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DO'ENT RISUBE
014556 - (BO1850761j 41RtLAxi44 _ / /2'
'Accuracy and Reliability of Department of the Interior$s Coal
Reserve Data]. EED-78-23; 8-125067. January 11, 1978. 3 pp. +
enclosure (16 pp.).
Report to Rep. Leo J. Ryan, Chairman, House Committee on
Government Operations: Environment, Energy, and Natural
Resources Subcommittee; by Elmer B. Staats, Comptroller General.
i3sue Area: Energy: Feder.. Collection and Analysis of Energy
Data (1601); Haterials: Federal Collection, analysis, and
Dissemination of Raw raterials Data (1801).
Contact: Energy and Kinerals Div.
Budget Function: Natural Resourtes, Snvirousent, and Energy:
Energy (305).
Organization Concerned: Departmont of the Intericr; Department
of Energy.
Congressioual Relevauce: House Committee on Government
Operations: Environment, Energy, and Natural Resources
Sutconsittee.
Authority: Surface Aining Control and Reclamatioa Act of 1977
(P.L. 95-87).
The Department of the Interior's system of measuring
and estimating coal deposits includes two commonly used
categories -- resources and reserves. Resources include all
known coal, plus coal deposits not yet discovered but believed
to exist; reserves are portions of idsutified coal resources
that can be extracted under current economic, technological, and
legal conditions. Finding,,/Conclusions: There are two main
problems associated wita existing coal reserve estimates that
have been publ-ed by Interior: lack of consistent and reliable
data; and lack of aihalysis of economic, technolugic, and lsgal
conditions on a site-specific basis to determine which reserves
may oz nay not be mined. Available coal estimates ased by the
Department of the Interior rely upon numerous cecondary sources
that are regarded at best as gross approximations rather than
accurate estimates based on sound geologic, 1, economic, and
engineering measurement. There are also serious deficiencies in
the quantity aLd quality of the resource, reserve, and economic
data available for Govern-ent use in valuing coal areas under
the Federal Coal Leasing Program. The Federal coal leasing
policy is divtded between the Departments of Interior end
Energy. Recommendations: The Secretaries of the Interior and
Energy should work closely to: systematically plan a
comprehensive and interagency-coordinated coal data program and
develof and implement measurcs for obtaining the additional
geological and economic data required to assess the amount of
coal under lease and relate it to the national energy needs. The
Administratcr, Energy Information Administration, should develop
and isplement a plan for obtaining from coal producers estimates
of recoverable domestic coal reserves using appropriate](ViewImageLocal?handle=hein.gao/gaobaawkl0001&div=1&collection=&method=preview&ext=.png&size=3)