Proposed Revisions to the Permanent Program Regulations Implementing Section 501(B) of the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977: Draft Final Regulations

Proposed Revisions To The Permanent Program Regulations Implementing Section 501(B) Of The Surface Mining Control And Reclamation Act Of 1977: Draft Final Regulations by United States. Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement describe a federal rulemaking document that lays out proposed revisions to the final permanent program regulations implementing SMCRA. The material comprises an environmental statement (OSM-EIS-1 Supplement) and a comprehensive draft of permanent regulatory provisions covering the design, scope, and administration of the permanent regulatory program. It details the structure of the regulations (including Parts 700–800 and related subparts), the process for permit application, public participation, and coordination with other laws, and extensive definitions and standards governing coal exploration, mining, reclamation, and postmining land use. The document emphasizes environmental protection, particularly hydrologic balance, water resources protection, sedimentation control, and the management of alluvial valley floors, prime farmland, and alluvial valley floor considerations, along with procedures for petitions, hearings, and judicial review. It also addresses specific mining practices such as mountaintop removal, steep slopes, alluvial valley protections, and subsidence control, reflecting the balance between mineral extraction and environmental safeguards under the permanant program framework.