Abstract: A brief introduction is given to the environmental protection standards for surface mining in the United States,and their characteristics are summarized as follows:(1)generality is merged with the specificity;(2)ecological rehabilitation in mining area is broader in connotation and covers all the disturbed lands in the region;(3)the regulatory authority may specify requirements varying from that provided in the standards in light of the specific conditions of a mining field;and(4)a sound set of matching regulations is available to guarantee implementation of the standards.On the basis of the US experience in this field,the following ideas are raised for formulating the standards for ecological protection and rehabilitation in mining activities in China:(1)every step of the mining activities that may affect the ecological environment and all the disturbed lands within the mining area should be covered;(2)as many specific conditions as possible should be taken into consideration;(3)ecological rehabilitation should be considered comprehensively;and(4)relevant regulations should be consummated so as to ensure implementation of the standards.

Key words: the United States, mining, environmental protection, standard