View source for National Mine Map Repository

{{Infobox government agency
|agency_name     = National Mine Map Repository
|agency_type     = Office
|logo            = US-NationalMineMapRepository-Logo.svg
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|seal            = 
|seal_width      = 
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|formed          =1982
|preceding1      =
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|dissolved       =
|superseding     =
|jurisdiction    =
|headquarters    = [[Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania]]
|employees       = 
|budget          = 
|chief1_name     = 
|chief1_position = 
|chief2_name     = 
|chief2_position = 
|parent_agency   = [[Office of Surface Mining|Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement]]
|child1_agency   =
|child2_agency   =
|website         = {{URL|https://www.osmre.gov/mmr}}
|footnotes       =
}}
The '''National Mine Map [[Repository (publishing)|Repository]]''' ('''NMMR''')<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://mmr.osmre.gov/Default.aspx|title=National Mine Map Repository (NMMR) Website}}</ref> is part of the [[United States Department of the Interior]] (DOI), Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSMRE or OSM).<ref>U.S. Dept. of the Interior [http://www.doi.gov/bureaus.html "DOI Bureaus"]</ref>  The NMMR resides in the [[Pittsburgh]] suburb of [[Green Tree]], [[Pennsylvania]], and collects and maintains mine map information and images for the entire country, including data and maps of [[coal]] mines in the [[anthracite]] coal region of northeastern Pennsylvania.<ref>National Mine Map Repository [http://mmr.osmre.gov/Default.aspx "Contacts, office locations, and telephone numbers"]</ref> The Green Tree facility provides and stores, digitally and in [[aperture card|microfilm]] (aperture cards),<ref>{{cite journal|last=Edgerton|first=Curtis D.|title=The mine map repository--a source of mine map data.|year=1974|volume=8657|pages=3–4|publisher=U.S. Bureau of Mines|location=Washington}}</ref> over 182,000 maps of abandoned mines.  This repository contains maps of mine workings from the 1790s to the present day.<ref>OSMRE [http://www.arcc.osmre.gov/about/offices/pad/tsb.shtm "AR Technology Services Branch"]</ref> It serves as a point of reference for mine maps and other information for both surface and underground mines throughout the United States. It also serves as a location to retrieve mine maps in an emergency. The NMMR provides services ranging from retrieving mine related data for economic analysis to assessing the potential risk associated with underground mining. Through analysis of mine maps and related information, the repository assists private and public sectors in industrial and commercial development, highway construction,<ref>Ohio Department of Transportation [http://www.azdot.gov/Highways/Materials/Geotech_Design/Seminar/PDF/Ohio_DOT-Update.pdf "Update of Abandoned Underground Mine Activities in Ohio"]</ref> and the preservation of public health, safety, and welfare. In addition, they collect, reproduce, and maintain a national inventory of mine maps and supporting documentation for private and public interests.

==History==
The [[Federal Coal Mine Health and Safety Act of 1969]] established a national mine map repository.<ref>U.S. Dept. of Labor, Mine Safety and Health Administration [http://www.msha.gov/SOLICITOR/COALACT/69hous.htm "Federal Coal Mine Health and Safety Act"]</ref>  The repository was funded by and assigned to the Department of the Interior, [[United States Bureau of Mines|Bureau of Mines]] (BOM) in 1970. A repository was set up at a BOM office in Pittsburgh and [[Wilkes-Barre]],<ref>{{cite journal|last=Gait|first=George B|title=Microfilming maps of abandoned anthracite mines; mines in the western middle anthracite field.|journal=Information Circular|year=1971|volume=8519|publisher=U.S. Dept. of the Interior, Bureau of Mines|location=Washington}}</ref> Pennsylvania and covered all states east of the [[Mississippi River]] with the exception of [[Louisiana]] and [[Minnesota]]. These two states, together with [[Arizona]], [[New Mexico]], [[North Dakota]], [[South Dakota]], [[Wyoming]], [[Utah]], Colorado, [[Missouri]], and [[Kansas]], were covered by a separate repository at the BOM Intermountain Field Operation Center in [[Denver]], [[Colorado]]. A fourth repository, in Spokane, Washington, held the mining archives for the western states of [[Washington (U.S. state)|Washington]], [[Oregon]], [[California]], [[Nevada]], [[Montana]], and [[Idaho]].

In 1982 the responsibility of maintaining the repository and its staff was formally transferred to DOI's Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement. Later, when BOM was dissolved in 1996, all of the maps from the BOM offices were consolidated into the current OSMRE Pittsburgh repository.  The Wilkes-Barre repository was closed in 2011,<ref>CitizensVoice.com [http://citizensvoice.com/news/office-of-surface-mining-to-close-wilkes-barre-location-1.1165119#axzz1dyYR1wle "Office of Surface Mining to close Wilkes-Barre location"]</ref> and its collection transferred to the Pittsburgh office,<ref>Pottsville Republican, Inc. [http://republicanherald.com/news/office-of-surface-mining-to-close-wilkes-barre-office-in-fall-1.1165849?cache=03D163D03D163Dp%253A%252Fhe3D03Dn63Freporti3D19.11145issed-1.1176%253FparentPage%253D2.1188%253Fcache%253D03D163D03D163Dp%253A%252Fhe3D03Dn63Freporti3D19.11145issed%253FparentPage%253D2.1244%253Fcache%253D03D163D03D163Dp%253A%252Fhe3D03Dn63Freporti3D19.11145issed-1.1176%253FparentPage%253D2.1188%253Fcache%253D03D163D03D163Dp%253A%252Fhe3D03Dn63Freporti3D19.11145issed%253FparentPage%253D2.1244%253Fcache%253D03D163D03D163Dp%253A%252Fhe3D03Dn63Freporti3D19.11145issed-1.1176%253FparentPage%253D2.1188%253Fcache%253D03D163D03D163Dp%253A%252Fhe3D03Dn63Freporti3D19.11145issed%253FparentPage%253D2.1244%253Fcache%253D03D163D03D163Dp%253A%252Fhe3D03Dn63Freporti3D19.11145issed-1.1176%253FparentPage%253D2.1188%253Fcache%253D03D163D03D163Dp%253A%252Fhe3D03Dn63Freporti3D19.11145issed%253FparentPage%253D2.1244%3FparentPage%3D2.1244%3Fcache%3D03D163D03D163Dp%3A%2Fhe3D03Dn63Freporti3D19.11145issed-1.1176%3FparentPage%3D2.1188%3Fcache%3D03D163D03D163Dp%3A%2Fhe3D03Dn63Freporti3D19.11145issed%3FparentPage%3D2.1244%3Fcache%3D03D163D03D163Dp%3A%2Fhe3D03Dn63Freporti3D19.11145issed-1.1176%3FparentPage%3D2.1188%3Fcache%3D03D163D03D163Dp%3A%2Fhe3D03Dn63Freporti3D19.11145issed%3FparentPage%3D2.1244%3Fcache%3D03D163D03D163Dp%3A%2Fhe3D03Dn63Freporti3D19.11145issed-1.1176%3FparentPage%3D2.1188%3Fcache%3D03D163D03D163Dp%3A%2Fhe3D03Dn63Freporti3D19.11145issed%3FparentPage%3D2.1244%3Fcache%3D03D163D03D163Dp%3A%2Fhe3D03Dn63Freporti3D19.11145issed-1.1176%3FparentPage%3D2.1188%3Fcache%3D03D163D03D163Dp%3A%2Fhe3D03Dn63Freporti3D19.11145issed%3FparentPage%3D2.1244%3FparentPage%3D2.1244 "Office of Surface Mining to close Wilkes-Barre office in fall"]</ref> which is designated as the National Mine Map Repository.

The mission of the repository has always been to obtain authoritative maps on past and current mining operations and preserve them on microfilm. Higher priority is given to maps of mines in areas where the potential for adverse impact to the environment is more significant. The NMMR, in addition to being an archival entity concerned with the preservation of mine maps, is also a basic reference file of information on mines.  The information is made available to federal and state geological surveys, state mining bureaus, mining companies, oil and gas companies, conservationists, research and planning organizations, water pollution boards, city and industrial planners, highway engineers, building contractors, real estate developers and private citizens.

Today the NMMR facility is equipped with modern map scanning and archiving capability to digitize maps.  The primary archival method remains microfilm although the repository's holdings are increasingly available in digital format.

==Available information==
[[File:Oldest map.jpg|thumb|right|NMMR's oldest mine: 1792 anthracite coal, "Old Mine."]]
[[File:Hazleton Coal Company.jpg|thumb|right|One of NMMR's oldest mine maps: 1859 anthracite coal map from Hazleton Coal Co.]]
The NMMR contains digital and microfilm maps of surface and underground coal, metal, and non-metal mines throughout the United States. Some of the information that can be obtained from the repository includes:
*Mine and company names
*Underground mine plans
**Mains, rooms, and [[room and pillar|pillars]]
**Man-ways, [[shaft mining|shafts]], [[adit|mine surface openings]], barrier pillars and ventilation facilities
*Closure (final) maps
*Adjacent mines
*[[Geological]] information
**[[stratum|Bed]] name, bed thickness, depth, [[wellbore|drill hole]] data, cross-sections, [[contour line|elevation contours]], structures, [[outcrop]]s, [[assay]]s
*[[Geographical]] data
**Abandoned railroad lines and stations, [[company town|coal towns]], surface facilities, roads, ponds, streams, and property survey points
*Districts, [[public land survey system|townships, sections, ranges]], counties and municipalities, latitudes and longitudes, elevation bench marks, and surface elevations
*Gas well, oil well, and drill hole locations<ref>Coyle, Paul R. and Cassidy, Brianne M. [http://gsa.confex.com/gsa/2008CD/finalprogram/abstract_134843.htm "A Resource for Geological and Mining Information: the National Mine Map Repository, Department of the Interior"]{{dead link|date=February 2024|bot=medic}}</ref>

==Map acquisition and archiving==

The NMMR acquires maps through public outreach directed at state and federal environmental agencies as well as mining companies, engineering and consulting firms, surveying companies, universities, and private citizens. The repository is constantly seeking donations of mine maps to add to the microfilm/digital collection.<ref>National Mine Map Repository [https://mmr.osmre.gov/MMR_mapAcquisition.aspx "The National Mine Map Repository Map Acquisition"]</ref>

When maps are received from a donor, they are scanned and stored in both microfilm and digital archives. The maps, along with a scanned images (upon request), are returned to the donor. The repository does not retain hard copies of maps.

===Procedures===

As maps are obtained at the repository, they are assigned a unique six-digit identification number (document number). Data sheets are prepared for each map giving all available information including: map document number; state; county; mine name; mine ID number (MSHA); company name; mine type; and both the Universal Transverse Mercator ([[Universal Transverse Mercator coordinate system|UTM]]) grid zone and the latitude and longitude of the geo-located point on the map. This information is input into the Mine Map Index System. The sorted maps are then scanned into a digital format and stored on the repository's dedicated 500 [[terabyte]] mass storage [[Disk array|array]].<ref>National Mine Map Repository [http://mmr.osmre.gov/MMR_Services.aspx "NMMR Map Acquisition"]</ref>

The NMMR utilizes different types of [[Image scanner|scanning equipment]]<ref>{{cite web|title=State-of-the-art- equipment|url=http://mmr.osmre.gov/MMR_Equip.aspx|publisher=Office of Surface Mining, National Mine Map Repository|access-date=23 November 2011}}</ref>  to facilitate archiving mine maps made available in a variety of media.

[[File:Cruse b.jpg|thumb|alt=Lady standing at kitchen-table-sized scanner|right|Cruse scanner 60x90"]]
[[File:Touchtable1.jpg|thumb|right|NMMR's TouchTable, a touch-sensitive map collaboration tool]]

*2 Cruse Table Scanners: CD 285/1100 ST/FA; CS 220 ST
**Scan area: 58x90"; 48x72"
**Black and white, 8- or 16-bit [[grayscale]], [[24-bit color|24-]], [[deep color|36-, or 48-bit color]]
**220-630 [[dots per inch|dpi]]
**File size: 1.1 [[gigabyte|GB]]
*[[TouchTable]]
**46" 1080p display
**1920 x 1080 pixel native [[Display resolution|resolution]]
**High brightness (450 [[candela per square metre|nits]])
**High contrast (800:1)
**Displays data on a touch-sensitive table surface
**Geographically separated teams can visualize and share ideas in real-time
*5 Wicks and Wilson C-Series aperture card scanners
**Up to 400 dpi
**Black and white, or grayscale
**Programmable reduction ratio
**2 scanners have ability to auto-feed
**Scan [[silver halide|silver]] or [[whiteprint|diazo]] film
*Colortrac Gx+ T56 extra-wide format scanner
**Accepts thick media (.8")
**Up to 600 dpi
**1.5"/sec scan speed
**Instant on, bi-directional [[LED]] illumination system

Small, portable aperture card scanners are shipped to state agencies as part of an extensive initiative to map underground mines.<ref>Mine Safety and Health Administration ([[Mine Safety and Health Administration|MSHA]])[http://www.msha.gov/MineMappingWorkshop/Original%20presentation%20files/05-OSM1.ppt  "Mine Mapping Workshop"]</ref>

==Map gallery==

{{Gallery
|Image:Meteor Crater, AZ.jpg
 |alt1=Meteor Crater Mine Map
 |Plan to mine Meteor Crater, AZ
|Image:koehler mine.jpg
 |alt3=Koehler Coal Mine with lava intrusions
 |Koehler Mine, Colfax Co., NM with lava inclusions
|File:Old Mine 1792.JPG
 |alt5=Section of NMMR's oldest mine
 |Section of NMMR's oldest mine, Old Mine 1792
}}

==See also==
*[[CONSOL Energy Mine Map Preservation Project]]
*[[Table of Historical Maps]]

==Notes and references==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://www.touchtable.com TouchTable.com]
*[http://mmr.osmre.gov/MultiPub.aspx NMMR indexing system]

{{ES Government}}
{{DOI agencies}}
{{Pittsburgh}}
{{Subterranea}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:United States public land law|Bureau of Land Management]]
[[Category:Bureau of Land Management|Land Management]]
[[Category:United States Department of the Interior agencies]]
[[Category:Map collections]]
[[Category:Mines in the United States]]
[[Category:History maps]]
[[Category:Government agencies established in 1969]]
[[Category:Government databases in the United States]]
[[Category:Mine safety]]
[[Category:Historic maps of the Americas]]
[[Category:Maps of the United States]]
[[Category:Organizations based in Pittsburgh| ]]
[[Category:Buildings and structures in Pittsburgh]]