Mine and Reclamation

7/31/2019 Mine and Reclamation

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MINE RECLAMATION

http://www.mii.org/recl.html


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MINE RECLAMATION

Pictured is an Eastern Kentucky mountain topmining site. With the use of large equipment, thismining operation is removing the entire tops of themountains, not just small strips around the edge.

Although much greater surface disturbance occursduring the mining operation, all water runoff fromthe mine is directed into sedimentation that

prevents off-site pollution. As the mining iscompleted at this operation, it is being reclaimed tofarm land.This Wyoming coal mine is one of the largestproducing coal mines in the United States. Becausethe coal seam is 80- to 100-feet thick, there is a

very small area of disturbance compared to a largevolume of coal extracted. This photo shows the coalseam being blasted to break it up for loading. Coalis transported by train to electric generating plantsor sea ports for shipping to other parts of the world.

Mountain Top Mining

Coal Seam Blasting


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MINE RECLAMATION

During Mining

After Reclamation

Mining inevitably disturbs land. Modern minesreclaim the surface during and after mining iscompleted, returning the land to usefulpurposes. Following is information about a few of the many mined land reclamation success stories.Note the differences in the pictures between howthe land looks during mining and how the reclaimedareas look after mining. The reclaimed mine landsare often more attractive to wildlife and human usesthan before mining started.


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MINE RECLAMATION

Arch Mineral Corp.s 9,000 -acre farm and agricultural lab at active mine site includes livestock.

The precedent for successful farming on surface-mined land was well established long beforeCongress mandated reclamation. In Indiana, Illinois,Pennsylvania, and Ohio, several extensive spreadsof grain, row crops, and livestock are operating onland that once was a home to draglines, the hugemachines used to remove soil at surface coal

mines. The success of these operations was theresult of careful tilling, planting, fertilizing, andirrigating. The same practices apply to todaysoperations, coupled with the more specificrequirements of the federal law. If farmland is to bemined, the coal company must prove that theproductivity of the land will be restored.


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MINE RECLAMATION

When prime farmland is mined, the law requiresthat all topsoil and the first layer of subsoil bereplaced once mining is completed. When miningbegins, the topsoil is removed with mechanicalshovels and stockpiled for future use. Then theremaining overburden (the dirt and rock above thecoal seam) is removed and stored in another place.

Once the coal has been removed from its seam andhauled away, the intermediary layer of overburdenis returned to the pit and is graded to approximatethe lands pre -mining contour. The topsoil isreplaced last, providing the growing medium for thevegetation that will then be planted. Because water is a major concern in areas to be reclaimed,applicants for mining permits must include detailedhydrological data collected over a one-year periodshowing that the quantity and quality of surface andsubsurface waters will not be permanently affectedin an adverse manner.


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MINE RECLAMATION

Arch Mineral Corp. reclaimed land while mining continues just beyond the field.

Where coal is removed by underground rather thansurface mining, the law contains strict provisionsregarding subsidence (a lowering of the surface). Inpartial extraction mining, the law requires that coalpillars be left in place to support the surface. In fullextraction mining, the operator is required to submita detailed subsidence control plan.

Farms on mined land have been shown to yieldcorn, wheat, rye, and other crops in amounts equalto or greater than neighboring non-mined farms.

Many reclaimed coal mine sites

have been turned into successful agricultural areas.


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Coal Combustion Products (CCPs) are producedfrom the combustion of coal, the principal fuelsource for todays electric energy needs. The four basic types of coal are anthracite, bituminous,subbituminous and lignite. Coal ash is produced inelectric power plants by the burning of coal in steamboiler furnaces. The furnace is equipped for

continuous combustion and the coal is injected intothe furnace where combustion takes place. Thecoal ash, or non-combustible portion of the coal, iscollected from the bottom of the boiler or exits theboiler in the flue gas stream to be captured usingdust collection devices. These residue productsinclude fly ash, bottom ash, boiler slag, and other clean-coal combustion materials.

Fly ash has a powdery appearance and fine texture. It feels very much like talcum powder

MINE RECLAMATION


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Fly ash for use in portland cement concreterepresents the largest usage for CCPs. One of thefirst large-volume use of CCPs was by the U.S.

Army Corps of Engineers in construction of theHungry Horse Dam near Glacier National Park inMontana in the late 1940s. The Federal Aviation

Administration has created standards which provide

for fly ash use in concrete for airport runways andrelated facilities. The addition of coal fly ashproduces concrete with improved strength anddurability.Other applications include road base, snow and icecontrol, structural fill, waste stabilization, blasting

grit, filler in plastics, paints and metals, absorbing oilspills, roofing granules, wallboard manufacture, andmaterial for plant growth media.

Fly ash concrete supported tower cranes on the grounds of the U.S. Capitol building during bicentennial renovations.

MINE RECLAMATION


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Direct application of fly ash can aid in thesuccessful establishment of vegetation as partof a reclamation program. Addition of fly ashto surface soils improves the physicalcharacteristics of the soil, with the finematerial creating a better graded soil texture.This change improves the water holding

capacity of the soil and better supportsvegetation. Fly ash also provides nutrientsand neutralizes acidity. Fly ash typically isadded at rates up to four hundred tons per acre to mine spoils as part of revegetationprograms.

Fly ash concrete supported tower cranes on the grounds of the U.S. Capitol building during bicentennial renovations.

MINE RECLAMATION


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Before a company can begin extracting coal, amultitude of government permits federal, stateand local are required. The process of obtainingthese permits is time-consuming and costly,requiring painstaking analyses of the mining site.Once all the necessary information is compiled aprocess that can take three years or longer the

coal company files for a permit application. The lawrequires that a period of time then be allowed for public review and comment so that citizen concernsare adequately addressed. Additionally, a coaloperator must post a performance bond sufficient tocover the cost of restoring the site to assurereclamation (ranging as high as $10,000 per acre).This must be done before a permit can be granted.The bond is not finally released until the finalrevegetation of the site has been determined to besuccessful this time period could be up to tenyears following reclamation.

Hydroseeding is often used to help restore mined areas to their original or better condition

MINE RECLAMATION


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Maintaining wildlife is a special concern on land thatis surface mined, and it has been demonstrated thatmining and wildlife can be compatible. Mined areascan be reshaped in many ways to provide andenhance windbreaks, food, water, and suitablehabitats for wildlife.

In North Dakota, studies show that the population of song birds, game birds, mule deer, rabbits andfoxes are higher than they were before the land wasmined and subsequently reclaimed. Deer andantelope thrive alongside mine operations inWyoming, and in response to encouragement bythe State Game and Fish Department, a number of operators have begun to allow archery hunting in aneffort to thin the herds. When large scale miningbegan in the area the Department was concernedabout possible reductions in wildlife population, butthe current realization is that the mines actuallyprovide refuge environments in which

overpopulation can become a problem.

MINE RECLAMATION


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The Dents Run watershed is a 14.6-square-mile area located in the rolling hills which dotthe heart of West Virginia coal country near Morgantown. Today, Dents Run and itstributaries show no sign of acid mine drainagethat once gave the streams a reddish-orangecast. Nor is there any hint that the hills once

bore the deep scars of surface mining.More than 400 acres of barren land have beenreclaimed, leaving a rich green cover of vegetation and clear streams reflecting thebeauty of the restored surroundings. DentsRuns comeback is the result of teamwork

between Consolidation Coal Co. (Consol

), theWest Virginia Department of NaturalResources, and the Environmental Protection

Agency.

MINE RECLAMATION

Watershed before reclamation; heavily affected by acid mine drainage.

Dramatic recovery due to a water treatment program instituted by Consol


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Consol initiated the restoration efforts, financed initial feasibilitystudies, and spent more than one million dollars to build new water treatment facilities so its active mining operations would not contributeto water pollution. The WV Department of Natural Resources launchedan effort to end the drainage from 28 orphan surface mines and long-abandoned coal mining refuse piles, and to transform the piles intograssy knolls, providing forage and cover for wildlife.

Dents Run is a fine example of how private coal companies areworking hand in hand with government agencies to correct pastenvironmental failures, and to maintain a commitment toenvironmental quality for the future. To make sure pollution doesnthappen in the future, two strict federal laws, The Clean Water Act andthe Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act, require stringent

water quality protection.Company hydrologists begin their studies in the pre-mining stage,when streams, rivers and aquifers in the mining area are sampled for quality and quantity. Their job continues in careful monitoring of thewater throughout the entire mining cycle. As in the case of Dents Run,water quality control is a costly and time-consuming effort. It is alsoone that yields enormous benefits in preserving and restoring our precious waters.

MINE RECLAMATION


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MINE RECLAMATION

SETTLING POND

Sediment carried by rainfall is one of the greatestpotential environmental hazards of surface mining.Surface water flowing off disturbed areas of themine must be routed through sediment ponds. The

ponds are designed to slow the flow of water.


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MINE RECLAMATION

RIPRAP

One of the most commonly used erosion controlpractices found in mine reclamation, highwayconstruction, and throughout the constructionindustry is rock riprap.

Here at this Southern Indiana reclaimed mine siteriprap is used in the emergency overflow of apermanent pond. If high rainfall occurs and morewater flows into the pond than the drain can handle,the excess will flow safely over the riprap withoutcausing erosion.

This rock lining of the drainage channel slows theflowing water and prevents erosion of the soil under the rock.


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MINE RECLAMATION

JUT MATTING

At this North Dakota mine reclamation site, anatural drainage swale is lined with a jute mat toprevent erosion until the grass becomesestablished. This is an erosion control practice that

has been used successfully for many years onfarms all across the country and is now commonlyused in mine reclamation.This is a short-term erosion control practice that is asafeguard in areas prone to flash flooding or whereit takes a long time to establish a dense grasscover. The matting is placed over the preparedseedbed and "stapled" to the ground to prevent itfrom washing down the slope. The mat holds thesoil in place and provides cover for the new grassseedlings as they become established.


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MINE RECLAMATION

CONCRETE DRAINAGE CHANNEL

At this reclaimed abandoned mine project, water flows continuously down the channel to a stream atthe bottom of the hill. Because the continuous flowof water and steep grade would damage a less

resistant erosion control practice, a specialized matwas set in the graded channel and filled withconcrete.When the concrete dried it formed a permanentchannel for the water to flow. Although moreexpensive than a grass or riprap water way, thispractice provides long-term erosion control for thefast moving water that drains off this reclaimed land.


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MINE RECLAMATION

ROCK-LINED DRAIN

Large rock-lined drains have become one of themost commonly used methods of channeling water down steep hillsides at mine sites. Here on thisKentucky mine reclamation site, the operator has

carefully set flat rock on the bottom and sides of thewater channel. As one mine inspector said "if rock drains at allmines were constructed like these we wouldeliminate almost all chance of erosion occurringwhere collected water was drained from thereclamation site."This rock-lined drain carries water down the steephill and into a pond at the bottom. Its wide (7- to 8-foot) flat bottom can carry large flows of water andwill continue to function many years after thereclamation bond has been released.


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MINE RECLAMATION

EROSION CONTROL STRUCTURES

To prevent soil erosion during periods of heavyrainfall and high stream flow, two concretestructures are constructed.The concrete structures allow rapidly flowing water

to drop in elevation without causing erosion of thecreek bed. At the bottom of the structure concreteblocks are constructed to slow the flow of water anddissipate the force of the water.These structures provide a permanent solution toerosion control of the stream bed and provide a

stable hydrologic environment that will remain for many years.


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MINE RECLAMATION

MINE SITE TODAY

Today, after reclamation, the stream channel in thisrural Texas landscape remains functional,aesthetically pleasing, and an important part of thenatural environment.

The successful mine reclamation has resulted in aproductive environment that is difficult to distinguishfrom the surrounding unmined landscape.


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MINE RECLAMATION

New Residential Areas

Condominiums constructed on sand and overburden fill in a sand and gravel pit along the White River in Indiana

A partments and condominiums constructed around a quarry inOhio. The residential development preserved the character of therock formations and also provided waterfront sites for homedevelopment


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MINE RECLAMATION

Housing development built around a series of lakes created by asand and gravel mining operation in Michigan. The mining company and developer worked together to landscape and provide special terrain features for the individual lots

The Mystic Bay condominium project in Indiana is built on a 60-acresand and gravel site. The shoreline is shaped to provide access tothe gravel pit lake


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MINE RECLAMATION

The specially contoured and landscaped berm screens a sand and gravel mining area on the right from a residential area on the left.The mining operation is located 150 feet from the road

A "sunken" processing plant with earth berms screening the mining operation and effectively controlling noise levels

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Mine and Reclamation