Who regulates surface mining?
All mining – including surface mining – is highly regulated. Thousands of pages of federal and state regulations control how mining operations are conducted in order to protect the environment and the public. The laws that specifically regulate mining include, among others, the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act (SMCRA), the Clean Water Act, the Clean Air Act, the Endangered Species Act and the Federal Mine Safety and Health Act. Multiple agencies, including the Office of Surface Mining and Reclamation Enforcement, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Environmental Protection Agency, participate in oversight and regulation mining operations.
