Surface Mining

Operation of the Applicant Violator System Can Be Improved Gao ID: AFMD-89-31 January 24, 1989

In response to a congressional request, GAO assessed the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement's (OSMRE) efforts to implement its Applicant Violator System (AVS).

GAO found that: (1) the OSMRE automated permit review system was inadequate to effectively determine whether permits should be issued or denied; (2) incomplete names and addresses, inconsistent recordkeeping and reports, and a lack of a proper definition of mining ownership or control hampered AVS effectiveness; (3) OSMRE relied on manual processing to verify AVS information, resulting in delays in meeting states' projected approval dates; (4) OSMRE had not incorporated data from other mining ownership and control information sources to adequately compare and match applicants and violators; and (5) AVS lacked linkage features and other capabilities, while an interest group's comparable system had access to state mining permit and Department of Labor mine safety and health data.

Recommendations

Our recommendations from this work are listed below with a Contact for more information. Status will change from "In process" to "Open," "Closed - implemented," or "Closed - not implemented" based on our follow up work.

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