Colorado Division of Reclamation, Mining, and Safety

What Colorado Division of Reclamation, Mining, and Safety does

The Colorado Division of Reclamation, Mining, and Safety (DRMS) is a state regulatory agency within the Colorado Department of Natural Resources, headquartered in Denver with a field office in Grand Junction. Established as a coal regulator in 1980 after Colorado gained SMCRA primacy, DRMS enforces the Colorado Surface Coal Mining Reclamation Act and the Mined Land Reclamation Act. It regulates over 1,700 active mineral operations and 6 producing coal sites, issues permits, conducts inspections, manages bonding, and pursues enforcement (including 17 coal permit revocations since 1980). The Inactive Mine Reclamation Program, also established in 1980, addresses an estimated 23,000 abandoned mines statewide, having safeguarded over 10,500 hazardous openings and reclaimed more than 4,000 acres.

DRMS's core technology stack consists of the ePermitting paperless permitting portal, the Laserfiche WebLink electronic document repository, the public-facing Mining Activity Dashboard, and the DRMS Map Viewer GIS tool — together forming a digital permitting and transparency infrastructure that routes applications, reports, and payments to staff, partner agencies, and the public. Complementary programs include the Mine Safety and Training Program (providing MSHA-aligned training and coal mine official certification) and the Mine Subsidence Protection Program (a trust offering up to $100,000 per occurrence for coal mine subsidence damage, with 1,000+ enrollees).

DRMS is funded through Colorado General Fund severance tax appropriations, annual and application fees from permitted mining operations, a recurring ~$2 million annual federal Abandoned Mine Reclamation grant, and Mine Subsidence Protection Program enrollment fees. The division has 25 employees (23 FTE in minerals). Activities are overseen by the seven-member Mined Land Reclamation Board and the four-member Coal Mine Board of Examiners, both gubernatorially appointed. As a state entity, DRMS is not privately owned or investable in the conventional sense.

Name

Colorado Division of Reclamation, Mining, and Safety

Legal name

Colorado Division of Reclamation, Mining, and Safety

Website

https://drms.colorado.gov

Company type

Private

Founded year

1980

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Colorado Division of Reclamation, Mining, and Safety is a state regulatory agency that permits, inspects, and enforces reclamation standards for Colorado's 1,700+ active mineral and coal mining operations, reclaims abandoned mines, and administers mine safety training and a homeowner subsidence protection program.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Denver

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Reclamation Fees from Coal Production: The Abandoned Mine Reclamation Program is funded through the Department of the Interior by reclamation fees paid by current coal mine operations on each ton of coal mined in Colorado. DRMS receives on average $2 million each year for mine safeguarding work.
2. Annual Permit Fees: Annual fees collected from permitted mineral mines and exploration operations. Each operator must submit an annual report and fee which funds the Minerals Program in part.
3. General Fund Appropriation / Severance Tax: Remaining funding for the Minerals Program comes from General Fund appropriation of Severance Tax.
4. Mine Subsidence Protection Program Fees: Enrollment fee of $235.00 first year (includes $200 inspection fee), then $35.00/year. After 3 consecutive years of $35 fees, no further fees required as long as original participant owns property.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

DRMS is a Colorado state regulatory agency that administers mining reclamation, mine safety, and abandoned mine programs. It issues and enforces mining permits for coal and non-coal operations, conducts inspections, certifies coal mine officials, provides safety training, and runs the Inactive Mine Reclamation Program to address hazards from Colorado's 23,000 legacy abandoned mines.

Product overview

The Colorado Division of Reclamation, Mining, and Safety (DRMS) is a state regulatory agency that does not offer commercial software products but rather provides regulatory programs and digital services. The division operates several interconnected regulatory programs: the Active Mines Program (encompassing the Coal Regulatory Program and Minerals Regulatory Program for permitting and inspection of mining operations), the Inactive Mine Reclamation Program (addressing abandoned mine hazards and environmental remediation), and the Mine Safety and Training Program (providing safety training and coal mine official certification). Digital services supporting these programs include the ePermitting System for paperless permit applications, the Mining Activity Dashboard for public transparency on mining operations, and the DRMS Virtual Bulletin Board. The Mine Subsidence Protection Program offers homeowner coverage for coal mine subsidence damage.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Active Mines Program Issues reclamation permits for coal and minerals mining operations, reviews permit applications and inspects mining operations to ensure compliance with reclamation plans.
• Coal Regulatory Program Implements the Colorado Surface Coal Mining Reclamation Act, including permitting, bonding, inspection, and enforcement of surface coal mining operations and coal exploration projects.
• Minerals Regulatory Program Issues and enforces mining and reclamation permits for all non-coal mines in Colorado on state, federal, and private lands under the Colorado Mined Land Reclamation Act and Construction Materials Act.
• Inactive Mine Reclamation Program Addresses hazards and environmental problems associated with abandoned or inactive legacy mines, including coal fire reclamation, coal mine subsidence abatement, non-coal mine safety closures, and water quality improvement projects.
• Mine Safety and Training Program
• Mine Subsidence Protection Program Trust program providing coverage up to $100,000 per occurrence for damage to Colorado homes resulting from coal mine subsidence, with over 1,000 participants currently enrolled.
• ePermitting System Paperless permitting system for entities with approved permits or notices of intent, designed to receive revision applications, reports, and payments and route them to DRMS staff and the electronic documents repository.
• Mining Activity Dashboard Transparency tool providing public access to general and specific details on proposed and existing mining operations in Colorado at coal, metal, aggregate, and other minerals mines.
• DRMS Virtual Bulletin Board Electronic bulletin board providing public access to Coal Program and Mined Land Reclamation Board documents and announcements.

Quantifiable outcome

• Safeguarded over 10,500 hazardous openings since 1980
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Colorado State Soil Conservation BoardcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMemorandum of Understanding for Board-Division Coordination in implementing the Mined Land Reclamation Act.
• Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMultiple MOUs covering Water Quality Control Commission and Division, Hazardous Materials and Waste Management Division, and SB 181 amendments implementation regarding water quality at mining operations.
• Division of Water Resources (Colorado)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMOU regarding mineral mining activities as they relate to water rights.
• U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service, Rocky Mountain RegioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMOU for surface management, financial assurance, and reclamation of mining activity on National Forest System Lands in Colorado.
• U.S. Department of EnergycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMOU coordinating regulation of uranium and vanadium prospecting and mining on Uranium Leasing Program (ULP) Lands.
• Bureau of Land ManagementcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMOU for federal and state mining coordination in regulation of prospecting and mining operations on public lands.
• Bureau of Land ManagementcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in mine safety closure projects with goal of alerting public to hazards of exploring abandoned and inactive mines.
• U.S. Forest ServicecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in mine safety closure projects.
• Colorado Division of Parks and WildlifeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in mine safety closure projects.
• Women in MiningminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in mine safety closure projects.
• Colorado Scenic and Historic By-Ways CommissionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in mine safety closure projects.
• Local County and City GovernmentsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartners in mine safety closure projects.
• State Historic Preservation Office (Colorado)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMOU regarding historic property reviews for coal mining operations.
• Colorado Energy and Carbon Management CommissioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMOU with CDPHE Air Pollution Control Division and Commission for coal mine methane capture.
• Colorado Stone, Sand & Gravel Association (CSSGA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership since 1995 developing mine health and safety training tools, including national MSHA award-winning materials.
• Colorado Mining AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership in developing mine health and safety training tools and co-sponsoring awards programs.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Colorado Department of Natural Resources: DRMS's parent state department, overseeing oil and gas, water, parks and wildlife, and the State Land Board. Relevant as the parent entity that determines DRMS's budget envelope, legislative coordination, and inter-agency positioning within Colorado state government.

Direct peers

• New Mexico Mining and Minerals Division: New Mexico's state agency regulating coal, hard rock, and aggregate mining, plus mine reclamation and closure. It is directly comparable to DRMS in regulating coal under SMCRA primacy and administering the state's Mined Land Reclamation Act for non-coal minerals.
• Kentucky Division of Mine Permits: Kentucky's state mining permitting authority under the Energy and Environment Cabinet. Operates under federal SMCRA primacy like DRMS and handles coal and non-coal mineral permitting plus inspection and enforcement — a structurally analogous state-level mining regulator.
• West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection - Division of Mining and Reclamation: West Virginia's lead coal-mining regulatory division with responsibilities for permitting, bonding, inspection, enforcement, and abandoned-mine land reclamation. Highly comparable to DRMS's Coal Regulatory Program and Inactive Mine Reclamation Program given West Virginia's similar coal-dependent regulatory and reclamation mandate.
• Montana Department of Environmental Quality - Mining Division: Montana's state regulatory body for hard rock, placer, and coal mining permitting, bonding, and reclamation. It is closely comparable to DRMS in administering both coal and non-coal mineral programs, plus operating an abandoned-mine cleanup program under federal AML funding.
• Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection - Bureau of Mining Programs: Pennsylvania's primary state mining regulator, administering coal and industrial mineral permitting, mine subsidence programs, and AML reclamation. Directly comparable to DRMS in scope — particularly on mine subsidence protection, where both states operate active homeowner-coverage programs.
• Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality - Land Quality Division: Wyoming's primary state agency for mining permitting, inspection, and reclamation of coal, hard rock, and industrial mineral operations. It is the most direct peer to DRMS given similar regulatory scope (coal primacy under SMCRA) and comparable program structure covering active mine regulation and abandoned mine land reclamation.
• Illinois Department of Natural Resources - Office of Mines and Minerals: Illinois's state regulatory and reclamation body for coal and non-coal mining, including abandoned-mine land reclamation. Directly comparable to DRMS in administering both active-mine permitting and IMRP-style programs under federal AML funding.
• Ohio Department of Natural Resources - Division of Mineral Resources Management: Ohio's state mining regulatory and reclamation agency, administering coal and industrial mineral permitting, mine subsidence coverage, and abandoned-mine land programs. Closely comparable to DRMS on subsidence protection and AML work given Ohio's similar historical coal-mining footprint.

Broad incumbents

• Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSMRE): The federal regulator that oversees state SMCRA primacy programs and provides Abandoned Mine Land funding to states including Colorado. Comparable as the federal counterpart that grants DRMS its coal primacy and channels its ~$2M annual safeguarding budget — broader in scope but directly related.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/ColoradoDRMS
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/coloradodrms
• Instagraminstagram.com/coloradodrms_

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Colorado Division of Reclamation, Mining, and Safety