North Dakota Public Service Commission Program Passes Federal Review

)North Dakota Public Service Commission image)

(KNOX) – The North Dakota Public Service Commission’s Coal Regulatory and Abandoned Mine Lands (AML) Program recently received results from its annual federal evaluation. The evaluation conducted by the federal Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSMRE) concluded that no issues or concerns were raised and that the PSC “has effective and efficient coal regulatory and AML programs.”

“This outside evaluation verifies the excellent work of the PSC staff,” said Chair Randy Christmann who holds the coal mining, reclamation, and abandoned mine lands portfolio. “They assure that North Dakota’s landscape will be safe, productive, and beautiful for future generations, while our mines produce coal for the energy Americans rely on, whether it is windy or not.”

The North Dakota Public Service Commission (NDPSC) is the state agency charged with the responsibility for the permitting and regulation of the coal mining industry in North Dakota. North Dakota’s reclamation law is based on the federal Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 (SMCRA). North Dakota currently has six active mining operations (4 lignite and 2 leonardite mines). More than 136,000 acres are currently permitted for mining. To date, approximately 18,842 acres have received final bond release where Commission jurisdiction has ended.

In OSMRE’s report, they reported that “The NDPSC staff continues to implement the program in a professional, cooperative, and fair manner. The Reclamation Division uses new technology to become more efficient and make information more readily available to the public. The NDPSC has the necessary technical expertise for carrying out its functions to ensure that all requirements of SMCRA are met.”