US mining regulators remove rules for coal mines that no longer exist

The Interior Department is removing old rules about how coal mines must be reclaimed after they close. These rules applied to mines that were abandoned before 1977, when a new federal law took effect.

For decades, the federal government kept regulations on the books for mines that were already gone. This meant agencies had to maintain staff and processes for rules that had no real-world application. Removing these obsolete rules streamlines the regulatory process, even if the practical effect on the ground is minimal.