The Program Development Branch evaluates and prioritizes potential reclamation sites for the Division of Abandoned Mine Lands (AML).

The branch examines a site’s characteristics and its mining history to determine if it is eligible to be reclaimed by the AML program. Reclamation is the process of restoring a site to a safe and environmentally stable condition. A site’s eligibility is based in part on whether mining occurred at the site before 1982. If so, the site may be eligible for AML reclamation. AML employees look for public health and safety problems at the site, including water quality problems, landslides and open mine portals.

The severity of these problems helps determine the priority given to reclaiming the site. Once a site is found to be eligible for AML reclamation, the Program Development Branch prepares the paperwork needed to get approval from the federal Office of Surface Mining (OSM) to proceed with the work. The branch also does eligibility checks on sites reclaimed under the federal OSM’s Emergency Program.