1. Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 (SMCRA)
Ivy Huang

2. Basic Information Draft year: 1977 Amendment years: 1990, 2006
International or national: national
Agency/Group Responsible for Regulation and Enforcement:
States, if they demonstrate that they have a law as strict as the SMCRA and a regulatory agency that enforces this law
Otherwise, Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSMRE), which is a bureau within the U.S. Department of the Interior

3. Function and Environmental Issues Affected
Function: to regulate the environmental effects of coal mining in the U.S.
Created two programs: one for regulating active coal mines, the other for reclaiming abandoned mine lands
Created OSMRE
Environmental issues affected:
Addressed the concern about the environmental effects of strip mining