Montana Regulatory Program/Reclamation Plan

We, the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSMRE), are approving, in part, an amendment to the Montana regulatory program under the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 (SMCRA or the Act). During the 2019 legislative session, Montana updated its Montana Strip and Underground Mine Reclamation Act codified in the Montana Code Annotated. Accordingly, Montana submitted this amendment to OSMRE on its own initiative. The amendment requires a permit applicant's compliance information to be updated and approved if a bankruptcy or reorganization results in a change of ownership for the applicant. Furthermore, the amendment requires permit owners to provide financial assurance for employee pensions. Lastly, the amendment makes a typographical correction.