Surface Coal Mining Operations in Two Oklahoma Counties Raise Questions About Prime Farmland Reclamation and Bond Adequacy

Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed: (1) the bonding system for reclamation of strip-mined land in Oklahoma and other selected states; (2) the issuance of permits by states to operators who have violated strip mining laws; (3) whether mined farmland was being reclaimed; and (4) whether the amount of performance bonds is sufficient to cover reclamation costs should the operator fail to reclaim the land.