| When this mine was being opened, traditional mining
methods did not include separating the topsoil from the
other overburden. Therefore, Reynolds developed a system to
create new topsoil once the mine spoils had been replaced in
the pit and the final contour had been reached. The topsoil
was developed by placing 18 inches of a by-product known as
"brown mud." This material was a slurry by-product
of the production of alumina, which is the first step in
making aluminum metal from raw bauxite. The mud has a pH of
13, while the mine spoil was typically a pH of 3 to 4.
Mixing these two materials created three feet of an almost
neutral pH topsoil, which was essentially sterile. Reynolds
developed a method using the abundant waste litter from the
state’s large poultry industry to add the needed nutrients
and organic material to the new topsoil. |
Reynolds Metals 3-C during mining.
|
|
3-C mine after reclamation. The broad
leaf vegetation is a crop of turnips provided as forage for
the local wildlife.
|
The basic plans for the reclamation of the 3-C mine was
for development of pasture lands and wildlife habitat. In
the foreground of the "after" photograph, the
broad leaf vegetation that can be seen are turnips that were
planted to provide forage for the local wildlife. The entire
Reynolds property which the 3-C mine is a part of has been
annexed by the City of Bauxite and is under consideration as
a possible location for a new Saline County Airport. |
