Industrial Minerals Reclamation Success Stories | Mineral Information Institute

Clay Minerals, Limestone, Aggregates, Sand and Gravel, Other Industrial Minerals

Clay Minerals

Continental Brick paid extraordinary attention to detail in the mining of clay and shale and utilizing the mined area for productive future use.

Carved out of an old clay quarry, Fossil Trace Golf Club is a beautiful new course at the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. Owned and operated by the City of Golden, Colorado, the course has already garnered numerous awards for design.

Harbison-Walker Refractories Co., Sanders Fireclay Mine, Kentucky. - This mine is an excellent example of how successful reclamation can minimize environmental impacts by combining good reclamation with cautious extraction activity.

Scott-Garrett Mine, South Carolina - This site has been called one of the finest examples of reclamation in the state. Lush vegetation covers the entire site. Year round maintenance is required to prevent erosion and ensure the continual vegetative state. Vegetation on this reclaimed land provides food for wildlife including Canadian geese, turkey, and deer.

Wyo Ben Inc. goes the "extra mile" to reclaim mined land for fish and wildlife habitat. Wyo Ben has been mining bentonite in the Big Horn Basin for over 40 years. They have continually been leaders in reclamation practices.

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Limestone

American Limestone Company, Inc., runs the Abington 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.

Blackwater River Limestone Drum Station - This source of acid mine drainage was cleaned up and is one of West Virginia's best reclamation success stories. Water quality changed dramatically, turning a formerly dead river into a high quality trout fishery.

Carter City Limestone Quarry is owned by Mountain Materials, L.L.C. Overburden and topsoil are being redistributed over mined-out areas as part of the on-going reclamation plan.

The Cave Run Stone Quarry is actively mining limestone formations near West Liberty, Kentucky. They have an excellent compliance record at the operation; they have never been cited for any violations of Kentucky's Surface Mining Regulations

Colorado Lien Company - Owl Canyon. In the early 1990’s the Colorado Lien Company team embarked on an aggressive effort to improve their impact on the environment to minimize pollution and waste.

Columbia Quarry Co. Waterloo Plant. - Reclamation work is performed concurrently with mining operations in order to return affected land to a productive post-mining use more quickly. Revegetation is done using a hydro-seeding method.

Crooked Run operation was nominated for the Interstate Mining Compact Commission 2005 Reclamation Award in the Non-Coal Category

Butchart Gardens. A productive limestone quarry was turned into spectacular gardens with meandering paths, expansive lawns and floral finery.

The Fox River Stone Company in South Elgin, Illinois, is a fully reclaimed area that functions as an entrance and showroom for the active limestone quarry directly behind it. The surrounding area is a rapidly developing residential community.

Marblehead Quarry, located in Marblehead, Ohio, produces approximately 4,000,000 tons of crushed limestone per year. The rare Lakeside Daisy is currently known to exist at only two natural sites in the United States: the Marblehead Quarry, and in Mackinac County, Michigan.

Martin Marietta - New Bern Quarry. The New Bern Quarry has been reclaimed to meet and exceed the requirements in the North Carolina Mining Act of 1971. Many areas have been sloped much flatter than required.

Rudersdorf. This limestone quarry near Berlin Germany has been turned into a recreation lake. The water is free from pollutants and biologically uncontaminated.

Tarmac Quarry. This nature reserve in Lancashire UK was once a productive limestone quarry and now classed as an Area of Outstanding Beauty.

Walker Company, Kentucky. - The Walker Company of Kentucky has made continual efforts and commitments to the reclamation of the Menifee Stone site. The site serves as an excellent example of how quality limestone can be obtained in an environmentally sound manner.

Operated by the Holmes Limestone Company, the Walnut Creek Mine is located in Holmes County, Ohio. The post-mining land use is pasture and cropland, with hay as the final crop.

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Aggregates, Sand and Gravel

This is a selection of pictures from the reclamation of several sand and gravel operations around the country. The pictures show how the quarried and mined land was returned to recreational, office parks and other human use as well as conversions to wetlands. Examples are shown for post-mining uses:

Recreation Resorts

Office Parks Golf courses

Housing Wetlands

474 Sand Mine owned by Rinker Materials and located in Clermont, Florida, has been presented with the National Stone, Sand and Gravel Association's Gold Environmental Eagle Award. More than 1,000 students have participated in educational programs at the 474 Sand Mine.

Aggregate Companies Ongoing Wildlife Enhancement. Many companies spend hundreds of thousands of dollars every year improving wildlife habitat. These are a few examples.

Aggregate Industries is proud of their long-standing commitment to the environment and has recently been honored with several prestigious awards that exemplify this commitment.

Anderson Creek Granite Quarry was honored with 2004 Overall Winner and Best Reclamation – Quarry awards from the Virginia Aggregates Association and the Virginia Department of Mineral Mines.

Reclaimed Aggregate pits or quarries have been converted to industrial and commercial properties, office parks, golf courses, parks and recreation areas, stormwater management, farmland, and landfills.

Ashmore Brothers is a paving business located in the upstate of South Carolina. The Highway #418 Sand Mine supplied river sand for their asphalt operation from 1990 to 1997. river sand was pumped from a dredge in the Enoree River to a screening plant on a leased 5-acre tract of land.

Beckman Quarry and two other Martin Marietta facilities from the San Antonio district were recognized for their commitment to environmental excellence.

Brigham City Facility received the Environmental Eagle Award. For over 50 years, Staker & Parson Companies has helped build Utah with the best rock products, concrete, asphalt, paving, and construction services available.

Cabarrus Quarry in North Carolina, operated by Vulcan Materials Company, was awarded the National Stone Sand and Gravel Association's 2004 Gold Environmental Eagle Award. A volunteer wildlife team at Cabarrus Quarry manages over 150 acres of the 312-acre site for wildlife habitat.

Casey Quarry in Illinois, operated by Vulcan Materials Company, was awarded the National Stone Sand and Gravel Association’s 2004 Silver Environmental Eagle Award. Vulcan restored a sizeable portion of the land to its natural state through a process it calls “concurrent mining.”

Chaney Enterprises. The Mardis site on the banks of the Patuxent River in southern Anne Arundel County, Maryland, was reclaimed as a world-class replica golf course, known as Renditions Golf Grand Slam Experience.

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Cherokee Quarry is involved in the Adopt-a-School program with Cherokee Elementary. Products produced at the quarry include agricultural lime, asphalt aggregate, chemical stone, concrete aggregate, and manufactured sand.

Cherry Valley Sand and Gravel Corporation was awarded the Interstate Mining Compact Commission's Reclamation Award in the Non-Coal Category. The mine was reclaimed to a beautiful recreational area with bike paths and a lake.

Conco Quarries, Inc. works hard to stay in compliance with all environmental laws, but it is committed to go above and beyond what is demanded by law.

Copeland Sand and Gravel, Oregon mind in the Applegate River for 30 years. They found a way to continue to extract gravel that would not be detrimental to fish and wildlife and would not impact water quality.

Dousman Vulcan Materials Company has successfully established a Certified Wildlife Habitat (through the Wildlife Habitat Council) adjacent to the active Dousman Sand and Gravel facility in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin. The site consists of 32 acres of diverse habitat, which was a previously mined area.

The Dousman Plant in Wisconsin was awarded the National Stone Sand and Gravel Association’s 2004 Gold Environmental Eagle Award.

The Downington Quarry in Pennsylvania was awarded the National Stone Sand and Gravel Association’s 2004 Gold Environmental Eagle Award. The award is a recognition for a superior understanding and implementation of increasingly complex environmental compliance requirements.

E.L. Gardner, Inc., Maryland. - A park was developed for the use and enjoyment of the community. Ball fields, a picnic pavilion, and walking trail are some of the park's amenities that the community is now able to use and enjoy.

The Francesville Quarry operated by Vulcan Materials Company in Indiana was awarded the National Stone Sand and Gravel Association's 2003 Silver Environmental Eagle Award.

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Galster Sand and Gravel Pit is approximately 36 acres, 20 feet deep, and was excavated for gravel above and below the water table. Kinsella instituted procedures to protect the environment surrounding the pit, stockpiled topsoil to allow for re-vegetation of all disturbed areas, and created a lake from the exposed aquifer.

Glacier Northwest. The White River Quarry, an aggregate mine originally developed in the 1930s, underwent a massive makeover to comply with current environmental standards.

Glencoe Quarry is the recipient of the NSSGA Showplace Award. Products produced at the quarry include asphalt aggregate, and concrete aggregate.

Graham Quarry. Employees and community members help manage over 150 acres of the 450-acre Graham VA II Quarry for wildlife habitat from monitoring nest boxes, planting butterfly and hummingbird gardens as well as planting over 2,000 native trees.

Grove Stone and Sand Quarry. Hedrick Industries has been recognized by the Western North Carolina Regional Air Quality Agency for their outstanding efforts to improve air quality in the region. Grove Stone and Sand Quarry has also constructed a nature trail, planted plots of clover and rye to attract deer and wild turkeys and converted an old landfill into a butterfly garden.

Hanson Aggregates - Pulaski Quarry. The Pulaski Quarry's reclamation program has helped the environment and enhanced wildlife habitat.

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Hanson Fossil Park - An old cement quarry exposed locally famous fossils. Hanson Aggregates converted the quarry into a park so the public could have safe access to this very interesting site.

Hendersonville Quarry in North Carolina was awarded the National Stone Sand and Gravel Association's 2003 Silver Environmental Eagle Award. The Hendersonville Quarry is a certified Wildlife Habitat Council site.

Hunter Darden III, Mine #1, Virginia. - The land use planning and reclamation efforts were voluntary and far exceeded the requirements of Virginia's mining reclamation law. The efforts and completed works were due to the landowner's interest in wildlife. He established wildlife food plots, stocked the ponds with fish, installed game shelters, and planted fruit trees.

The Kilby Road Plant received the Ohio Dept. of Natural Resources 2004 Industrial Minerals Mining Reclamation Award and an honorable mention from the Interstate Mining Compact Commission.

LaFarge Aggregates, UK. Companies like Lafarge Aggregates have over many decades developed and applied techniques to ensure that sites are carefully selected, designed and restored, in many cases creating habitats that support rare species.

Lake County Grading of Libertyville, Inc. - The reclamation practices at the site restored the land to its natural state in addition to providing an open space area for the community of Lake County, Illinois, to use and enjoy.

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Lake Norman Quarry was awarded the National Stone Sand and Gravel Association's 2004 Silver Environmental Eagle Award.

Lawrenceville Quarry is an excellent example of the conscientious use of environmental control and concurrent reclamation to minimize the impacts of mining on its surroundings. Located in Brunswick County, Virginia, the facility is one of the State's eastern most quarries.

Lawrenceville Plant is a Wildlife Habitat Council certified site. It encompasses 662 acres, of which approximately 43 acres are currently dedicated to habitat enhancements for the benefit of local wildlife.

Luck Stone Corp. Boscobel Plant. - Corporate policy at Luck Stone emphasizes environmental stewardship and maintaining good relations with regulatory agencies.

Luck Stone, King William Sand & Gravel - received “Honorable Mention” in VTCA's award reclamations program, Best Reclamation-Quarry.

Manassas Quarry employees continue to dedicate their time and efforts to improving and creating new wildlife habitat programs.

Manitoulin Quarry represents the Wildlife Habitat Council’s first “Corporate Campaign for Migratory Bird Conservation” project beyond the borders of the United States. This site consists of almost 5,000 acres of strategically located migratory bird habitat.

Martin Marietta - Franklin Sand and Gravel. From the very beginning, Franklin has operated in a conscientious manner, displaying both innovation and forethought.

The Mercer Stone Quarry has been presented with an award for reclamation for outstanding and long term commitment to minimizing environmental disturbance, while maximizing aesthetic improvements to its areas of operation.

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Milton Quarry, in Ontario, received the 2003 Stars of Excellence for Highest Achievement award from the National Stone Sand and Gravel Association (NSSGA). The rehabilitation design promotes a diversity of habitats with many plant and animal communities.

Oklahoma Partnership - Abandoned Mine Lands reclamation project fixed an unsave steep, narrow road between two highwalls. 40-foot highwalls with water-filled pits on either side of the road were filled in.

Porter's Concrete Service. Revegetation methods include research and experiments with soil chemistry and plant species. The post-reclamation land uses at both mines provide substantial economic value.

The Presque Isle Quarry consists of more than 5,000 acres of bays, estuaries and isolated wetlands surrounded by mixed hardwoods and grasslands.

RMC Aggregates Bush Farm Site. The site has been fully restored to agriculture. Their agricultural restoration techniques have been introduced more widely into industry practice.

Rockingham Quarry employees partnered with local scout troops to help with installing and monitoring boxes on-site. Currently, there are twelve bluebird boxes, six bat houses and eight wood duck boxes located throughout the property.

The Royal Stone Quarry is comprised of 142 acres with 16 acres available for wildlife management. There are three ponds on-site as well as open fields, streams, mowed lawns and a forested area.

The Shalersville environmental restoration and residential development project has created lakes to collect surface run-off and trap suspended solids to protect water quality in the Cuyahoga River.

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The Skippers Quarry mine has been presented with numerous awards such as the NSSGA Showplace Award, and the award for Outstanding achievement. The company sponsors many community organizations.

Southern Tier Stone Products won the 2003 New York State Mined Land Reclamation Award for reclamation of a mine. The site had been orphaned, and there was no viable operator to complete reclamation. Southern Tier took over the mine in 1996 and subsequently developed a plan to restore the site.

South Weber Facility operated by Staker and Parson Companies' in Utah was awarded the National Stone Sand and Gravel Association's 2004 Silver Environmental Eagle Award.

Versailles Quarry. The crew strive to be good stewards of the environment as they carry out day-to-day operations at the plant.

Vulcan Morongo Project reclamation focused on environmental and tribal concerns, using the best available revegetation techniques for native habitat restoration, and returning the land to a productive and viable secondary use.

Vulcan River Rock received national recognition for their outstanding contributions to wildlife habitat conservation at the Wildlife Habitat Council's 14th Annual Symposium, “Investing in Biodiversity.” They also received the Environmental Eagle Gold Award from the National Stone, Sand and Gravel Association

Watson Gravel, Inc. - Reclamation of the sand and gravel pits produced 62 acres of productive farmland that was previously unusable.

Wrentham Quarry. The environment plays a large role in Aggregate Industries’ US operations and recently it has been given an even higher priority.

York Building Products, Perryville Plant. - This Maryland mine has seen mining activity since 1725 and is an important historic ironmaking site. The recently mined area plus two acres of abandoned mines were successfully reclaimed.

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Other Industrial Minerals

Continental Brick Company. A popular misconception is that the quarrying process destroys the land use after mining. The Continental Brick operations are proof that the land can be put to a productive use after mining has ceased and reclamation has been completed.

The Colorado Mined Land Reclamation Board has presented the 2005 Special Recognition for Preservation of Historical Mining Resources to the Leadville Mineral Belt Trail.

Pioneer Mid-Atlantic, Inc. operates a crushed stone quarry with utmost attention to safety, appearance, and stability.

Rio Tinto Borax operates California’s largest open pit mine in Boron, California – one of the richest borate deposits on the planet. Borax’s objective is to maximize efficient utilization of resources while minimizing environmental impacts of its operation.

The Ted McGee Mica Mine owned by Zemex Industrial Minerals Corporation, is located in Micaville, North Carolina. Active excavation of mica at the mine ceased in mid-2000

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