Regulation of Surface Coal Mining and Surface Effects of Underground Coal Mining (15.250)
Regulation of Surface Coal Mining and Surface Effects of Underground Coal Mining (Assistance Listing 15.250) is run by the Office of Surface Mining, Reclamation and Enforcement, part of the Department of the Interior. It awarded $307 million in 133 grants from fiscal 2021 to 2025, about $2.3 million per award on average. No funding opportunity is open on Grants.gov right now.
The typical award was $1.2 million. Half of the 133 awards fell between $271,015 and $2.2 million, and they ranged from $5,000 to $14.4 million.
- Awarded, FY 2021 to 2025$307 million
- Grant awards133
- Typical award$1.2 million
- Awarded in FY 2025$64.8 million
- Size rank496 of 1824
- Type of assistanceProject grants, direct payments for specified use
Key findings
- Annual funding rose from $59.9 million in fiscal 2021 to $64.8 million in fiscal 2025.
- It is the 496th largest of 1,824 federal grant programs by five-year awards.
- The 20 largest recipients received 99% of the money.
- Awards went to recipients in 25 states and territories.
What the program funds
To assist the States and Tribes with active coal mining in administering approved regulatory programs.
Open opportunities
No opportunity under this program is open or forecast on Grants.gov right now. Programs often post once a year, so the funding history below shows what to expect.
Rules from the program listing
Who can apply
The State or Tribe must have an approved program to regulate surface coal mining and a designated State agency to receive administration and enforcement regulatory grants.
What the money can and cannot pay for
Grants for permanent program development are available to fund staff and related costs in connection with preparing legislative proposals; preparing regulations; preparing permanent program applications to the Office of Surface Mining (OSM); and for other related purposes. Administration and Enforcement grants are awarded to assist qualified recipients that have received approval to operate permanent regulatory programs. Funded cooperative agreements provide for the regulation of coal mining activities on Federal lands. Technical assistance is available on any aspect of regulating surface impacts of coal mining. See Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977, Public Law 95-87, 91 Stat. 445-532.;
Matching requirements
This program has no statutory formula. The Cost Sharing percentage on OSM Regulatory grants is generally 50%. However, this percentage can go down based on the amount of Federal land that the State or Tribe administers on behalf of the Federal government.MOE requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing.
Deadlines
General deadline to apply: 09/30/20XX
Award range and average, in the agency's words
Range: $5,000 to $13,295,421; Average: $2,407,407.
Examples of funded projects
Fiscal Year2025: OSM Regulatory Program: West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection’s (WVDEP) OSM awarded $10,199,272 as matching funds to operate its Regulatory Program. Through the support of this funding, WVDEP: 1. Conducted 99% of the inspections required by West Virginia’s approved program, which included 13,555 partial and 6,975 complete inspections on 1,852 permits, and 0 active coal exploration permits, 2. Investigated 265 citizen complaints within two days of receipt of the complaint, 3. Released Phase III bond on 2,714 acres for successful completion of reclamation, 4. Measured the rate of off-site impacts, with 94% of the inspectable units (IU) found free of off-site impacts. This is above the Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) goal of 88%. 5. Issued 22 new permits and approved 201 Incidental Boundary Revisions (IBR), which removed a net 409 surface acres for mining, and 6. Approved 266 permit renewals, 33 permit transfers, 16 general permit amendments, and 21 exploration permits. The OSM is required by Directive REG-8 to conduct inspections and reviews to assure West Virginia is meeting the minimum standards of SMCRA. In support of this goal, OSM: 1. Conducted 274 oversight inspections.
Funding history and past recipients
From fiscal 2021 to 2025, Regulation of Surface Coal Mining and Surface Effects of Underground Coal Mining (15.250) awarded$307 million across 133 grant awards, an average of $2.3 million per award.
Who usually wins
State and local governments received 97% of the money, tribes 2.8%.
| Recipient type | Awards | Amount | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| State and local governments | 120 | $299 million | 97% |
| Tribal governments and organizations | 13 | $8.5 million | 2.8% |
By state
18 states have a page for this program: those that received at least $1 million or 10 awards.
| State | Awards | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Kentucky | 5 | $66.6 million |
| Pennsylvania | 6 | $59.4 million |
| West Virginia | 5 | $50.7 million |
| Virginia | 5 | $16.4 million |
| Illinois | 5 | $16.1 million |
| Texas | 5 | $12.5 million |
| Montana | 8 | $11.4 million |
| Colorado | 5 | $10.5 million |
| Wyoming | 5 | $10.3 million |
| Utah | 5 | $9.4 million |
| Arizona | 10 | $7.3 million |
| Alabama | 5 | $6.5 million |
| Ohio | 5 | $6.3 million |
| Indiana | 6 | $5.6 million |
| North Dakota | 5 | $5.2 million |
| Maryland | 5 | $4.4 million |
| New Mexico | 5 | $3.5 million |
| Alaska | 5 | $1.7 million |
| Louisiana | 5 | $948,532 |
| Missouri | 5 | $882,208 |
| Mississippi | 6 | $808,377 |
| Oklahoma | 1 | $738,348 |
| Arkansas | 6 | $303,607 |
| Kansas | 5 | $141,448 |
| Iowa | 5 | $97,530 |