The Division of Abandoned Mine Lands (AML) works throughout the coal fields of Kentucky to protect the public from health and safety problems caused by mining that occurred prior to 1982.
- AML restores abandoned mines and the problems they cause to a safe and environmentally stable condition through reclamation projects.
- AML administers a bond forfeiture reclamation program, acid mine drainage program, and water supply replacement program.
The Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act (SMCRA) of 1977 established national standards for coal mining and requirements for reclamation of mine sites.
AML programs are state implemented and 100 percent federally funded. The federal government collects fees on each ton of coal produced by mining operations nationwide and then distributes those fees back to the state AML programs in the form of a grant.
Kentucky's AML program is a collaborative effort among:
- private land owners
- industry representatives
- federal and state agencies
- local officials
- watershed groups
Kentucky's AML program has restored abandoned mine lands into:
- farmland
- pasture
- open space
- wildlife habitat
- recreational areas
- military training ground