Laurel Mountain, a subsidiary of James River Coal, was awarded for work done to its surface facility near Tomahawk, Martin County (permit 880-0197).

The 257-acre site was nominated by inspection officials at the Prestonsburg regional office of the state’s Division of Mine Reclamation and Enforcement. They spotlighted the group’s outstanding reclamation work and environmental stewardship.

“Laurel Mountain Resources successfully established a beneficial post mining land use ‘hay land/pasture’ in accordance with the landowners’ wishes,” the agency said, adding that the property’s vegetation plans were specifically developed for the site.

DNR commissioner Steve Hohmann also presented a 2012 Commissioner’s Award of Excellence in Reclamation to Deane Mining for its reclamation work to a surface facility known under permit 867-0478 near Mayking, Letcher County.

The 127-acre surface site was originally issued to Consol of Kentucky in 1997, but the permit was subsequently transferred to Deane Mining in 2008.

“The company has successfully established a beneficial post mining land use of ‘fish and wildlife habitat,’ which should prove very useful to wildlife in the local community for many years,” officials said.

The Deane property was nominated by inspectors at the Division of Mine Reclamation and Enforcement’s Pikeville regional office because of the company’s outstanding reclamation work and its commitment to a healthy environment.

“As a result of your hard work, this site is an outstanding example of the exceptional reclamation that can be achieved by today’s mining industry,” Hohmann said.