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Stone Mill Road entrance
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American Limestone Company, Inc., runs the Abingdon Quarry in southwestern
Virginia. After acquiring the Quarry in 1989, American Limestone began a major cleanup of
the site. Old cars, scrap metals, old structures, etc., were removed from the site. Many
improvements were made to the plant, offices, and pug mill with an emphasis on improving
the appearance of the site since the mine was easily visible from the adjacent interstate
highway. The company also installed attractive entrance signs and landscaped around the
two mine entrances. |
| Filling and grading of a screening berm along the eastern portion of the
northern boundary of the mine began shortly after 1989. A berm approximately 1000 feet in
length was completed within a short time. The berm was seeded and trees were planted along
the property boundary in this area providing a very good screen from the adjacent highway. |
Berm screening the mine from the highway
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| There was a large sediment basin in the north-central portion of the mine
that needed to be eliminated. In addition, the planned post-mine land use of the quarry
was for commercial or industrial development. This could only be accomplished by filling
and leveling of most of the northern part of the mine site. Overburden was hauled to the
northern and central areas of the mine so that simultaneous reclamation of these areas
could be accomplished. |
Overburden filling in
former sediment basin
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| This mine has accomplished reclamation that is worthy of recognition. The
relative degree of difficulty of this reclamation work involved the added expense of
hauling the overburden a much greater distance to accomplish the filling and leveling of
the entire site versus mounding the material at a location much closer to where the
material was produced. Suitable commercial and industrial property with close access to an
interstate highway is very important for the long-term economic development of this area.
The operator has achieved reclamation of the northern portion of the mine as an integral
and simultaneous aspect of mining. |
Riprapped outslope along edge of fill area next to
Interstate 81
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