prime Farmland
▸Wildlife ▸ Recreational
▸Air Quality ▸ Socioeconomic
▸Noise ▸ Political
Editor's Notes
WHY ARE WE HERE??? Prominent U.S. Senator……most lucid moments in years……
All there…
Common commitment to conservation of natural resources
Common commitment to stewardship of the land
Common commitment to land ethic that fuels our passion to leave the land in better condition than we found it.
PRIVILEGE to be here with you and a PLEASURE to visit with you about Oklahoma’s Abandoned Mine Land Program.
I’m Robert Toole, AML Program Director
Introduce AML Staff present today:
Tracy Reeder, Construction Supervisor
Valerie Rogers, Engineer
[next slide]
AML Program is operated with a STAFF OF 10……………..some PART TIME hourly AND some FULL TIME salaried.
(Review chart)
CURRENTLY ADVERTISING FOR FULL TIME ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT.
The mission of the Abandoned Mine Lands Reclamation Program, also known as AML, is to protect lives, repair scarred land and improve the environment.
>>>>>
We PROTECT LIVES by eliminating existing hazards found around abandoned surface and underground coal mines. There have been 25 deaths occur on abandoned mine land sites. Since 2002 there have been no deaths due in part to the reclamation efforts of the AML Program.
[click]
We REPAIR SCARRED LAND by performing reclamation practices that return the land, as close as possible, to it’s original condition prior to the mining operation.
[click]
We IMPROVE THE ENVIRONMENT by performing best management practices during the reclamation process that will remain intact after the site is returned to the management of the landowner.
[click]
The program is 100% federally funded from fees on active coal mine production.
[click]
AML performs……
[click]
We work with and through the 16 conservation districts where coal mining occurred prior to August 3, 1977. Additionally, we solicit the public’s involvement in helping to identify hazardous AML sites.
[click]
Private landowners agree to allow reclamation work on their property.
FEDERAL – STATE – LOCAL – PRIVATE – PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM
[next slide]
Fees:
$0.28 per ton on surface mined coal;
$0.12 per ton on underground mined coal;
$0.08 per ton for lignite coal
Our AML Program is approved for 16 counties in eastern Oklahoma, as shown by the map.
Nowata, Craig, Rogers, Mayes, Tulsa, Wagoner, Okmulgee, Muskogee, McIntosh, Haskell, Sequoyah, Pittsburg, Latimer, LeFlore, Coal, Atoka
These counties mostly fall within the Cherokee Nation, Creek Nation, and Choctaw Nation
Oklahoma’s AML Program performs reclamation work on private lands only. Abandoned mine land reclamation on tribal land is performed directly by the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSMRE), the federal agency that administers the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977.
AML Program is a multi-step, multi-year program.
Must have a documented right-of-entry.
2 ways to acquire a right-of-entry
Consensual – written agreement
Agreement – not easement
While consensual is our preferred means for entering property. [click]
2. Nonconsensual entry is our least preferred means of entering property to perform the necessary AML reclamation. [click]
The use of this means forces us to use our legislative authorities {click]
…as provided by Federal & state law.
We use these authorities only when necessary.
Referred to as “Police Powers” [click – next slide]
For land to be eligible for reclamation, the following conditions must be met:
The land must have been mined before August 3, 1977, or if after August 3, 1977, there is no continuing responsibility for reclamation by the coal operator and little or no bond money is available from the state or federal government to accomplish the reclamation.
The land was left either un-reclaimed or inadequately reclaimed.
The land is in a condition which endangers the health or safety of the public, or the quality of the environment, or prevents or damages the beneficial use of the land or water resources.
Thus our mission to
protect lives,
repair scarred land
improve the environment
and THAT’S WHY WE ARE HERE
OUR WORK’S NOT DONE!
$>122 million unreclaimed AML on inventory.
Fee collection expires in 2021.
NAAMLP Campaign to Reauthorize fee collection.
OACD & NACD Resolution in 2016 to support Reauthorization.
Will be calling upon Districts to support Reauthorization.
