William Joseph                                                                                                                                    
Acting Program Support Manager

Primary Functions
 

• Provide technical assistance - including Technical Innovation and Professional Services (TIPS) - to the 11 States and 3 Field Offices within the Region.

• Process program amendments for 13 State Abandoned Mine Land (AML) and Regulatory programs.

• Process Mining Plan Decision Documents for mining on Federal lands in Oklahoma and Alabama.

• Administer the Federal responsibilities for AML Emergencies and Federal AML projects within the Region.

• Provide Technology Transfer activities for the Region, including seminars, interactive forums, and training.

• Providing ADP support for the entire office as well as assistance to the field offices as needed.

• Provides training to employees within the region.

These functions are largely divided between four programmatic and technical teams.  The teams are Program Amendments, Federal Programs, Technology Development and Transfer, and Prime Farmland.  Special project teams are formed as needed and many Program Support Division (PSD) staff serve on several teams both within and outside the Office of Surface Mining.

State Program Amendment Team 
  

Federal Programs Team
 

• Coordinates the AML Emergency Program within the MCR.  The team completed five Federal Emergency Projects during 1997.  All of these emergencies were the result of underground mine subsidence or collapsed mine shafts.

• Provides technical assistance to States in the assumption and operation of State emergency programs. 

• Processes the Mining Plan Decision Document

• (MPDD) for approval by the DOI AssistantSecretary, Land and Minerals Management (ASLM).  The MPDD represents the requirements of the Federal Lands Program that cannot be delegated to the respective States.  The MPDDs are developed after consultation with various State and Federal agencies. The MPDD includes the recommendation of the Director of OSM to the ASLM to approve, approve with special conditions, or deny the proposed mining plan.

Technology Development and Transfer
 

• Technical Innovation and Professional Services (TIPS) - Support the TIPS National Team, TIPS Training, System Support, and the Unix to NT Conversion.  The MCR integrated TIPS into the NT operating environment and has prototyped software and hardware over the past few years.   The majority of MCR technical staff have access to TIPS applications at their desktops.   MCR is integrating this same technology into the States within the Region.   Having TIPS at the technical staffs' desktops allows the MCR and State staff to gain knowledge and specialize in various TIPS software packages.
   

• Computer Training Center - Provide TIPS Training and National/Regional Training. The Computer Training Center has been operational since December of 1996.  We have provided core

• TIPS training, specialized training for OSM inspectors GIS/GPS, (Global information Systems/ Global Positioning System) hosted the Information Resource Management (IRM)  coordinators meeting (Novell Training), and National training on Abandon Mine Land Information System  (AMLIS).

• Global Positioning System (GPS) - Provides information of GPS technology through TIPS GPS classes, inspector meeting, and Field Office training.

• Coal Combustion By-Products (CCB) Information Network - Established the CCB web page which was put on-line through the OSM Web page on April 30, 1998. 

Forums
 

• Prime Farmland Forum (1998)
   
• Bat Conservation and Mining (2000)

• Coal Combustion By-Products (1996 and 2000)
   
• Reforestation (1999)

Displays/Shows
 

• Texas Mining and Reclamation Association (TMRA) Annual Meeting

• Indiana Surface Mined Land Reclamation Technology Transfer Annual Seminar

• American Society of Surface Mining Reclamation (ASSMR) Annual Meeting

• MCR Forums

• Illinois Society of Mining and Reclamation Annual Meeting

• Local and regional events

Prime Farmland Team
 

• Participates in the Indiana Soils/Prime Farmland Team with representatives from the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, Purdue University Agriculture Department and the Extension Service, the Indiana Farm Bureau, a local Soil and Water Conservation District, USDA- Natural Resources Conservation Service, an independent industry consultant, and industry.  The team has developed a “Citizen’s Guide to Land Reclamation” brochure which has received wide acceptance across the coal field and has been used to develop a similar brochure in a near-by state.  The team has sponsored two “Prime Farmland Reclamation Demonstration” day-long tours of a coal mine that is actively mining and reclaiming prime farmland.  Each of the tours was attended by over 100 people from a wide range of backgrounds, and each was considered very successful by the participants.  The team is currently developing procedures and guidelines to help classify reclaimed mine soils in a manner that will more accurately detail land capability.

• Assisted the USDA-NRCS with developing the National Specifications for Removal, Storage, Replacement, and Reconstruction of Prime Farmland Soils.  The specifications have been published in the Federal Register  in final form and now serve as a National Standard for the reclamation of prime farmlands in the United States.
   

• Sponsored a Prime Farmland Interactive Forum in Evansville, Indiana.  The Forum provided an overview of regulation from most of the States with coal mining on prime farmland.  Additionally, there were presentations of state-of-the-art reclamation information and developing technology for the prediction of successful reclamation.  The Forum was attended more than 100 people from across the nation.