North Dakota's four lignite coal mines achieved a year of no violations in 2011, the fourth time in mine history that the entire industry has earned a clean bill from the Public Service Commission.

PSC Commissioner Kevin Cramer said he and the staff look at mine operations throughout the year and said the 2011 achievement was especially notable during one of the wettest years on record.

Mr Jim Deutsch director of mine reclamation said the good compliance record for the year is due to the longevity of many mine employees and their familiarity with both state and federal mine standards.

North Dakota passed its first reclamation laws in 1969 and strengthened them a decade later. The federal Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act was passed in 1977.

North Dakota's four lignite mines are the Freedom Mine north of Beulah, the Falkirk Mine near Underwood, the Center mine, and the Beulah mine. Together they mined nearly 28 million tons of coal last year disturbing 1,500 acres of land.

The other years of no violations were in 1996, 2000 and 2002 dating back to when the process started in 1975.

(Sourced from BismarckTribune.com)