AML SUCCESS IN WYOMING Miles of abandoned underground coal mines around the Town of Reliance, WY, made collapse under dwellings a significant concern. A large underground coal mine fire created an additional hazard to the community.
Out of Compliance: 0.21
But that is no longer the case thanks to teamwork between the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality’s (DEQ) Abandoned Mine Land Division (AML), BRS Engineering in Riverton and multiple experienced contractors. A report developed by BRS Engineering stated that the historic Reliance Coal Mining District in Sweetwater County included many underground coal mines that were involved in the construction of the Union Pacific transcontinental railroad and thereby contributed to the development of the western U.S. The Union Pacific Coal Company began mining in the Reliance Coal Mining District in 1910 and stopped in 1954 before Congress passed a law requiring mining companies to reclaim their own mines instead of abandoning them when they stop mining.
In Compliance: 99.79 In Compliance
Out of Compliance
Out of Compliance: 0.26
The project also provided an economic boom to the region by creating jobs to do the work. The AML Division created more than 700 jobs in the state in 2020. The graphs below show the success Wyoming Mines are today. A full version of this story will be available on the WMA website: wyomingmining.org
In Compliance: 99.74 In Compliance
Out of Compliance
NEW RAC CHAIRMAN: It is an honor and privilege to serve as the WMA’s Regulatory Affairs Committee Chair. I am grateful for the foundation that Philip Dinsmoor has built, and we all owe him a debt of gratitude for his many years of service. As we embark upon a very dynamic environment (literally and figuratively), your expertise, help and time is greatly needed. As a brief introduction, I have been in the Trona/Soda Ash business since 1995. Prior to that I served in the military and a veteran of Desert Storm. I received degrees in Aircraft Avionics, Mechanical Engineering and a Master’s in Business Administration. During the past 26 years in the industry I held positions in many leadership areas including Environmental, Health, Safety and Governmental Affairs which I serve as within Tata Chemicals. From a civic perspective, I served as the Chairman of the Wyoming Workforce Development and www.wyomingmining.org
Vice Chair of the Wyoming Board of Parole for Governor Mead. These opportunities have enabled me to cultivate successful relationships throughout our Wyoming Government including the WYDEQ. In my environmental roles, I have worked extensively in the ambient air, ambient air boundary and continuous emission monitoring arenas. Work in land has included bonding, reclamation, right of ways and SWPP, SWMPP, GWMP. The Regulatory Advisory Committee (RAC) brings together mining leaders from across the State to learn best practices, strategies, and new solutions to environmental issues. We will focus on strategic, management, regulatory, and compliance issues related to environment and regulatory affairs. We will also take an impartial look at the key policy and scientific issues that underlie existing or proposed regulatory policies.
BY: JON CONRAD WMA Regulatory Affairs Chair Tata Chemicals
I encourage and invite everyone who is interested in participating in the RAC to join us. Together we will advance the cause of mining in Wyoming and the world in a fair and responsible manner. I look forward to serving as your chairman. The 2021 Mining Claim | 29
