Oklahoma Department of Mines
Encyclopedia
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
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
Charles Haskell.
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
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.
Government agency
A government or state agency is a permanent or semi-permanent organization in the machinery of government that is responsible for the oversight and administration of specific functions, such as an intelligence agency. There is a notable variety of agency types...
of the government of Oklahoma
Government of Oklahoma
The government of the US State of Oklahoma, established by the Oklahoma Constitution, is a republican democracy modeled after the Federal government of the United States. The state government has three branches: the executive, legislative, and judicial...
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
Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the earth, from an ore body, vein or seam. The term also includes the removal of soil. Materials recovered by mining include base metals, precious metals, iron, uranium, coal, diamonds, limestone, oil shale, rock...
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
Governor of Oklahoma
The governor of the state of Oklahoma is the head of state for the state of Oklahoma, United States. Under the Oklahoma Constitution, the governor is also the head of government, serving as the chief executive of the Oklahoma executive branch, of the government of Oklahoma...
Charles Haskell.
Mining Commission
The Oklahoma LegislatureOklahoma Legislature
The Legislature of the State of Oklahoma is the biennial meeting of the legislative branch of the government of Oklahoma. It is bicameral, comprising the Oklahoma House of Representatives and the Oklahoma Senate, with all members elected directly by the people. The House of Representatives has 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
Governor of Oklahoma
The governor of the state of Oklahoma is the head of state for the state of Oklahoma, United States. Under the Oklahoma Constitution, the governor is also the head of government, serving as the chief executive of the Oklahoma executive branch, of the government of Oklahoma...
with the approval of the Oklahoma Senate
Oklahoma Senate
The Oklahoma Senate is the upper house of the two houses of the Legislature of Oklahoma, the other being the Oklahoma House of Representatives. The total number of Senators is set at 48 by the Oklahoma Constitution....
. 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
- Director