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Rural Abandoned Mine Program
The Rural Abandoned Mine Program (RAMP) is authorized by
Section 406 of the Surface Mining Control and
Reclamation Act (SMCRA) of 1977 as amended by the "Abandoned Mine
Reclamation Act of 1991" as subtitled under the Budget Reconciliation Act
(Public Law 101-508; 30 U.S.C. 1236).
It is authorized for the purpose of reclaiming the soil and water
resources of rural lands adversely affected by past coal mining practices. There
were approximately 1.1 million acres of abandoned coal-mined land needing
reclamation in 1977. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Natural
Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), formally the Soil Conservation Service (SCS)
administers the program, and funding is provided from money deposited in the
Abandoned Mine Reclamation Fund. The program provides technical and financial
assistance to land users who voluntarily enter into 5- to 10-year contracts for
reclamation of up to 320 acres of eligible abandoned coal-mined lands and
waters. The land user with NRCS technical assistance involved prepares a
reclamation plan.
All active coal mining operators pay into the Abandoned Mine Reclamation fund
at a rate of 35 cents per ton of coal produced from surface mining and 15 cents
per ton of coal produced by underground mining. The fees are deposited in the
interest-bearing fund, which is used to pay reclamation costs of AML projects.
Expenditures from the fund are authorized through the regular congressional
budgetary and appropriation's process.
RAMP Overview
RAMP was established to protect people and the environment from pre-1977
coal mining activities. Some of the key benefits of RAMP are as follows:
- Quality reclamation projects are ensured through long-term operation
and maintenance agreements through the local conservation districts.
- All RAMP projects are administered through the locally-led
process with community leaders and conservation districts
making decisions to address and solve AML problems.
- This is a voluntary program with individuals or groups of
landowners based on common goals to protect people and the
environment.
- The efficiency of the RAMP, as shown in a 1991 Government
Accounting Office audit, provides AML assistance with only a
ten percent overhead cost for operations.
- By reclaiming small AML sites in communities or for
private individuals, RAMP supplements other State or Federal
AML programs at the local level.
- RAMP is an excellent resource tool that could be used with
other NRCS programs working at the local level, with local
people to solve local resource concerns.
- NRCS, working through local conservation districts at the
grassroots level is the most efficient delivery system for
meeting local resource needs, including reclamation of AML.
Additional Information
Program Contact
Dave Mason, National Program Manager, 202-720-1873
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