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.