Case studies of successfully reclaimed mining sites. This act established guidelines for the regulation of surface mining and the reclamation of the mine sites. When the crews begin mining gold, they always have an end in mind. Red dog mine facility audit waste management plan and. This video was produced on an alpha natural resource. The montana abandoned mine reclamation bureau is working to reclaim. National technical training program nttp technical innovation. Reviewing effective examples of mine reclamation from around the globe, such as those profiled in this issue, allows the extractive industry to develop a suite of best practices for successfully reclaiming mined areas. As a result, millions of americans live less than a mile from an abandoned coal mine.
All mining operations must carry out a program of reclamation and environmental. Mine site reclamation policy for the northwest territories. Means building, mechanical, and heavy construction cost data handbooks for estimation of construction and demolition costs. The easitool interface performs data processing based on two. Operations which are able to close out discrete areas of surface work during life of mine hold an advantage over those that cannot, being able both to reduce outstanding cost, and gain in reclamation experience during life of mine. Reclamation is the process of returning the land and water to a usable condition once mining has ceased. This paper summarizes the aspects of this program which allow it to be a model for biosolids. This security is only returned once the mine site has been reclaimed to a.
Full reclamation and closure plan molycorp questa mine, nm. Department of interior, bureau of land management blm and the nevada mining association nvma. The gnwt is responsible for keeping the reclaim model current by periodically releasing updates that account for inflation and improvements to the unit costs, and reflect best practices in closure cost estimation. Nevadas mining reclamation branch resides within the nevada division of environmental protection ndep and ensures facilities within the state are adequately bonded to reclaim lands to safe and stable conditions following exploration, mining, and ore processing actives. This website hosts the standardized reclamation cost estimator srce software that was originally developed as a cooperative effort between the nevada division of environmental protection, bureau of mining regulation and reclamation ndep, the u. Today, the bureau of reclamation released its final guidelines to streamline the transfer of eligible reclamation facilities to local ownership. Surface mining reclamation in west virginia wikipedia. According to the land administrative laws, the reclaimed land should on a. Mine closure and reclamation cost estimation guidelines. Two centuries of us coal mining occurred before the passage of the surface mining control and reclamation act smcra of 1977. Pdf environmental design for reclaiming surface mines. Cover photo of mine site reclamation grass plots courtesy of bhp billiton. The surface coal mining land conservation and reclamation act was passed on june 1, 1980, to be implemented with adoption of the permanent regulatory program.
Mine land reclamation and ecoreconstruction in shanxi province. Once mining of an area is complete, the reclamation process begins. To provide the wellington neighborhood, the town of breckenridge, colorado and summit county, colorado with a visioning tool for integrating open space and landscape design in new development on former mining areas. The federal surface mining control and reclamation act was signed into law on. For a monitoring program to be meaningful, it must include provision for. Acid base accounting aba is an important method for predicting postmining and reclamation water quality and evaluating the potential for production of acid mine drainage. Network program snp, aquatic effects monitoring program aemp. The nevada standardized reclamation cost estimator version 1. Guide to the development of a mining and reclamation plan in new brunswick 2. Reclamation streamlines process for transferring facilities to local water users. There are three primary methods used to reclaim mined land. Arcgis streamlines creation of sound erosion models for 2,800 acres of reclaimed mined land.
The value of reclamation work will be based on generally accepted modelling e. Because of the complete destruction that takes place during mining activities, the goal of reclamation is to bring the land back to a place that will allow natural processes to begin again. Cut slopes from surface open pit mining and roadway embankments can be stabilized using the longlasting geoweb solution. American resources corporation provides mining reclamation. Surface coal mining involves disturbing overlying rock layers overburden to expose and extract coal reserves using the area mining method wherein the overburden above the uppermost coal seam and the innerburden between the lower coal seams are removed in parallel strips pits across the coalfield until the area is mined. A lidar scan, which can be completed in only a few minutes, can produce a detailed 3d elevation model which can help regulators and mine operators better plan for reclamation. Within the past decade, a new approach to reforestation the forestry reclamation approach, or fra has been promoted by state mining agencies and the office of surface mining reclamation and enforcement osmre as an appropriate and desirable method for reclaiming coalmined land to support forested land uses under smcra.
The technical and research committee on reclamation trcr present the jake mcdonald mine reclamation award and up to five category awards are handed out for outstanding achievement in mine reclamation annually these awards have been presented at the british columbia mine reclamation symposium every year since 1977. In may 1982, the secretary of the department of the interior approved the illinois program, thus implementing the permanent regulatory program for surface coal mining and reclamation in. For example, since the passage of the 1977 surface mining control and reclamation act smcra in the u. They also use a 3d model of the area to establish a restoration plan based on the. Standardized reclamation cost estimator srce nevada standardized reclamation cost estimator and cost data file. Citizens guide to coal mining and reclamation in illinois. Assessing the success of surface coal mine reclamation arcnews. Directives and standards 621 08082019 page 2 supersedes fin 0720 571 04202017 minor revisions approved 01272020 3. Prereclamation photo of the hydraulic pit near healy.
Creating three dimensional mine elevation models features the usage of a lidar scan. Proponents should use the reclaim model to estimate security or. Reclaimed mine lands are often more attractive to wildlife and human uses than before mining started. Allowing the reclaimed sites to take advantage of these recovery systems will reduced. Reclamation cost guide is a sidebyside reference useful in conjunction with our sherpa reclamation bonds software. Once mining commences, state law requires mining parcels to be recontoured and planted with initial vegetation within two years of the completion of mining activities. Reclaim is model developed a microsoft excelin to aid in the calculation of costs associated with each activity required to meet the objectives of the closure and reclamation plan. The abandoned mine land aml reclamation program uses fees paid by presentday coal mining companies to reclaim coal mines abandoned before 1977. Reviews on various aspects of reclamation of mine tailings have been offered including modeling of water quality rogowski et ai. Title transfer is a voluntary conveyance of federal ownership of water projects or facilities, such as small dams. In this assay, we will talk about the basic mode of land reclamation in mine area. It provides line items for each reclamation activity which might be required at a given site.
Mine reclamation has evolved significantly since the first technical and. Immediately postacquisition, we then look to reclaim thermal coal mining sites that do not fit within our business model, while tying the metallurgical carbon assets into our existing operating. Program for the purpose of reclaiming abandoned historic mines of any type. The amigos bravos full reclamation and closure plan for the molycorp molybdenum mine in questa, new mexico, has been developed to meet the requirements of the new mexico water quality act, the new mexico mining act and other relevant state and federal regulations. Mackenzie valley land and water board guidelines for. Under the aml program, priority three mines can be reclaimed in conjunction with. Dont miss all new episodes of gold rush, fridays at 98c on discovery. Contains images of land restored after it has been mined a picture is worth 1,000 words a reclaimed mine site, which was fully restored to a wetland environment, with a man made lake to provide recreation, fish and water fowl habitat, and a livable area for both man and animals.
National mine land reclamation center west virginia. If you plan to use the srce model to calculate reclamation costs for regulatory submittal, check with you local regulators to see if a standardized version of this file is. Modern mines reclaim the surface during and after mining is completed, returning the land to useful purposes. Currently, there is no state or federal mining permit in minnesota that requires aggregate mining.
Reclamation at aggregate mining sites fact sheet 3 january. Types of cost estimates l 4 types estimators perspective 2. Mining reclamation stewards of the earths natural resources hgl provides expert planning, design, and restoration services to federal and state regulatory agencies, management organizations, and enterprises engaged in mine site operations and reclamation. Additionally, the abandoned mine lands aml program was created to facilitate the reclamation of mining properties that were abandoned prior to. Osmres business practices are to reclaim abandoned mine lands title. Under the authority of title iv of the surface mining control and reclamation act of 1977 smcra, the office of surface mining, reclamation and enforcement osmre provides virginia with federal financial assistance through annual construction grants for abandoned mine land aml projects to reclaim and restore land and water resources adversely affected by eligible coal mining operations. Effective strategies for the reclamation of large mines. Reclamation at active mining operations methods used to reclaim active operations can differ greatly from those used to reclaim abandoned sites.
Aml reclamation program how it works natural resources. Lessons learned from one of the nations largest biosolids beneficial use programs. The regional finance office is responsible for determining whether to capitalize or expense costs in accordance with gaap requirements, policy, and directives. Although the process of mine reclamation occurs once mining is completed, the planning of mine reclamation activities occurs prior to a mine being permitted or started.
Mine reclamation is the process of restoring land that has been mined to a natural or economically usable state. Black jones, a manager for cloud peak energy, shows reclamation work underway in 2016 at antelope mine in the powder river basin. Model and data files standardized reclamation cost estimator. Reclaim model that requirement is to post 100 per cent of the total outstanding reclamation liability for land and water calculated to cover the highest liability, based upon the reclaim model. This is enforced under the administration of the office of surface mining, reclamation and enforcement, in the department of the interior. Monitoring reclaimed sites can be tedious, but new digital. This file can be used by operators to input mine or contractor costs in preparation of operator closure costs for internal or financial reporting. Osmre, through its abandoned mine land aml reclamation program, addresses the hazards and environmental degradation posed by. For each, the model presents the quantity of work multiplied.
This service conforms to the usdibureau of land management and usdaforest service requirements for estimating costs for reclamation bonds as well as for other regions in the u. Returning mined land to productivity through reclamation. Red dog mine facility audit waste management plan and reclamation plan approval may 2014. A general descriptio n of the bedrock geolog y is required for the immediate area including rock types, physical and chemical characteristics, and structure. The surface mining control and reclamation act smcra was approved on august 3, 1977.
A concern here is that the mine may close prior to completion of the fill. Mine closure and reclamation practical examples of. Mine land reclamation in action office of surface mining. The surface mining control and reclamation act of 1977 created a federal law that requires coal operators to reclaim the land and water that they disturb. See how dmme works with mining companies to ensure the land and the environment are returned to what they were, or better, before mining began.
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