Providing a Forum

It is a priority of the Reclamation Committee to provide forum for western states to collectively respond to new developments arising within and from outside the West.

The coal mining regions of the West are generally arid or semi-arid lands.  Mining tends to be conducted on a larger scale than in the East.  These differences require programs tailored to conditions in the West.  However, too often there is a tendency to promote national solutions to address problems arising in other regions.  The result can be requirements that are not germane or that may be detrimental to achieving environmental protection in the West.