23 MINING and the ENVIR ONMENT US mining companies are not only in the business of producing minerals and coal but also protect ing the environment Millions of dollars are spent by mining companies each year to restore mined lands protect air and water resources provide habitat for wildlife and create wetlands for migra tory waterfowl Minerals also play an important role in providing products that help protect the en vironment Mining activity is subject to a broad range of state and federal laws and regulations covering every aspect of exploration mine development opera tions protection of wildlife and native vegetation water quality and eventual land r est or ation And in many individual cases companies go signifcantly beyond what is required because they are commit ted to the highest level of environmental steward ship In short they set their own high standards Although activities vary by company location and type of operation a typical mining approach to environmental protection generally include s the following 1 Strict compliance with local state and federal requirements 2 Minimizing the impact of actual mining opera tions on the surrounding environment 3 Conducting r est or ation activities to restore air land and water resources and wildlife Major l aws a pplicable to c oal and miner al m ining o perations Federal Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act National Environmental Policy Act Clean Water Act Safe Drinking Water Act Clean Air Act Resource Conservation and Recovery Act Superfund and Toxic s Release Inventory Endangered Species Act National Historic Preservation Act and Federal Land Policy Management Act State State e nvironmental p olicy a cts S tate s urface w ater d ischarge p ermits S tate g round w ater p rotec t ion l aws or r egulations S torm w ater p ermits C onstruction p ermits for d ams or i mpoundments A ir q uality p ermits S olid w aste di sposal W ater a ppropriation p ermits M ine o perating p ermit s R eclamation p lan a pproval s or p ermit s R eclamation b onding and E nvironmental p erformance b onding R est or ed c oal mine land in W y oming