HomeMy WebLinkAbout20230608.tiffGreetings:
United States Department of the Interior
OFFICE OF SURFACE MINING
Reclamation and Enforcement
Western Region Office
P.O. Box 25065
Lakewood, CO 80225
February 8, 2023
RECEIVED
FEB 13 2023
WELD COUNTY
COMMISSIONERS
Each year the United States Department of the Interior, Office of Surface Mining Reclamation
and Enforcement (OSMRE) and the Colorado Department of Natural Resources, Division of
Reclamation Mining and Safety (DRMS) jointly evaluate DRMS's coal regulatory and Inactive
Mine Reclamation (IMR) programs as authorized under the Surface Mining Control and
Reclamation Act (SMCRA). We determine how effectively DRMS's coal regulatory program
ensures contemporaneous and successful reclamation on active coal mines in Colorado and
prevents offsite impacts to lands and waters adjacent to coal mine permit areas. We also
determine how effectively the DBMS IMR program is using grant funding to address public
safety and environmental hazards related to historic mining operations in Colorado. Our
evaluation process includes the selection of specific regulatory and IMR topics that address these
criteria.
At the end of each evaluation year, OSMRE reports on DRMS's implementation of these
programs. Our Annual Evaluation Reports can be accessed at the following website:
https://odocs.osmre.gov. The next evaluation year runs from July 1, 2023 through June 30, 2024.
We are requesting your comments on OSMRE's oversight of DRMS's coal regulatory and IMR
programs, recommendations for evaluation topics, and suggestions for improving future Annual
Evaluation Reports. We are also providing you the opportunity to discuss ideas and concerns
pertinent to the Colorado programs with OSMRE's Western Region Office in Lakewood.
Please contact us by March 30, 2023, with any input on our annual evaluation process or to
request discussions with OSMRE's Western Region Office. If you prefer to receive this annual
outreach letter by email, please let us know.
CoRKUn;COL* Offs
O3 /06 /,23
Sincerely,
Cc:pL(rr/HN) P,a(cHIER/D./GK)
03/01/x3
2023-0608
Jason Musick
Coal Program Director
Division of Reclamation, Mining and Safety
1313 Sherman Street #215
Denver, Colorado 80203
iason.musick@state.co.us
(303) 866-3567 x8134
Jeff Graves
Director, Inactive Mine Reclamation Program
Division of Reclamation, Mining and Safety
1313 Sherman Street #215
Denver, Colorado 80203
ieff.graves@state.us.co
(303) 866-3567 x8122
Dan MacKinnon
AML & Regulatory Program Specialist
OSMRE — Denver Field Branch
P.O. Box 25065
Lakewood, Colorado 80225
dmackinnon@osmre.gov
(303) 236-4681
Tom Medlin
AML & Regulatory Program Specialist
OSMRE — Denver Field Branch
P.O. Box 25065
Lakewood, Colorado 80225
tmedlin(Bosmre.gov
(720) 245-5706
Regulatory Oversight Team:
Michael Cunningham, Jared Ebert, Amy Eschberger, Travis Marshall, and Jason Musick
(DRMS)
Haley Hampstead, Dan MacKinnon, Tom Medlin, Howard Strand, and Brook Zeller (OSMRE)
Inactive Mine Reclamation Oversight Team:
Jeff Graves (DRMS)
Haley Hampstead, Dan MacKinnon, Tom Medlin, Howard Strand, and Brook Zeller (OSMRE)
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