RECLAMATION SUCCESS

Straddling the Maryland and West Virginia border, the Kempton Mine #42 was operated by the Davis Coal and Coke Company from 1914 until 1950. Following closure, the mine site and the company town were abandoned. Many of the surface support structures were left in a state of disrepair and collapse.  The Office of Surface Mining, Reclamation & Enforcement presented the 2002 Appalachian Region Reclamation Award to the Maryland Department of the Environment, Abandoned Mine Land Section, for exemplary reclamation on the Kempton Coal Waste Stabilization and Dozer Installation Project.

In addition to abandoned structures, coal refuse had been dumped within the channel and floodplain of the North Branch of the Potomac, clogging the river with eroding and acidic sediment. Acid mine drainage emanated from the 12.2 square-mile mine complex.  The state of Maryland developed a project designed to restore wetlands in the Kempton Glades and improve water quality within the Potomac.  The project included removal of the abandoned coal refuse material and re-establishing the wetlands utilizing selected grass species and native grasses to promote a fast recovery.  A water powered dosing system was installed adjacent to the air shaft/borehole discharge.  This doser functions as the primary treatment system for the AMD discharge.  Over 160,000 cubic yards of coal refuse was excavated and graded.  26,000 cubic yards of topsoil were salvaged and spread over the area.  A surface water diversion channel was constructed, and 5.2 acres of wetland were restored.

 
Before Reclamation

After Reclamation 

The removal of the coal refuse from the wetland restored the natural floodplain and eliminated sedimentation and acid runoff from impacting the North Branch Potomac River and the Kempton Glades.  The restored wetland was lightly planted with annual grass species to allow natural migration of native plants into the disturbed area. The restored and ecologically healthy wetland has become an appropriate beginning for the long and historical journey down the Potomac River, through our Nation’s Capitol, and into the Chesapeake Bay.