ASTM D7631-10

This practice addresses coal mining geospatial environmental monitoring resource data relative to SMCRA and 30 CFR Part 700, et seq. This practice is significant to the coal mining community because it provides uniformity of geospatial data pertaining to environmental resource location points throughout the United States. This standard is one of several coal mining geospatial data standards to be developed for use by an RA. These standards will help ensure uniformity of coal mining geospatial data used in internal business practices, exchanged among business partners within the coal mining community, and contributed by each ADS in future efforts to create national datasets describing coal mining in the United States. Use of this standard will result in organized and accessible data to support programmatic decisions and work plan development, increased awareness of the permitted coal mining operations throughout the United States and better communication between the RA, other governmental entities, the public, and industry.

Coal mining geospatial data shall be obtained from state, tribal, and federal regulatory authorities for SCMO. The coal mining community encompasses all entities directly and indirectly affected by coal mining activities, including industry, environmental groups, the general public, and the government at all levels within the United States. Use of this standard will help create consistent maps and increase understanding of SCMO sites throughout the United States. This standard promotes the creation of well organized and easily accessible coal mining data, and it will facilitate better communication between state and federal offices, the public, industry, and environmental groups.

Within its area of exclusive jurisdiction, each RA is the ADS for coal mining spatial data that it creates and uses to regulate mining activity.

This geospatial data standard will help ensure uniformity of data contributed by each RA and assist organizations in efforts to create, utilize, and share geospatial data relative to SMCRA and it will lead to better communication between state, tribal, and federal regulatory offices, the public, and industry.

In addition to a defining ERML, this standard over time will allow identification of changes in the ERML’s as the mined area changes.

Participation in the compilation of spatial data is not uniform across RAs, which may affect completeness, both in terms of spatial data, and associated attributes.

This standard conforms to the definition of a Data Content Standard as promulgated by the U.S. Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC). Terminology and definitions for identifying geographical features and describing the data model has been adopted from the FGDC Spatial Data Transfer Standard (ANSI INCITS 320-1998 (R2003)) and the FGDC Framework Data Content Standard (FGDC Project 1574-D) and other geographic area boundaries.

Although this standard is written specifically for the coal mining industry, its general purpose and content are applicable to other mining operations.

1.1 This practice covers the minimum elements for the accurate location and description of geospatial data for defining a coal mining environmental resource monitoring location (ERML).

1.1.1 This practice addresses coal mining geospatial environmental resource monitoring data relative to the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 (SMCRA). This geospatial data shall be obtained from each state, tribal, or federal, or combinations thereof, coal mining regulatory authority (RA) authorized under SMCRA to regulate surface coal mining operations (SCMO). Each RA shall be the authoritative data source (ADS) for coal mining geospatial data.

1.1.2 As used in this practice, coal mining ERML’s represents points where surface, groundwater, and geologic drill hole chemistry are used to determine any probable hydrologic consequences where coal removal, reclamation and related supporting activities has occurred, is occurring, or is planned and authorized by the RA within a defined SCMO. These locations may also include dam safety, impoundments, diversions, air quality, air blasts (blasting), construction (refuse piles), and subsidence.

1.1.3 This standard is one of several that have been approved or are in development related to SMCRA approved coal mining operations. Also under development is a terminology standard. Initial development of these standards is being done on an individual basis; however, they may be consolidated to reduce repetition of information between them.

1.2 This practice applies to pre-SMCRA and post-SMCRA ERML’s.

1.3 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulator limitations prior to use.

1.4 The values stated in either SI units or inch-pound units are to be regarded separately as standard. The values stated in each system may not be exact equivalents; therefore, each system shall be used independently of the other. Combining values from the two systems may result in non-conformance with the standard.

1.5 This practice offers a set of instructions for performing one or more specific operations. This document cannot replace education or experience and should be used in conjunction with professional judgment. Not all aspects of this practice may be applicable in all circumstances. This ASTM standard is not intended to represent or replace the standard of care by which the adequacy of a given professional service must be judged, nor should this document be applied without consideration of a project’s many unique aspects. The word “Standard” in the title of this document means only that the document has been approved through the ASTM consensus process.