Reclamation Awards
2005 Rules
|
|
Abandoned Mine Land Reclamation Awards 2005 Rules |
| |
The Surface Mining Law was enacted to ensure that lands mined for coal would be restored to original condition as part of the mining process, and to restore unreclaimed coal mined lands that were abandoned before 1977.
Today, abandoned mine land reclamation funded under the Surface Mining Law has eliminated thousands of dangerous health and safety problems resulting from abandoned mine lands throughout the country.
Yet despite the country’s significant progress in eliminating abandoned mine land problems, there is little public awareness that this reclamation has taken place. When there are highly visible scars at an unreclaimed landscape, most people recognize the legacy of past coal mining. But, after abandoned mine problems are eliminated and reclamation is complete, it is nearly impossible for any observer to see that health and safety problems once existed on the site. Ironically, the better the reclamation, the less apparent it is. Thus, the best reclamation is virtually invisible.
To give well-earned public recognition to those responsible for the nation’s most outstanding achievements in abandoned mine land reclamation the Interior Department’s Office of Surface Mining began the annual Abandoned Mine Land Reclamation Awards Program in 1992. The Program publicly recognizes outstanding abandoned mine land reclamation and publicizes exemplary reclamation techniques.
The process used to select the winners includes judging by those most closely involved with reclamation projects – state and federal reclamation program staff. Each state/tribal Abandoned Mine Land Program selects the best project within its state/tribal boundary. Nominations are posted on the Internet and using an electronic ballot, each director from state/tribal Abandoned Mine Land Programs and Office of Surface Mining Field Offices selected the winning reclamation by ranking the nominations. Four award winners are selected using this process – three regional awards and one national award. The nominations receiving the best score in each of the three coal regions are selected as “Regional Winners.” The regional winner with the best score is selected the “National Winner.” In addition, the public selects one project they think is best and the project receiving the most votes becomes the winner of the People’s Choice Award.
Abandoned mine land projects funded wholly or in part by the Abandoned Mine Reclamation Fund and completed by approved state or tribal programs are eligible for an award. This includes all coal, non-coal, high-priority, and emergency projects. Abandoned mine reclamation projects completed under the Rural Abandoned Mine Program (RAMP) are eligible if completed jointly with state/tribal programs. Abandoned mine reclamation completed by citizen groups or other (non-state/non-tribal) organizations are not eligible for these awards and may be recognized by the Office of Surface Mining under separate awards programs. One project may be submitted by each state/tribal program each year.
The nomination and judging schedule.
The state/tribal Abandoned Mine Land programs (see footnote 1) provide nominations directly to the Office of Surface Mining Headquarters in Washington, D.C. by March 18, 2005, and judging begins on
April 1, 2005.
The nominations will be posted in a special section of the Office of Surface Mining web site (including text, photos, maps, and diagrams) for review by all participants. A judging ballot listing all nominations will also be available at the web site. Participants will rank the nominations and return their completed ballots electronically to the Office of Surface Mining by April 30, 2005.
A. Non-graphic (text only) cover sheet containing:
Judging for the Regional and National Awards will be done by those most involved in the abandoned mine reclamation work. Ballots will be accepted from directors of state/tribal Abandoned Mine Land programs and Office of Surface Mining field locations that deal with abandoned mine reclamation.
One ballot will be accepted from each eligible office (see footnote 2). Each person submitting a ballot may rank any or all of the nominations (including his or her own.) It is suggested that all the nominations be ranked; however, it is not required. Completed ballots will contain a rank order of the nominations – from most worthy of an award (scored by giving it a rank of 1) to least worthy of an award (scored by giving it the last number in the rank order). The nomination receiving the best average of the rank order scores on all the ballots received by April 30, 2005 will determine the winners. Regional awards will only be presented when two or more nominations are received from that region. In case of a tie, a coin toss will be used to break the tie. The announcement and presentation of the 2005 Abandoned Mine Land Reclamation Awards will be made during the Annual Conference of the National Association of Abandoned Mine Land Programs.
The People’s Choice Award will be selected by those visiting the Office of Surface Mining website and casting a vote for the one project they think is best (voting begins on April 1, 2005). The nomination receiving the most votes will become the winner.
Address question regarding nominations or the award program to: Chuck Meyers at the Office of Surface Mining, Washington, D.C. 20240, Telephone (202) 208-7940, e-mail: cmeyers@osmre.gov.
A list of (1992-present) winners are also available on this web site.
1. Organizations eligible to submit nominations:
2. Judges (one ballot accepted from each of the following):