Office of Surface Mining

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(Redirected from Office of Surface Mining, Reclamation, and Enforcement)

**Office of Surface Mining**
Image:Office of Surface Mining seal.jpg
Established:	August 3, 1977
Director:	Brent Wahlquist(Acting)
Budget:	$300 million (2004)
Employees:	600 (2004)

The Office of Surface Mining (or OSM) is a branch of the United States Department of the Interior. It is the federal agency entrusted with the implementation and enforcement of the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 (SMCRA). OSM has about 600 employees, who work in either the national office in Washington, DC or of the many regional and field offices.

Image:Osm Regions.gif

OSM has two main functions:

Regulating Active Mines
Restoring Lands Damaged by Surface Mining and Abandoned Mines

[edit] Regulating Active Mines

The Office of Surface Mining is responsible for the enforcement of the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977, this includes setting regulatory guidelines. The actual regulation of mines is primarily done on a state level and tribal level, but OSM is charged with inspection of the state programs to meet the standard of quality. OSM regularly inspects state programs to make sure they are meeting the required standards; if they do not meet the required standards the OSM can take over. For example, when in 2003 Missouri was unable to meet the federal requirements due to a lack of funding, OSM stepped in to assume partial control of the state program.

Image:Truck regulation.jpg

OSM took control of the following in Missouri:

Training, examination, and certification of Blasters
Areas unsuitable for mining
Small Operator Assistance

OSM will continue to run the above parts of Missouri's Mining program until Missouri improves its program.

[edit] References

Office of Surface Mining web site, visited December 19, 2005.
OSM's 2004 Annual Report Downloaded December 23, 2005.

US Government offices in Environmental sciences
EPA - United States Environmental Protection Agency
DOI - United States Department of the Interior
NPS - National Park Service FWS - U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service BIA - Bureau of Indian Affairs BLM - Bureau of Land Management MMS - Minerals Management Service OSM - Office of Surface Mining, Reclamation, and Enforcement USGS - U.S. Geological Survey BR - Bureau of Reclamation OIA - Office of Insular Affairs
USDA - United States Department of Agriculture
Extension Service of the USDA FSA - Farm Service Agency FAS - Foreign Agricultural Service RMA - Risk Management Agency FSIS - Food Safety Inspection Service FS - Forest Service NRCS - Natural Resources Conservation Service RBS - Rural Business-Cooperative Service OCD - Office of Community Development RHS - Rural Housing Service RUS - Rural Utilities Service FNS - Food and Nutrition Service CNPP - Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion AMS - Agricultural Marketing Service APHIS - Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service GIPSA - Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration ARS - Agricultural Research Service CSREES - Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service ERS - Economic Research Service NASS - National Agricultural Statistics Service ASCS - Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service
NOAA - National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
NWS - National Weather Service NOS - National Ocean Service NGS - National Geodetic Survey NESDIS - National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service NMFS - National Marine Fisheries Service OAR - Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research
DOE - Department of Energy
EERE - Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy EIA - Energy Information Administration FERC - Federal Energy Regulatory Commission BER - Biological and Environmental Research EM - Office of Environmental Management