Coal Production

Coal reserves in Kansas underlie an area of about 18,000 square miles or 23 percent of the State. The demonstrated coal reserve is estimated to be 0.977 billion tons which is 0.2 percent of the nation's reserves. Kansas coal varies from lignite in north central Kansas to highly volatile bituminous in southeastern Kansas. The average number of tons of overburden stripped to each ton of coal recovered is about 13:1. Coal seams in Kansas are usually one to three feet thick. Only the bituminous coal of southeastern Kansas is currently being mined and is primarily used for electricity generation. Since peaking at seven million tons in 1917, coal production in Kansas has steadily declined. Kansas mines produced 428,901 tons of coal in 2008, all from surface operations.

Regulation

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment, Surface Mining Section (SMS), was established in 1969 by the Mined-Land Conservation and Reclamation Act. The Kansas program under SCMRA was fully approved by OSM in 1981.

Murray Balk, Chief of the Surface Mining Section of the Department of Health & Environment, has responsibility for SMCRA activities related to active coal mining in the State of Kansas.

Reclamation

Murray Balk, Chief of the Surface Mining Section of the Department of Health & Environment, has responsibility for SMCRA activities related to abandoned coal mines in the State of Kansas.

Kansas has an active abandoned mine land emergency program which addresses AML features located in residential or commercial areas and along public roads. Kansas also addresses hazards related to subsidence features and vertical openings left by underground extraction of lead and zinc ores.

Grants

Kansas grant reports and related documents are contained in the official grant file maintained at the:

Mid-Continent Regional Office
501 Belle Street, suite 216
Alton, IL 62002

They can be reviewed during normal business hours. Alternatively, these documents can be requested through the Tulsa Field Office and a copy of the grant file will be made available. The copy may be requested in paper or electronic format.

More Information

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment

Kansas Oversight Documents

If you are interested in viewing current or past Oversight Documents, please click the appropriate link in the table below for all documents of a particular type for this State, or on the year listed below for all documents of a particular evaluation year for this State.

Oversight Documents by Evaluation Year
EY2010 EY2011 EY2012