The Land Reclamation Program provides technical support for the Missouri Mining Commission. The commission regulates the surface mining of coal and other mineral commodities (such as lead, barite, tar sands, clay, limestone, sand, and gravel). Staff regulatory duties include developing regulations, permitting, inspection, complaint investigation, bonding and enforcement. Staff reclamation duties include human health and environmental hazard assessment, reclamation plan designs, contracting, budgeting, public relations, landowner education, construction oversight and maintenance of reclaimed abandoned mine lands and bond forfeiture mine lands until responsibility release is approved by the commission.
Meet the Director - Larry Lehman
Larry Lehman is the Land Reclamation Program Director for the department's Missouri Geological Survey. Larry has served as director and staff director of the Missouri Mining Commission since September 2016. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Fisheries and Wildlife from the University of Missouri – Columbia. Larry began working for the department in 1993. He served in different roles within the department’s former Hazardous Waste Program, Environmental Services Program, Field Services Division and former Solid Waste Management Program.