The mission of the Mining Program is to protect the public and the environment from the potential impacts of active mining and to promote the restoration and enhancement of active and abandoned mine land and water resources.
The Mining Program is comprised of three divisions: Minerals, Oil & Gas (Non-coal), Maryland Bureau of Mines (Coal), and the Abandoned Mine Lands and Acid Mine Drainage Division.
The Maryland mining laws and regulations are in COMAR Title 26, Subtitles 19-21. The laws and regulations are located online under the following link:
http://www.dsd.state.md.us/comar/subtitle_chapters/26_Chapters.aspx
Safety is primarily the responsibility of the U.S. Department of Labor, Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) for inspections of all mine sites in Maryland. The Maryland Mining Program receives a grant from MSHA to provide miner safety training in both coal and non-coal mining. This training is held at the
College of Southern Maryland,Maryland Center for Environmental Training (MCET) a department of the Corporate and Community Training Institute located at 8730 Mitchell Road, LaPlata, MD 20646-0910, 301-934-2251. MCET delivers industry-specific safety and safety training courses and programs which are designed to reduce injuries and mining accidents, and illnesses. These programs are geared to the employees - surface miners, coal miners, and the metal and non-metal industry, and the Maryland Surface Coal Mining Industry.
MSHA does the actual on site safety inspections and responds to emergency injury situations. The Mining Program may provide assistance to MSHA as needed in times of injury or fatality situations.
For information in relation to mining safety, please visit MSHA's website.
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