The Department of the Interior’s Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSMRE) has unveiled plans to roll back a controversial 2024 rule governing coal mining oversight. The move aims to restore a streamlined approach that emphasizes state-led regulation.

Under the proposal, the 2024 “Ten‑Day Notices and Corrective Action” rule—adopted April 9, 2024—would be rescinded and replaced with the simpler framework first enacted in 2020.

Acting Assistant Secretary for Land and Minerals Management Adam G. Suess put it plainly: “This is common sense. We’re cutting red tape, restoring clarity and respecting states’ right to lead. Federal oversight doesn’t mean federal interference.”

Supporters argue the 2024 rule burdened regulators and states with confusing definitions, inflexible deadlines, and extra layers of federal review—even though the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 designates states as the primary enforcers on their own terrain.

What Would Change?

• State coordination streamlined—avoiding duplicative inspections and backlogs.

• Regulators reclassified—state officials won’t be labeled “persons” under ten-day notice rules unless they also operate mines.

• Simplified triggers for action—complaints must meet basic justification standards before federal attention.

• Corrective action reinstated—plans permitted again as responses to ten-day notices.

• Arbitrary deadlines dropped—removing rigid timelines that previously delayed resolutions.

OSMRE says it will continue issuing ten-day notices when potential violations surface, but with faster, state-focused follow-up built on cooperative federalism. 

Policy Roots

The proposal aligns with several administrative directives aimed at scaling back federal oversight:

• Secretary’s Order 3421, “Achieving Prosperity Through Deregulation,” urges phasing out outdated or duplicative rules.

• A nod to former President Donald J. Trump’s Executive Order 14154, targeting restoration of authority to states.

• A reflection of Secretarial Order 3418, “Unleashing American Energy,” which aims to reduce federal barriers to domestic energy development.

With a public comment period open until July 16, 2025, the Interior Department is inviting feedback before finalizing the rollback.

By leaning into a more streamlined, state-first approach, Interior officials say they’re not abandoning oversight—but stripping away what they view as unnecessary federal red tape.