ABSTRACT
State regulation has proved ineffective in reducing the environmental and health dangers created by surface mining. Strip mining may give rise to some air pollution problems. In addition to air and water pollution, other adverse effects result from strip mining. To be effective, the regulation of strip mining must both reduce detrimental side-effects and provide for restoration of the mined area to some productive use. Although reclamation provisions are an integral part of any strip mining statute, some states have failed to enact adequate provisions. Unregulated strip mining operations not only adversely affect the environment but also create competitive advantages for persons operating in a given market area. Only a federally sponsored program with strict standards and a strong enforcement policy will end competition that leads to environmental decay. In this manner the full restoration of the land can become a reality.
