ASTM D7534/D7534M-09

This practice addresses an AMLIS PU and its geospatial data relative to the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 (SMCRA). In general, PUs east of the Mississippi River have historically corresponded to watersheds; PUs west of the Mississippi River have been defined in a number of ways, including quadrangles, grazing districts, townships, counties, or entire WCU. This practice is significant to communities impacted by abandoned mines because it provides for uniformity of geospatial data pertaining to the geographic location and description of AML PUs located throughout the United States. These standards will help ensure uniformity of data contributed by each RA and assist organizations in future efforts to create and utilize geospatial data relative to the reclamation of land and the remediation of watersheds located within the AML PUs across the United States.

Qualitative and quantitative AMLIS PU descriptions shall be obtained from state and federal regulatory authorities. Use of this standard will help create consistent maps and increase the awareness of the AML PUs throughout the United States and the status of the current reclamation that occurs within each PU over time. This standard creates well organized and easily accessible AML PU data and relational attributes, and it will lead to better communication between RA and federal offices, the public, industry and environmental groups.

As used in this practice, the geospatial data represents an area where coal removal occurred prior to SMCRA and these unreclaimed mining features continue to be present within a defined AMLIS PU, defined as a polygon feature. This practice creates an easier and more efficient way to utilize and share AML PU geospatial data between RAs and communities impacted by abandoned mines.

The data set may be served as a layer in The National Map, an online, interactive map service sponsored by a consortium of US federal, state, and local partners and hosted by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). The National Map provides a consistent framework for high-quality, geospatial data and information from multiple partners to enhance America's ability to access, integrate, and apply current, accurate, and nationally consistent digital data at global, national, and local scales.

This standard conforms to the definition of a Data Content Standard as promulgated by the U.S. Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC). Terminology and definitions for identifying geographical features and describing the data model has been adopted from the FGDC Spatial Data Transfer Standard (ANSI INCITS 320-1998 (R2003)) and the FGDC Framework Data Content Standard (FGDC Project 1574-D) Information Technology – Part 5 Governmental unit and other geographic area boundaries.

1.1 This practice covers the minimum elements for the accurate description of geospatial data for defining an Abandoned Mine Land Inventory System (AMLIS) Planning Unit (PU).

1.1.1 This practice addresses mining geospatial data relative to the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 (SMCRA). This geospatial data shall be obtained from each state, tribal, or federal (or combinations thereof) coal mining regulatory authority (RA) authorized under SMCRA to reclaim the surface and underground effects of past mining operations. Abandoned mine land (AML), as specified in SMCRA Sections 404 (coal), 409 and 411 (non-coal) and cross referenced in additional sections on eligible lands, consists of those lands and waters which were mined for coal or other minerals (or both), or impacted by processing operations prior to enactment of the SMCRA and abandoned or left in an inadequate state of reclamation and for which there is no continuing reclamation responsibility under state or other federal laws for mitigation of adverse impacts to human health and safety or environmental resources.

1.1.2 Title IV of the SMCRA establishes the national AML Reclamation Program under the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSMRE), U.S. Department of the Interior. The program was developed to reclaim land and water resources adversely affected by past coal mining and left abandoned or inadequately restored. During the years immediately following enactment of the SMCRA, OSMRE, states, and Native American tribes conducted surveys of eligible lands and waters and created individual inventories of problems to be addressed under Title IV. In 1990 SMCRA was amended and OSMRE was required to maintain a national inventory of high priority abandoned coal sites and provide standardized procedures for states and tribes to use in updating the data. The need for an automated nationwide inventory led to the creation of the national AMLIS, a compilation of the individual state, tribe, Federal Reclamation Program (FRP), and Rural Abandoned Mine Program (RAMP) inventories. The AMLIS documents the estimated unfunded costs to remedy AML problems, records when funding is made available for a problem area, and captures costs for completed constructed projects. It is used to record the work completed under each individual AML program and report the extent and cost of AML problems remaining.

1.1.3 Each state has been divided into Water Cataloging Units (WCU) by the U.S. Water Resources Council. These appear in the state’s Hydrologic Unit Map prepared by the U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Water Resources Council. The WCU are divided and sub-divided into successively smaller hydrologic units, which are classified into four levels: regions, sub-regions, accounting units, and cataloging units. The hydrologic units are arranged within each other, from the smallest (cataloging units) to the largest (regions). Each hydrologic unit is identified by a unique Hydrologic Unit Code (HUC) consisting of two to eight digits based on the four levels of classification in the hydrologic unit system.

1.1.4 As used in this practice, an AML PU represents a closed polygon that defines the boundary of a uniquely defined geographic area contained within a WCU. The entire WCU may be delineated as a single PU or subdivided into multiple PUs. In general, PUs east of the Mississippi River have historically corresponded to watersheds; PUs west of the Mississippi River have been defined in a number of ways, including quadrangles, grazing districts, townships, counties, or entire WCU.

1.2 This practice applies to pre-SMCRA AML PUs that may contain problem areas and prioritized problem types that are inventoried in the AMLIS under the SMCRA Title IV Reauthorization to provide for identification and management of AML sites and reclamation operations and facilitate the sharing of information with the public.

1.3 The values stated in either SI units or inch-pound units are to be regarded separately as standard. The values stated in each system may not be exact equivalents; therefore, each system shall be used independently of the other. Combining values from the two systems may result in non-conformance with the standard.

1.4 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

1.5 This practice offers a set of instructions for performing one or more specific operations. This document cannot replace education or experience and should be used in conjunction with professional judgment. Not all aspects of this practice may be applicable in all circumstances. This ASTM standard is not intended to represent or replace the standard of care by which the adequacy of a given professional service must be judged, nor should this document be applied without consideration of a project’s many unique aspects. The word “Standard” in the title of this document means only that the document has been approved through the ASTM consensus process.