Diamond Shamrock, along with Ashland Coal, Cannelton Industries, and other Appalachian coal mining companies, has been in the forefront of a process known as mountaintop removal. This method is used if a coal seam lies close to the top of a mountain. The mountain ridge top is removed to gain access to the coal, and the over-burden is used to fill an adjoining hollow. The result is a stretch of flat land in a state where less than 13 percent of the ground is level. In creating these large areas of flat land, Diamond Shamrock has made possible the construction of two county airports, and provided valuable grazing land for cattle
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In 1972, Diamond Shamrock tried a new approach to reclaiming one of its surface mines in Kentucky. The result, three years later, was a bountiful harvest of red and white grapes sent to a nearby winery, where they were pressed and transformed into a fine quality wine.
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 Former surface mine site transformed into a vineyard. |
The success of Diamond Shamrock’s experiment showed that reclamation is limited only by the imagination and enthusiasm of the company’s reclamation and environmental experts. The loose shale and other overburden left after mining proved to be an excellent growth medium for grapes. The yields were comparable to other commercial vineyards in the area. The original vineyard, now being re-mined for deeper coal seams, is being replaced by a new vineyard on another mine site.