The Bonding Systems for Reclamation of Strip-Mined Lands in Pennsylvania and West Virginia

In response to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the bonding systems for funding the reclamation of strip-mined land in Pennsylvania and West Virginia, specifically: (1) reclamation procedures after bond forfeiture; (2) the bonding system fund's adequacy; and (3) the bond releases' appropriateness. GAO found that: (1) many acres of unreclaimed mined land exist because of the lengthy reclamation process; (2) both states took too much time to reclaim bond-forfeiture lands; (3) existing bonds were insufficient to cover the cost of reclaiming the interim-program forfeiture lands; (4) the Department of the Interior's Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement failed to ensure that permanent program alternative bonding systems will be adequate; and (5) although both states complied with procedural requirements for releasing bonds, inspectors identified three sites with reclamation deficiencies and questioned the appropriateness of the bond release.