Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement January 2024 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

We, the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSMRE), are approving with exceptions an amendment to the Wyoming regulatory program (Wyoming program) under the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 (SMCRA or the Act). Between 1978 and 2007, the Wyoming Legislature enacted a number of revisions to the statutes governing coal exploration by drilling. On March 2, 2016, the Wyoming Environmental Quality Council approved a number of revisions to the rules governing coal exploration by drilling under the Wyoming program. The State submitted this proposal to OSMRE at its own initiative.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, we, the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSMRE), are proposing to renew an information collection.

We, the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSMRE), are approving, with one deferral, an amendment to the West Virginia statutory program under the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 (SMCRA or the Act). The amendment revises the West Virginia Surface Coal Mining and Reclamation Act (WVSCMRA) as contained in Senate Bill 687 of 2017. These revisions modify the WVSCMRA requirements related to the release of bonds and provisions related to the use of money from the Special Reclamation Water Trust Fund. We are deferring our decision on the removal of provisions pertaining to the long-range planning process for the selection and prioritization of sites to be reclaimed.