Alabama Surface Coal Mining Commission. Strip and cluster
plantings of selected wildlife trees and habitat provide diversity, which will be useful
to a variety of indigenous wildlife species.
Coal Combustion Products are produced from
the combustion of coal, the principal fuel source for today’s electric energy needs.
Coal Mining Reclamation. Most lands reclaimed
after coal mining are "invisible" - the land is returned to a condition matching
or improving its original use.
Pennsylvania Dept. of Environmental Protection. An abandoned
coal mine reclamation project in Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, has restored state game
lands and transformed environmental and public safety hazards into a wildlife
paradise.
Post-Mining Land Use Steve H. Dula,
President and General manager, Hobet Mining Inc., a subsidiary of Arch Coal of West
Virginia, presented a talk "A historic and operational perspective of post-mining
land use" to the Fall 2002 joint meeting of the West Virginia coal Mining Institute
and Central Appalachian Section of the Society of Mining and Metallurgical Engineers.
The talk described successful reclamation.
Reclamation and Farming. In Illinois and
other states, formerly mined lands are successfully used for farming and livestock
grazing. Often yields from reclaimed lands are higher than undisturbed land.
Reclamation in the West. Coal producers
have achieved notable success in returning mined land to productive use.
Protecting the Wildlife. Mining and
wildlife can be compatible. In North Dakota and other states, wildlife populations are
higher on reclaimed land than before the land was mined.
Surface Mining Techniques. Three coal mining
techniques are pictured: mountain top mining, coal seam blasting, and dragline.
Descriptions about how these techniques work are shown.
Antelope. With their 70-foot coal seams, mines in
the Power River Basin tend to be amazingly compact. The entire footprint of Arch
Coal’s Black Thunder Mine
A&G Coal Corporation’s Strip Mine #5 was
nominated for the Interstate Mining Compact Commission’s 2001 Reclamation
Award. Located near Clintwood, Virginia, this site shows that responsible
mining can generate property that is vastly improved over the pre-mining condition and can
be developed with a purpose in mind.
Amerikohl Mining, Inc., Leon Mine,
Pennsylvania - This company was recognized for its reclamation work on an unusually
challenging site that contained polluting discharges of acid mine drainage (AMD).
Arch Coal, Inc.’s Mingo Logan
Mine, along with Premium Energy Corp. and Pocahontas Land Corp, received West
Virginia’s top reclamation award in 2001 for transforming former mine lands into an
18-hole, championship golf course.
Arch Coal has planted nearly 1.5
million trees in the past five years on its reclaimed mine sites in West Virginia.
Arch Coal has created more than
200 acres of new wetlands in Central Appalachia.
Arctic Char uses cold, pure water from Arch
Coal's Mingo Logan mine for the only arctic char fish hatchery east of the Mississippi.
More than 100,000 of these members of the salmon family find this mine water perfect for
hatching and growing.
Argus
Energy West Virginia won a
reclamation award for haul road construction.
Arkadelphia Mine. The mine
exemplifies innovative, cost-effective mining and reclamation techniques that have made it
an outstanding example of an environmentally-responsible corporate citizen.
Babb
Creek - Signor Brothers received special recognition as a small coal
operator for excellence in reclamation. The company’s mining operation
removed 22,000 tons of coal refuse that had been used to build a railroad
bed along Babb Creek in the late 1800s.
Belle Ayr Coal Mine. Land mined since
the early 1970s is reclaimed for stock grazing. The local community helps.
Big
Brown Mine has been operated by TXU Mining Company
since 1971, and over 14,000 acres have been mined and reclaimed.
TXU has received numerous reclamation awards both locally and
nationally.
Peabody Group’s Big Sky Coal Mine
near
Colstrip, Montana, has been nominated for the 2000 Office of Surface Mining Reclamation
Excellence Award.
Black Mesa. Because of outstanding
reclamation practices at the Black Mesa and Kayenta mines in Arizona, Peabody Group was
awarded an Excellence in Reclamation Programs Award in 1998 by the U.S. Office of Surface
Mining.
The
Black Mesa/Kayenta Mine in
Arizona has received the
Office of Surface Mining’s 25th Anniversary Director’s Award for
Cultural, Historical, and Archaeological Preservation.
90% of the
employees are American Indians and the operations cover nearly 63,000
acres of Hopi and Navajo Tribal lands.
Bourg - The former surface coal mine is a
model of reclamation success in Colorado
Bradford Brothers was recognized for its
major aesthetic improvements in the regrading and restoring topsoil on more than 40 acres
of the Piney Creek abandoned refuse site.
Buffalo Coal Company was commended
reclamation of more than 107 acres of disturbed area with particular emphasis on water
quality and wildlife habitat.
Burning Star Coal Company is located near
Cutler, Illinois. The north field was mined from 1982 through 1997, with an average
production of 2,500,000 tons per year. Final stages of reclamation are currently being
completed.
Camp Underground Coal Mine mine is located near
Morganfield, KY, and operated by Peabody Coal Company. Peabody has designated this site
for a fish and wildlife habitat. Since 1995, Peabody has applied reclamation practices to
four different slurry impoundments on the mine site.
Cannelburg Coal Mining Area is located
in Cannelburg, Indiana and operated by Solar Sources, Inc. The operation is comprised of
approximately 10,000 acres including the Green Construction Craney and Nolan areas, the
Phoenix Midway area, and the Foertsch Little Sandy #8 area.
At
Captain and Denmark Coal Mines,
reclamation was aimed at recreational/wildlife use, including a mix of
farmland, lakes, wetlands, and forests. Many of the trees planted in the
1980's are now becoming mature forests.
Carbon Coal Company’s mining at
the No. 2 mine ended in 1986 and final grading
and revegetation seeding was completed in 1991.
Carbon Fuel Resources, Inc., Pennsylvania.
- The company cleaned up formerly mined land that had been used as a dump for household
trash and waste from coke operations.
Catenary Coal Company - Mountaintop
mining reclaimed to one of the finest wildlife habitats in southern West Virginia.
The company's Samples Mine
in Kanawha County, West Virginia, received an award for its contribution
to the establishment of wetlands on a reclaimed mine site.
Central Ohio Coal Company received
an award for outstanding environmental improvement during reclamation of mined land.
Chafin Branch Coal Company. Reclamation
emphasis was on wildlife habitat and control structures for future wetlands.
Circle S Coal Company reclaimed an area
with old mine pits and illegal household garbage dumps into productive hay land and
pasture.
Coal Mac Mine. The company has
conscientiously and responsibly reclaimed a mine area despite many difficulties.
Coal Run Coal Company. The Coal Run Coal Co., received the
2001 Kentucky Commissioner's Award from the Department for Surface Mining Reclamation
& Enforcement for the outstanding reclamation work.
The Colony Bay surface coal mine in Boone County, West Virginia, has been
presented with two prestigious reclamation awards.
Consolidation Coal Co. has
more than 30,000 permitted acres and the regulatory
requirement to return the land to its previous productivity.
They developed a successful
reclamation method in prime farmland conditions.
Coteau Properties Co., Freedom Mine, North Dakota. -
This large lignite mine has been recognized for its outstanding and innovative practices
in environmental protection and reclamation.
Columbia Coal. The Mine was awarded
the Interstate Mining Compact Commission’s 2000 Excellence in Mining and Reclamation
Award in the Coal Category.
Cravat Coal Company. Two old mining
areas were reclaimed creating wetlands and productive hay fields.
Dents Run Watershed shows no sign of acid
mine drainage after effective water treatment.
Diamond Shamrock Mountain Top Removal
reclamation created flat land in a state where less than 13% of the ground is level -
providing much needed airports and cattle grazing land.
The Falkirk Mine, a subsidiary of North American Coal Corporation,
provides lignite coal for steam generation at the nearby Coal Creek
Generating Station. The operation has received numerous reclamation and
safety awards.
The
Farmersburg Mine, operated by Peabody
Energy’s subsidiary Black Beauty Coal Company, located near Pimento,
Indiana, has operated since 1996 and produces more than 4 million tons of
coal annually.
Fork Creek Mining Company has been nominated
for the Interstate Mining Compact Commission’s National Reclamation Award. Coal
reserves are located in Boone, Lincoln, and Kanawha Counties in West Virginia.
The Foster Mine #2 was awarded an Honorable
Mention by the Interstate Mining Compact Commission for its
reclamation work on the former coal mine property.
G&S Coal Company, Inc., Chestnut Grove Mine, Maryland -
The company was nominated for the IMCC Reclamation Award due to its commitment to protect
and improve the environment by exceeding regulatory requirements.
George's Fork #2 The Paramont Coal
Corporation operated George's Fork #2 near Clintwood, Virginia. Mining has been completed
and all existing highwalls and outslopes have been reclaimed.
Green Mountain Company was recognized for
correcting environmental degradation at the long-abandoned Owings Mine Complex.
The Guston Run Mine is
located in Pursglove, West Virginia. Coal ash from a local power plant was
incorporated to solve the acid mine drainage problems.
Hampden Coal Company was recognized for
innovative engineering and excellence of design in converting a 30-year-old refuse
disposal site to useful purpose.
Ikerd This facility is a 1,210-acre surface
mining operation located near the community of Ano in Pulaski County, Kentucky.
Ikerd-Bandy Company received the 2001 Kentucky Commissioner’s Award from the
Department for Surface Mining Reclamation & Enforcement for excellence in reclamation
activities.
Indian
Head Coal Mine has probably received more reclamation awards than
any other single coal mine in the nation in the past 25 years.
Jacobs
Ranch Coal Mine
Reclamation at this Powder River Basin mine in Wyoming
included creation of playa wetlands, which are a valuable
vegetation and wildlife habitat.
Jamieson Construction Company, a
small family-owned coal company, has been mining in Kentucky since the early
1970’s. The Company has received multiple reclamation awards over the years and
the Long Branch site was nominated for the 2001 Interstate Mining Compact
Commission’s Coal Reclamation Award.
Kanawha
River Terminals received a reclamation award for innovative
design, efficient revegetation techniques, and effective
attention to procedure and detail.
Kempton
Mine #42 was operated by the Davis Coal and Coke Company from 1914
until 1950. The mine site was abandoned and created a pollution problem. The state of Maryland developed a project designed to restore
wetlands in the Kempton Glades and improve water quality within the Potomac. The
area was restored and an ecologically healthy wetland was constructed.
Ken Coal Peabody Coal Company successfully
established a post mining land use of fish and wildlife habitat and the site presently
supports large populations of deer, turkey, and waterfowl. The Kentucky Department of Fish
and Wildlife Resources has worked closely with Peabody on this site and more than a dozen
permanent ponds have been stocked with bass, bluegill and catfish.
Ketchup Lake, Kentucky. The lake
was named because of the deep red color caused by dissolved iron content. Cleanup is
complete and the land was given to the city of Madisonville Kentucky.
Kincely
Strip Coal Mine Operated by Three-C Mining, Inc., the Knicely Strip Mine is
located in Upshur County, West Virginia. This surface mine was started in early 1995 and
mined the Redstone and Pittsburgh coal seams.
Kingston Mining Resources was
presented with a reclamation award for the effective use of modern methodology
in the construction and maintenance of a coal refuse disposal area.
Lakewoods The Lake Woods Wildlife
Management Area (LWWMA) is located three miles southeast of Petersburg, Indiana. Coal was
mined by dragline in the former Alford Field Mine.
Larson Enterprises, Inc., Pennsylvania - Previous
underground and surface mining significantly affected the discharge of pollutants from
this site, and changed the vegetation. Today, this site has been reclaimed into one that
is deserving of recognition.
Lost Mountain Mining
Company - Job No. 6, Kentucky - The mountainous terrain, with its long narrow ridges
and steep slopes, created a challenge for the mining operation. Ultimately, the land
reclamation process resulted in a more diverse land with a variety of uses.
Catenary Coal Company
has entered into a cooperative agreement, "The
Mountainside Classroom Project", with Riverside
High School as part of the Fellowship Program between West Virginia
University and Catenary’s parent company Arch Coal, Inc.
Oakey Creek Coal Mine. Australia. This mine
used an innovative internally drained method to rehabilitate mined lands.
The O’Daniel Trucking Company disposal site #1
was nominated for the 2000 Reclamation Award from the Illinois Department of Natural
Resources, Office of Mines and Minerals. The office regulates environmental compliance at
all surface coal mining and reclamation operations in the State of Illinois
The Oxford Mining Company reclaimed
139 acres in Muskingum County, providing a large pit impoundment and two large wetland
impoundments.
Oxbow
Mine is operated by the Red River Mining Company, and is located near Choushatta
in northwestern Louisiana. Two aspects of the mine operations are worthy of special
mention: the design of a water control system, and their reclamation plan that enriches
the environmental and commercial value of the land.
Paramont Coal Corporation - Strip mines
in southwest Virginia. Reclamation eliminated public health and safety hazards and
provided economic stability for the community.
Palmer
Coking Coal Company, McKay Section 12 mine is an exemplary reclaimed
mining site in the State of Washington.
Patriot Mining Company used waste ash to
guarantee excellent post-mining water quality. The land was donated for soccer
fields.
Patriot Mining
Company
has been presented with an excellence in reclamation award for the
effective use of fluidized bed combustion ash and the installation of
limestone highwall drains in an acid sensitive mining operation.
Peabody Group’s Midwest Operations
was the first to reforest mined lands in western Kentucky, creating outdoor recreation
areas. The efforts also included restoring prime farmland.
Peabody
Energy’s innovative reclamation practices transformed a
coal-refuse pond near Marissa, Illinois, into a beautiful 300-acre
wetlands surrounded by 40,000 trees.
Pearless Eagle Coal Company recontoured
an old abandoned highwall in the final mining and regrading of two underground operations.
Pen Coal Corporation engineered, upgraded
and relocated public road and enhanced the water quality.
The
Pete Dye coal mine has been
turned into a 250-acre golf course, features a coal mine theme, and is
constructed on reclaimed mine land. In addition to its outstanding
reclamation, it is a unique course reflecting a true integration of the
game and the environment.
Operated by Coal-Mac, Inc., the
Phoenix Surface Mine No. 2 was nominated
for the Interstate Mining Compact Commission’s Excellence in
Reclamation Award in the Surface Mining Category.
Peabody Energy’s
Powder River
Coal Company subsidiary has earned a 2004 Industry Reclamation and Wildlife
Stewardship Award from the Wyoming Game and Fish Department for developing
high-quality wetland and riparian habitat.
Princess Polly Anna Coal Company
eliminated more than 700 feet of abandoned highwall, planting a diverse mixture of
hardwood trees, grasses, and legumes, as well as improving water quality.
Rainbow Gap Coal Mine is a contour and
auger mine. The company successfully fulfilled, and exceeded, the post-mining land use
requirements for the active mine as well as an abandoned mine on the property.
Red River Coal Mining Company
was especially recognized for its innovative management of groundwater
in the mining of a large flood plain area.
Red
River Coal was presented the 2005 National Excellence
in Surface Coal Mine Reclamation Award for its
Humphries Enterprises operations in Norton,
Virginia.
Red River Mining Company
was
presented the 25th Anniversary National Excellence in Surface
Coal Mine Reclamation Award.
RFI Energy has reclaimed 202 of its 212 disturbed acres. This
unusually timely reclamation has eliminated large disturbed areas and
prevented soil erosion.
Roblee
Coal was presented with an award for reclamation at the Hackers Creek
Mine for continuous and conscientious efforts to conduct underground
mining operations with a minimal environmental disturbance.
Rosebud Mine - The mine disturbs and
reclaims 350 acres per year very successfully. The area is prime grouse habitat and
extensive efforts have resulted in documented successful re-establishment of
relocation.
Rosebud Mining Company - McCollough Mine. Dangerous
highwalls, water-filled pits, illegal dumps, and eyesores have been removed at no cost to
taxpayers. The success of the reclamation is evident by how well the reclaimed areas blend
with surrounding unmined farmland.
Arch of West Virginia’s
Ruffner Mine earned the highly coveted Director’s Award for repairing environmental
scars of the past at no cost to the state of West Virginia. Ruffner eliminated
more than eight miles of abandoned rock face, and re-mined numerous coal
refuse areas left at the surface mine site by a previous operator prior to
1977.
Sandlick Coal Company - The company was
recognized for its reclamation work, its exemplary philosophy of environmental compliance,
and excellent working relationship with the landowner, their employees, and the state
inspector. Land was returned to prime grazing land after mining completed.
The
San Juan Coal Company in New
Mexico has been presented with the
Department of the Interior, Office of Surface Mining’s 2004 National
Reclamation Award, as well as the 2004 Best of the Best Award, for exemplary
reclamation successes.
The grading techniques and channel design used at the San Juan Mine have
represented the most innovative reclamation technology that has been developed
for western coal mining during the past 25 years.
Sequatchie - The Sequatchie Valley
Coal mine site, owned by Kennecott Energy Company, is a reclaimed surface coal mine. In
reclaiming the property, the company implemented a transition from traditional chemical
treatment of wastewater to exclusive use of passive treatment technology using anoxic lime
drain, oxidation basins, and constructed wetlands.
Seneca Coal Company - Over 600
acres were regraded and reseeded. It was the largest reclamation effort undertaken by the
company and restored the land to 4 times the undisturbed productivity.
Shafer Brothers
Construction was recognized for their outstanding results in preventing acid
mine drainage in an acid prone area.
The
Simmons Fork Mine site
has been presented with a reclamation award for extraordinary effort and
outstanding results in transplanting trees to the reclaimed permit area.
Solar Sources’ Sky-Point Mine is one
of the finest examples of excellence in mining, a complex
arrangement of ownerships and land use types. Reclamation at
Sky Point Mine was an integral part of the entire
mining process.
A
new solar energy park
in Saarland, Germany was built at the
former Göttelborn coal mine facility. The reclaimed mine site will be
the largest photovoltaic plant in the world.
A joint venture by Peabody Energy Co. and Alcoa Inc.,
Squaw Creek Coal Company’s Squaw Creek Mine has been awarded the
Office of Surface Mining’s National Reclamation Award.
Straight Creek - The Straight Creek
Coal Company receive the 2001 Kentucky Commissioner’s Award from the Department for
Surface Mining Reclamation & Enforcement for the outstanding reclamation work
Stone Mining Company reclaimed the mine
site to a recreational lake which now contains a wide variety of fish.
Sugarite
Canyon Coal Mine Reclamation Project was awarded the People’s
Choice Award for exemplary reclamation. The
project was also awarded the OSM Western Regional Reclamation Award.
The
Sunshine Mine Project
reclaimed by Indiana Department of Natural Resources received the Office of Surface Mining, Reclamation & Enforcement presented the
2002, 25th Anniversary, National Reclamation Award for exemplary
reclamation. The
project was also awarded the OSM Mid-Continent Regional Reclamation Award.
Overburden removal at the Tatum
Lignite Mine, located in Beckville, Texas, provided a unique
opportunity for the development of water features in the reclamation.
Taylor
Creek Impoundment - AML Site. Located in Central West Virginia, this
90-acre Clay County site was originally part of a massive abandoned coal
preparation and waste disposal facility that ceased operation in the
1950s.
Texas Utilities Company Thermo Coal Mine
-
Multiple seam coal mine adjacent to Rock Creek. Surface water was rerouted, adding 144
surface acres of high quality water resources to the area.
Texas Utilities Wins Top OSM (Office of
Surface Mining) Award for outstanding land reclamation activities at the Big Brown
Mine in Fairfield Texas.
Thundercat Energy
received the 2001 Kentucky Commissioner’s Award from the Department for Surface
Mining Reclamation & Enforcement for the outstanding reclamation work.
Trapper Mining State Award
- Long term reclamation
program provides prime wildlife conditions. The Trapper Mine
received a National Award. They were named the
nation's third-best mine reclamation in the past 25 years.
TXU Monticello Winfield Coal Mine - More than
300 acres are mined and reclaimed annually. The mine is a topsoil-substitution operation
with a reclamation strategy primarily of mixed pastureland, developed water resources, and
forested wetlands for wildlife.
TXU's Martin Lake and Oak Hill coal
mines in Texas are topsoil substitution operations with a reclamation strategy primarily
of wooded areas for fish and wildlife habitat, mixed pasture land, and developed water
resources. Martin Lake has reclaimed 5, 091 acres and Oak Hill has reclaimed 578 acres.
TXU
Restoring the Woodland Project. Since
1975, over 20 million trees have been planted on approximately 50,000
acres.
Twisted Gun Golf Course Arch Coal's
reclamation site has been named among the nation's best. The Mingo Logan Low Gap surface
coal mine was transformed into a world-class 18-hole golf course for public use.
Operated
by Peabody Coal Company and located in Vigo County, Indiana, the
former Universal Mine received the Office of Surface Mining’s
Excellence in Mining & Reclamation National Award.
Victory
Mine - AML. The Victory site was an
underground coal mining operation which closed in 1954. Reclamation has eliminated the hazard presented by the open slope
entry and overall site reclamation has eliminated any significant
sedimentation and drainage problems into Honey Creek.
Virginia Energy Company
The company
has demonstrated that previously mined land can be re-mined, the environment
improved, and usable land created while also creating jobs in the community.
Vigo Coal Company, Discovery #2, Indiana - The mining
methods used aided in the complete and effective reclamation of the mine site. Today, the
land has a variety of uses and unique characteristics.
Whymore Coal Company is a surface and
contour mining operation. In accordance with the landowner’s wishes, the site is
being reclaimed to a post-mining land use of hay land and pasture.
Will Scarlet Mine had been used
for farming, which was difficult due to frequent flooding. Peabody returned the area to a
lush ecological blend of cropland, pasture, planned forests, fish and wildlife areas, and
wetlands.
Wylo Coal Mine paid extraordinary attention
to detail in the cleanup of Cartwright Branch, site of abandoned underground mine openings
and coarse refuse disposal
