Contour Mining and Reclamation: Under the Surface Mining Law
This is a typical view of an active contour mining and reclamation operation under the Surface Mining Law. If you compare this view with (page 6) contour mining before the Surface Mining Law was passed, you will better understand the dramatic improvement the Law has made Click on the red numbers for a description of what is happening, or here for an 8 1/2" x 11" higher resolution copy of the illustration that you can print on a laser printer and color.
Key
Contour Mining and Reclamation
under the Surface Mining Law
1. Trees on areas which will be disturbed by the mining are being cut and branches chipped for mulch.
2. A bulldozer creates a runoff diversion along the upper edge of the proposed highwall. This will keep water runoff from draining across the mine and causing erosion.
3. Water collected above the highwall will be directed across the mine to prevent excess water in the pit and erosion of disturbed areas.
4. Sedimentation ponds have been installed at all points where drainage leaves the permit area. This prevents water pollution from leaving the mine site and damaging downstream rivers.
5. Only three levels of the valley fill are completed. More fill will be placed on this disposal site as mining proceeds. Spoil material placed in this fill is not required to achieve reclamation of the approximate original contour of the land.
6. Topsoil is removed by a bulldozer. This dozer has also removed tree stumps to make topsoil removal possible and is pushing soil down where it is being loaded and hauled by a scraper. Often in steep terrain topsoil is thin and must be supplemented with subsoil material.
7. A drilling rig bores blast holes in preparation for blasting rock overburden. A pre-blast survey was performed to ensure any damage caused to nearby houses will be repaired by the mine operator. The blasting is done only during the day and does not cast flyrock off the mine site.
8. Any damage to the farmers water supply will be replaced by the mine operator. Here the spring destroyed by the mining was replaced by a deep well provided by the mine operator.
9. A bulldozer is pushing overburden where it is loaded and hauled directly to the mined out area (12) in the right foreground.
10. A front-end loader digs and loads coal.
11. Acid forming overburden, identified in the mine plan, is selectively placed in the bottom of the pit. This will prevent the formation of acid mine drainage in the future.
12. Backfilling and rough grading is in progress. The spoil being used to reclaim this area was hauled directly from the active mining area (9). Note that the highwall is still showing at this stage; however, when reclamation is complete it will be covered and the land returned to its original slope.
