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Office of Abandoned Mine Lands and Reclamation

About AML

Overview and History

The Office of Abandoned Mine Lands & Reclamation of West Virginia oversees and facilitates the resolving of public safety issues as mine fires & subsidence, hazardous highwalls, mining-impacted water supplies, open shafts and portals, and other dangers resulting from mining before 1977. Such practices were established by the Surface Mining and Control Act and the creation of the Office of AML&R in 1981. The Office of Surface Mining provides oversight to the Office of AML&R.

Learn more about the history of the Abandoned Mine Lands program.

Inception and Mission

Our mission is to protect public health, safety, and property from past coal mining and enhance the environment through reclamation and restoration of land and water resources.

The Office of Abandoned Mine Lands & Reclamation was created in 1981 to manage the reclamation of lands and waters affected by mining prior to passage of the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act (SMCRA) in 1977.

The AML program is funded by a fee placed on coal, currently set at 28 cents per ton for surface-mined coal, and 12 cents per ton for coal mined underground.

Quick Links

Contact Us

West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection
Office of Abandoned Mine Lands and Reclamation
601 57th Street SE
Charleston, WV 25304
Phone: (304) 926-0499
Fax: (304) 926-0458
Email: Roberta.G.Vanness@wv.gov

AML Projects

Overview

To bid on AML projects, the contractor/entity in question must be a registered vendor in the state of West Virginia and attend the mandatory pre-bid attached to each project. For a list of current projects, you may view projects out for bid; these are usually updated every Friday or Monday.

The Office of AML&R does not provide physical sets of plans for contractors as of January 1, 2012. We do, however, provide complimentary digital copies of such. Digital copies can be emailed (size limit dependent) or mailed via CD-ROM. They may also be downloaded via our Downloadable Plans page.

AML Project Resources

2021 AML Pilot Grant Application
2019 AML Economic and Community Development Pilot Program Application
AML Pilot Program
The Office of Abandoned Mine Lands and Reclamation (AML) administers federal funding for economic development projects on abandoned mine lands through its Pilot Program. This program helps projects located on or adjacent to mine sites that ceased operations prior to the signing of the Surface Mine Control and Reclamation Act (SMCRA) on Aug. 3, 1977.
Downloadable Plans
Current plans and specifications available for download.
Eligibility & Priority
The Surface Mining Control & Reclamation Act (SMCRA) defines bodies of land and waters which are eligible for reclamation per 875.12 of the Code of Federal Regulations.
In-Stream Dosing Presentation
Presentation of WV AML In-Stream Dosing for Treatment of Acid Mine Drainage
Guide for the Preparation of Reclamation Designs
The Design Section of AML intends to provide as much standardization of drawing details and specifications, both in format and in substance, as possible. To that end, AML has developed this guide for the preparation of reclamation designs utilizing standard details and specifications.
Recognized Projects
Reclamation projects recognized by the Office of Abandoned Mine Lands and Reclamation
Three Fork Creek Restoration
A pilot project known as Three Forks Watershed Restoration was initiated with the construction of four (4) dosers in the spring of 2011.
View Projects Out for Bid
On June 6, 2016, Senate Bill 474 became effective which exempts DEP’s construction and reclamation projects from the requirement of review by the WV Division of Purchasing. This site is to provide information related to bidding opportunities and project specific information and requirements to the vendor community.
WV AML In-Stream Dosing for Treatment of AMD
West Virginia has historically attempted to abate Acid Mine Drainage (AMD) through passive treatment. Since the inception of the West Virginia Abandoned Mine Lands and Reclamation (AML) program, dozens of passive treatment systems have been constructed throughout the state. Constantly looking for an effective means of treating AMD, the WV AML program constructed numerous variations of passive treatment systems, which varied from a simple limestone channel to combinations of Anoxic Limestone Drains (ALD) and Successive Alkaline Producing Systems (SAPS). While the majority of these systems initially improved water quality, these sites often reverted to pre-treatment conditions after just a few years.