Montana Abandoned Mine Land Reclamation Plan

We, the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSM), are approving a proposed amendment to the Montana abandoned mine land reclamation (AMLR) plan (hereinafter referred to as the "Montana plan") under the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 (SMCRA or the Act). Montana proposed revisions and additional explanatory information about the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), its authority, organization, personnel staffing policies, and purchasing and procurement policies. Montana also provided information about the AMLR plan, the goals and objectives of the emergency program, reclamation project ranking and selection, the coordination among agencies, policies and procedures for land acquisition, reclamation of private land, consent for entry, the accounting system, and a new appendix concerning the abandoned inactive mines scoring system (AIMSS). Montana revised its plan to meet the requirements of the corresponding Federal regulations and to be consistent with SMCRA, to clarify ambiguities, and to improve operational efficiency.