Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement

What Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement does

The Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSMRE) is a U.S. federal regulatory agency established in 1977 under the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act (SMCRA) and housed within the Department of the Interior. OSMRE administers two core mandates: regulating active coal mining operations on federal and Indian lands (and serving as the regulator of last resort in states without approved programs) and reclaiming abandoned mine lands. Its primary customers are state and tribal regulatory agencies, coal mining operators (including named recipients such as Warrior Met Coal and Navajo Transitional Energy Company), engineering and surveying firms, federal partners (EPA, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Army Corps of Engineers, National Park Service), and private citizens requesting mine map information. OSMRE also administers the only national federal blaster certification program.

OSMRE's operational portfolio spans three program pillars. The Reclaiming Abandoned Mine Lands program operates the e-AMLIS inventory system and the AML Economic Revitalization (AMLER) Program, which transforms legacy mine sites into economic opportunities across Appalachia and tribal lands. The Regulating Active Coal Mines program provides federal oversight, permitting, enforcement, and compliance management. The Technology Development and Transfer program, including the TIPS software suite (AutoCAD, ESRI ArcGIS, HEC-RAS, groundwater modeling) and the National Technology Transfer Team, disseminates scientific tools and training to state, tribal, and federal SMCRA implementers.

OSMRE's flagship data asset is the National Mine Map Repository (NMMR), a digital archive containing over 319,000 TIFF images spanning 31TB of storage and documenting more than 275,000 closed or abandoned mines from the 1790s to the present. The repository is accessible through a public web database (mmr.osmre.gov) and the GeoMine interactive ArcGIS web map, with data sourced from donations by mining companies, engineering firms, universities, and private citizens. Other specialized programs include the Mine Drainage Technology Initiative (MDTI), the Underground Mine Map (UGMM) Initiative, the Appalachian Regional Reforestation Initiative (ARRI), and AMDTreat acid mine drainage sizing software.

Name

Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement

Legal name

Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement

Website

https://osmre.gov

Company type

Public

Founded year

1977

Operating status

Operating

Short description

OSMRE is a U.S. Department of the Interior agency that regulates active coal mining under SMCRA, reclaims abandoned mine lands, and maintains the National Mine Map Repository covering more than 275,000 mines.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Mining Regulation and Reclamation

NAICS

Support Activities for Mining (213), Support Activities for Mining (2131), Support Activities for Metal Mining (213114)

SIC

Bituminous Coal & Lignite Mining (1220), Metal Mining (1000), Hazardous Waste Management (4955)

akta.pro primary industry

Minerals, Mining & Geologic Resources Administration (BPAIAMAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Environmental, Permitting & Closure Services (EIA, Compliance Monitoring, Reclamation Execution) (IMAKAKAJ), Environmental & Permitting Services for Mine Projects (EIA/ESIA, Approvals, Compliance) (IMAKAOAM), Mining & Heavy Metals Remediation (Acid Mine Drainage, tailings-impacted sites) (BPALAKAK)

Keywords

• Coal mine regulation
• Abandoned mine reclamation
• Federal regulatory oversight
• Environmental remediation services
• Mining safety certification

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Federal Appropriations: OSMRE is funded through annual federal appropriations from Congress as part of the Department of the Interior budget. The agency also distributes grant funding to eligible states and tribes for abandoned mine land reclamation through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.
2. AML Economic Revitalization (AMLER) Program Grants: Grants distributed to states and tribes for reclaiming abandoned mine lands, with nearly $679.4 million announced for fiscal year 2026.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

OSMRE administers federal programs that regulate coal mining operations and reclaim abandoned mine lands under the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act (SMCRA). The agency directly oversees mining on federal and Indian lands, provides grants, technical assistance, training, and specialized software to state and tribal regulatory programs, certifies blasters, and maintains the National Mine Map Repository as a national mine map archive accessible to government, industry, and the public.

Product overview

OSMRE operates as a federal regulatory agency offering a portfolio of interconnected programs and services centered on coal mine reclamation and regulation. The core offerings include three main programs: Reclaiming Abandoned Mine Lands (addressing legacy mining sites with e-AMLIS inventory system and AMLER economic revitalization), Regulating Active Coal Mines (oversight, compliance, and blaster certification), and Technology Development and Transfer (including the TIPS software suite and NTTT). Key services include the National Mine Map Repository (NMMR) providing mine map archives and web-based access via GeoMine, the Mine Drainage Technology Initiative (MDTI) for water quality research, Underground Mine Map Initiative (UGMM), and the Appalachian Regional Reforestation Initiative (ARRI). TIPS provides scientific and engineering software including groundwater modeling, hydrology, GIS, and remote sensing tools distributed to state and tribal partners.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• National Mine Map Repository (NMMR): Maintains an archive of mine maps for mines throughout the United States, collecting maps from public outreach with state and federal environmental agencies, mining companies, engineering firms, surveying companies, universities, and private citizens. Contains data on over 275,000 mines.
• Technical Innovation and Professional Services (TIPS)
• Mine Drainage Technology Initiative (MDTI)
• Underground Mine Map Initiative (UGMM)

Products and services

• Reclaiming Abandoned Mine Lands Program Core OSMRE program focused on reclaiming abandoned mine lands across the United States, including funding, technical assistance, and economic revitalization initiatives for legacy coal mining sites.
• Regulating Active Coal Mines Program Federal oversight program ensuring coal mining operations comply with environmental and safety standards under SMCRA, including permit review, inspection, and enforcement.
• Technology Development and Transfer Program Program promoting innovative technologies and methods for environmental protection during coal mining and reclamation, including training, technical assistance, and best practice dissemination.
• National Mine Map Repository (NMMR) National archive of mine maps for closed and abandoned mines throughout the United States, with over 319,000 digital images and database accessible via web map and request system.
• Technical Innovation and Professional Services (TIPS) Provides scientific and engineering modeling software to state, tribal, and federal offices administering SMCRA, including geospatial tools, hydrology software, and training programs.
• GeoMine Web Application Interactive web-based mapping application of coal mining and reclamation activities within the United States, providing standardized geospatial data layers across state boundaries.
• National Technology Transfer Team (NTTT) Leads OSMRE's national technology transfer efforts through forums, workshops, benchmarking symposiums, and partnerships to promote innovative environmental protection methods.
• Underground Mine Map (UGMM) Initiative Partnership with state agencies to develop best practices for preserving, archiving, and distributing underground mine maps, with focus on abandoned coal mines.
• Mine Drainage Technology Initiative (MDTI) Collaborative forum addressing mine drainage issues through research studies, developing best practices for prediction, avoidance, and remediation of acidic and toxic mine drainage.
• e-AMLIS (Electronic Abandoned Mine Land Inventory System) Electronic Abandoned Mine Land Inventory System for tracking and managing abandoned mine land data across the United States.
• AML Economic Revitalization (AMLER) Program Program transforming legacy coal mining sites into new economic opportunities for communities across Appalachia and tribal lands, marking 10 years of operation in 2026.
• Appalachian Regional Reforestation Initiative (ARRI) Program promoting reforestation of mine-reclaimed lands in Appalachia to restore native forests and improve environmental outcomes.
• OSMRE Blaster Certification Program Federal certification program for blasters conducting operations on federal surface coal mine permits, including training, examination, and reciprocity arrangements with states.
• AMDTreat Software Acid mine drainage pollution abatement sizing and cost estimating software for remediation planning, distributed as part of OSMRE's reclamation toolset.

Quantifiable outcome

• Nearly $679.4 million in abandoned mine land reclamation grants distributed to eligible states and tribes in fiscal year 2026
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

26 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Interstate Mining Compact Commission (IMCC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2003OSMRE partnered with IMCC between 2005 and 2012 to further preservation, archiving, and distribution of underground mine maps with state coal mining agencies. Partnership provided cooperative agreements and developed consistencies for preservation and technology transfer.
• State Offices for Miner's Health and SafetycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner agencies in the UGMM Initiative working on best practices for preserving, archiving, and distributing mine maps.
• State Offices for Abandoned Mine LandscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner agencies in the UGMM Initiative addressing underground mine map needs.
• State Geological SurveyscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner agencies in the UGMM Initiative contributing geological expertise and map data.
• Mining CompaniesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSource of mine map donations to the National Mine Map Repository through public outreach program.
• Engineering and Consulting FirmsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSource of mine map donations to the National Mine Map Repository.
• Surveying CompaniesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSource of mine map donations to the National Mine Map Repository.
• UniversitiesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSource of mine map donations and research collaboration, including Virginia Tech for historical research on the Jones-Keister Coal Mine.
• Private CitizensminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDonors of mine maps to the National Mine Map Repository, including historical mine maps and documentation.
• Virginia TechminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated on historical research documenting the Jones-Keister Coal Mine in Wake Forest, Virginia, providing oral history interviews and archaeological documentation.
• National Park ServicecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOSMRE provided $300,000 grant to Flight 93 National Memorial for acid mine drainage cleanup from underground coal mine near the memorial site.
• Families of Flight 93minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOwners of Lambert's Run area surrounding Flight 93 Memorial, collaborated on treatment plan design to minimize footprint.
• University of Wyoming School of Energy ResourcesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated with Cordero Rojo Mine staff to develop test plots determining effects of using coal char as a soil amendment for reclamation.
• West Virginia UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMultiple MDTI studies conducted including selenium cycling research, temperature-dependent selenium sorption, and treatment of high TDS water.
• Marshall UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMDTI study collaborator on laboratory investigation of effects of conductivity on stream organisms in coal mining regions.
• University of PittsburghminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMDTI study collaborator on quantifying geochemical evolution of water discharged from flooded mine pools.
• U.S. Geological SurveyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMDTI study collaborator on mine drainage treatment strategies research.
• Iowa State UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMDTI 2021 study on remediation of coal mine drainage with industrial byproducts.
• State Technology Transfer TeamscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional teams (ARTT, MCRTTT) consisting of OSMRE employees, State and Tribal staff providing location-based technology transfer perspectives.
• Interstate Mining Compact CommissioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRepresents states in the National Technology Transfer Team, advancing technology transfer discussions nationally.
• Western Interstate Energy BoardcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRepresents western states in National Technology Transfer Team discussions.
• National Association of Abandoned Mine Land ProgramcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRepresents abandoned mine land programs in national technology transfer efforts.
• EsricoreTechnology or IntegrationOSMRE uses ArcGIS Desktop, Pro and ArcGIS Online along with various extensions through TIPS program for SMCRA implementation.
• US Fish and Wildlife ServicecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInitial participant in GeoMine application development providing authoritative data for surface coal mining activities.
• Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInitial participant in GeoMine application development providing authoritative environmental data.
• Army Corps of EngineerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInitial participant in GeoMine application development for surface coal mining and reclamation data integration.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• U.S. Geological Survey (USGS): Federal science agency providing geological and mineral resource data. Comparable because USGS partners with OSMRE on MDTI mine drainage research and contributes geological expertise to the UGMM Initiative.
• Bureau of Land Management (BLM): Department of the Interior agency managing federal lands where coal mining occurs. Comparable as a peer federal land manager whose permitting decisions intersect with OSMRE's regulatory authority over federal coal lands.
• Environmental Protection Agency (EPA): Federal environmental regulator addressing water, air, and contamination issues that intersect with mining regulation. Comparable because OSMRE partnered with EPA on the GeoMine application and shares overlapping environmental oversight over coal mining.

Others

• National Park Service: Federal land manager that received OSMRE funding (e.g., $300,000 Flight 93 Memorial grant) for acid mine drainage cleanup. Comparable as a federal recipient of OSMRE AML grants and partner in environmental remediation projects.
• U.S. Army Corps of Engineers: Federal engineering agency providing HEC-RAS hydrology software through OSMRE's TIPS program. Comparable as a federal technical partner delivering modeling capabilities that OSMRE distributes to state and tribal implementers.
• Interstate Mining Compact Commission (IMCC): Multi-state compact representing state mining regulatory agencies. Comparable as a long-running OSMRE partner advancing technology transfer and policy coordination across state coal regulators.

Direct peers

• Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA): Sister federal agency under the U.S. Department of Labor that regulates mine safety and health across active mines, including coal. Directly comparable as a federal regulator with overlapping jurisdiction over coal mining operations.

Regional players

• West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection: State agency with primary regulatory authority for coal mining in West Virginia under SMCRA primacy. Comparable as a state-level regulator that OSMRE oversees and supports via funding and technical assistance.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/OSMRE
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@OSMRE/videos
• Facebookfacebook.com/OSMRE
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/u.s.-department-of-the-interior-office-of-surface-mining
• Instagraminstagram.com/us_osmre

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement