A report from the US Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement stated an improvement on last year’s 88% inspection rate and said a sharp downturn in eastern Kentucky's coal production helped inspectors hit federal targets.
"The credit for this accomplishment goes to our hard working and dedicated inspection and support staff who overcame numerous challenges, including reduced staffing, to achieve this goal," said Department for Natural Resources commissioner Steve Hohmann.
The report also said the coal industry's compliance rate with mining and reclamation rules was 72% in 2012-13, but was still the lowest level for two decades, according to the OSM evaluation.
