Collection of Documentation by Companies Mining on Federal Lands

During an investigation of the use of self-bonds in coal operations, the Office of Inspector General (OIG) identified an issue with access to the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality’s (WDEQ’s) records related to its grant from the Office of Surface Mining, Reclamation, and Enforcement (OSMRE). We found that the WDEQ may be restricting OSMRE personnel’s ability to remove records from WDEQ offices for OSMRE review and audit. This may impede OSMRE’s ability to review information submitted to the WDEQ by companies that mine on Federal lands. We made one recommendation to help enable the OSMRE to adequately review and audit grant records and clarify the requirement for Federal grantees and program administrators to cooperate with OIG investigations.