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Lanny Erdos, nominee to lead OSMRE, vows to reduce permitting backlogs and work with states and tribes
Summary
Lanny Erdos, nominated to be director of the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement, told senators he will prioritize predictability in permitting, address program amendment backlogs and work collaboratively with primacy states and tribes. Senators asked about NEPA, abandoned mine lands funding, and program amendments.
Lanny Erdos, President Trump’s nominee for director of the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSMRE), told the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee on July 15 that he would prioritize predictability in permitting, strengthen relationships with states and tribes, and work to address long-standing backlogs in OSM program amendments if confirmed.
OSMRE enforces the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act (SMCRA), authorizes state and tribal primacy programs, and administers abandoned mine land (AML) funding. Chairman Lee said the president’s FY26 budget request included $262,000,000 for OSMRE. Erdos, who previously served in OSMRE leadership and spent decades at the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, described his career as spanning federal, state and private-sector reclamation work.
Why it matters: OSMRE decisions affect permitting timelines for new and existing coal operations, reclamation of abandoned mine lands, state primacy programs and environmental safeguards under SMCRA.
In questioning, Senator Lee asked Erdos about permit timelines; Erdos said predictability is essential and that NEPA reviews for federal coal were a key area where timetables gave industry confidence. He noted recently approved EIS documents and records of decision as examples of progress. Erdos told Senator James and others he would seek to clear backlogs of program amendments, calling those delays “a problem for 10 to 15 years at OSM.” He said Ohio has an amendment pending for about 12 years as an example and pledged to be briefed day one on the issue.
Erdos explained how AML is funded: a tonnage-based reclamation fee (for example, he said, ‘‘22.4¢ for surface coal; 9.6¢ for underground coal’’) and separate funds from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA). He emphasized that 24 states currently have primacy under SMCRA and that OSMRE’s role is oversight and partnership for those states; OSMRE is the primary regulator on many tribal lands.
On tribal consultation, Erdos said he has prior experience working with tribes and committed to “engage in active collaboration with the Navajo Nation and Navajo communities” for permitting and reclamation decisions on tribal lands. Several senators, including Murkowski and Barrasso, stressed the need for a “fair playing field” for coal and state regulatory certainty. Erdos also pointed to a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision on NEPA that he said emphasizes focusing environmental review on areas “to be affected” and supports timely decisions.
Erdos pledged to address program amendments, improve communication with state regulators and work to speed permitting while maintaining regulatory oversight; the committee did not vote on his nomination at the hearing.
