Promoting Technology Transfers

Technology advancements, such as software programs that evaluate the hydrologic consequences of mining and enable electronic permitting, can significantly improve the quality and timeliness of activities in regulatory and abandoned mine land programs.  Sharing expertise among western states and with OSM is also important tool that can be used to improve program performance.

It is a priority of the Reclamation Committee to encourage joint efforts among states and with the Office of Surface Mining to promote technology transfer.  These efforts have led to the implementation of the Technical Information Processing System (TIPS) which is shared among states and OSM, interactive forums on critical topics, development of electronic permitting capabilities, and some investment in research to meet immediate program needs.