The Oklahoma Department of Mines (ODOM) is a
department of the
government of Oklahoma responsible for overseeing and regulating all surface and sub-surface mining activities in the State. The Department is also responsible for the reclamation of land disturbed by
mining
Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the Earth, usually from an ore body, lode, vein, seam, reef, or placer deposit. The exploitation of these deposits for raw material is based on the economic ...
operations. The Department regulates the production of coal and non-fuel minerals in the State.
The Department is under the control of the Mining Commission. The Commission is a nine-member board that serves as the governing body of the Department and is responsible for approving the Department's budget, establishing policy and appointing the Director of the Department, who serves as the chief administrative officer of the Department. The current Director of the Mining Department is Mary Ann Pritchard, who was appointed by the Commission in 1998.
The Department of Mines was established in 1907 during the term of
Governor of Oklahoma
The governor of Oklahoma is the head of government of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. Under the Oklahoma Constitution, the governor serves as the head of the Oklahoma executive branch, of the government of Oklahoma. The governor is the '' ex of ...
Charles Haskell.
Mining Commission
The
Oklahoma Legislature
The Legislature of the State of Oklahoma is the state legislative branch of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The Oklahoma House of Representatives and Oklahoma Senate are the two houses that make up the bicameral state legislature. There are 101 ...
abolished the State Mining Board and replaced it with the Oklahoma Mining Commission in 1985. The Commission is a nine-member board that serves as the governing body of the Department and is responsible for approving the Department's budget, establishing policy and appointing the Director of the Department. The members of the Commission are appointed by the
Governor of Oklahoma
The governor of Oklahoma is the head of government of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. Under the Oklahoma Constitution, the governor serves as the head of the Oklahoma executive branch, of the government of Oklahoma. The governor is the '' ex of ...
with the approval of the
Oklahoma Senate. All members serve seven-year staggered terms. The membership of the Commission consists of one person with experience in each of the following fields: engineering or geology, labor or worker's safety, agriculture or soil conservation, transportation, economic development or banking, public utilities, natural resources, and two persons selected at large.
Organization
*Mining Commission
**Director
***Administration Division
***Coal Division
****Technical Services Section
****Permitting Section
****Inspection and Enforcement Section
***Mineral Division
****Non-Coal Mining Section
****Coal Combustion Byproducts Section
****Non-Mining Blasting Section
***Miner Training Institute
See also
*
Oklahoma Corporation Commission
The Oklahoma Corporation Commission is the public utilities commission of the U.S state of Oklahoma run by three statewide elected commissioners. Authorized to employ more than 400 employees, it regulates oil and gas drilling, utilities and teleph ...
*
Oklahoma Energy Resources Board
External links
Oklahoma Department of Mines official website
Mining
Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the Earth, usually from an ore body, lode, vein, seam, reef, or placer deposit. The exploitation of these deposits for raw material is based on the economic ...
Mining in Oklahoma
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