Land Reclamation Commission

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Land Reclamation Commission

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The Missouri Land Reclamation Commission is the ruling body over Missouri’s mining issues set forth in three separate state statues. These mining statues protect public health, safety and the environment from the adverse effect of mining and assure the beneficial restoration of mined lands. The seven-member commission includes three statutory and four public members. The statutory members are the state geologist, the director of the Missouri Department of Conservation and the staff director of the Clean Water Commission. With Senate approval, the governor appoints four public members. Only one member of the commission may have a direct link with the mining industry. The Land Reclamation Program carries out the policies of the Missouri Land Reclamation Commission and provides the staffing necessary to regulate the states mining industry.

The Land Reclamation Commission and Program are responsible for the issuance of strip mining permits related to the mining of limestone, sand, gravel, clay, tar sands, barite, sandstone, granite and traprock. As part of the permitting process mining companies must provide financial assurances to the Land Reclamation Program that provide for reclamation should the company not be able to complete this activity. After the mining company completes all required reclamation, the Commission releases these financial assurances and relieves the companies of any further reclamation liabilities. The Commission decides when public hearings are necessary. Hearings may be granted with respect to a proposed mining permit or when enforcement of a mining permit becomes necessary.

The Commission also oversees Missouri’s Abandoned Mine Land program. This program provides for the reclamation of abandoned coal mine sites within the state that include safety hazards such as steep and unstable highwalls and embankments, open mine shafts, abandoned mining equipment and facilities, dangerous impoundments, unsanitary trash dumps, and subsidence. Eligible environmental problems consist of acid mine drainage and sedimentation that pollute and clog streams. Finally, Missouri’s abandoned mine land emergency program allows the Land Reclamation Program to abate or control emergency situations in which adverse effects of past coal mining pose an immediate danger to the public.

Biennial Report, 2006-2007 PDF

Land Reclamation Commission Members

James M. DiPardo, Chairman, Public Member, St. James
Gregory Haddock, Co-chairman, Public Member, Maryville
Nick Matherly, Public Member, Cabool
Bob Ziehmer, Department of Conservation, Statutory Member, Jefferson City
Joe Gillman, Division of Geology and Land Survey, MoDNR, Statutory Member, Rolla
LeanneTippett Mosby, Clean Water Commission, Statutory Member, Jefferson City
Col. John Riffle, Public Member, Pleasant Hill
Mike Larsen, Staff Director, Land Reclamation Commission, Jefferson City

Upcoming Meetings
Nov. 19, 2009 Agenda	Bennett Springs Roaring River Conference Rooms 1730 E. Elm St. Jefferson City

Call 573-751-4041 for more information on meetings.

Meeting Minutes

2008	2009
Jan. 24, 2008 Meeting Minutes PDF	Jan. 22, 2009 Meeting Minutes PDF
March 27, 2008 Meeting Minutes PDF	March 26, 2009 Meeting Minutes PDF
May 29, 2008 Meeting Minutes PDF	May21, 2009 Meeting Minutes PDF
July 23, 2008 Meeting Minutes PDF July 24, 2008 Meeting Minutes PDF	July 23, 2009 Meeting Minutes PDF
Aug. 18, 2008 Teleconference Meeting Minutes PDF	Sept. 24, 2009 Draft Meeting Minutes PDF
Sept. 25, 2008 Meeting Minutes PDF
Nov. 20, 2008 Meeting Minutes PDF

For copies of minutes before 2006, please e-mail the Land Reclamation Program or call
573-751-4041 or 800-361-4827.