Technology, Development and Transfer

What this funds

Activity: Technology, Development and Transfer -- Program Description The Technology, Development and Transfer (TDT) activity supports OSM's regulatory responsibilities under SMCRA by providing technical assistance, technical training, technology development, and technology transfer services to Federal, State, and Tribal regulatory programs. These activities enhance the technical capacity needed to support effective permitting, inspection, enforcement, and environmental protection functions related to surface coal mining operations. The FY 2027 President's Budget requests $14.4M and 57 FTEs for Technology, Development and Transfer. The FY 2027 request continues to support essential technical expertise, technical training, and information-sharing activities that enable States, Tribes, and Federal partners to meet SMCRA requirements and advance environmental protection goals. Technical Assistance (+$71,000, +0 FTE): The FY 2027 budget request for Technical Assistance is reflecting a program change of -$36,000. This decrease reflects a modest adjustment to training funding to align resources with projected needs while maintaining support for essential regulatory training. reflecting a program change of -$1.0M. The reduction in funding for Technology Transfer is to align resources with projected workload while sustaining essential technology transfer support for regulatory The following program activities support OSM's goal of enhancing the skills and knowledge of States and Tribes for effective SMCRA implementation. This goal is vital for the success of surface mining and reclamation programs and is achieved through quality technical information, expertise, and technical The TDT program supports necessary technical skills that States and Tribes need to operate their regulatory programs. The FY 2027 request provides resources for OSM's technical assistance, technical training, technology development, and technology transfer programs. The FY 2027 request provides $11.2M funding and 39 FTEs for Technical assistance. OSM offers technical assistance to State and Tribal regulatory staff, as well as OSM personnel involved in reviewing and overseeing State programs and developing rules or policies. OSM provides technical assistance and site-specific technology support to help States and Tribes with science and engineering expertise needed to regulate active mining operations. Areas of assistance include, but are not limited to: ' Rulemaking ' Placement of coal combustion residue ' Citizen complaint investigations ' Reclamation bonding sufficiency and ' Review of offsite impacts bond release ' State mining permit evaluation ' Threatened and endangered species ' Blasting policy ' Restoration of mined land with native ' Acid and toxic forming materials mining ' Surface and groundwater dewatering by helping Tribes develop technical ' Stream and underground mine flooding capabilities ' Mountaintop mining and valley fills The following examples highlight a few specific areas of technical assistance provided to State and Tribes One of OSM's key tools for addressing water-quality issues is the AMDTreat software program, developed in collaboration with the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, the U.S. Geological Survey, and the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection. OSM staff continuously improve and enhance the AMDTreat software treatment modules to ensure the program remains relevant to the concerns of regulators and the public regarding AMD. Rare Earth Elements and Critical Minerals Evaluations Coal mine waste and acid mine drainage, along with associated metal precipitates, are being evaluated nationwide as potential sources of rare earth elements (REEs) and critical minerals (CMs), which are vital for many high-tech devices. By advancing opportunities for the recovery of REEs and CMs from coal waste and AMD, OSM creates economic opportunities in coal communities and establishes a sustainable domestic supply chain for these materials as envisioned by Executive Order 14241 and Secretary Order OSM continues its effort to encourage proper reforestation practices to transform reclaimed mined land to healthy, productive forests. This reforestation initiative developed and promoted the use of the Forestry Reclamation Approach (FRA), held technical and policy symposia, and introduced a reforestation website to explain the methods and benefits of reforestation. Through the Appalachian Regional Reforestation Initiative (ARRI), OSM provides technical assistance to a 33-member science team made up of researchers from across the country and members of the American Bird Conservancy, the American Chestnut Foundation, the U.S. Geological Survey, and the U.S. Forest Service. The FY 2027 request provides $2.1M and 11 FTEs for technical training. Technical training provides OSM, State, and Tribal staff the necessary information and skills to implement the surface mining reclamation and enforcement program. OSM provides comprehensive technical training in essential

Extracted from Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement, p. 10. Verbatim; nothing here is paraphrased.

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