What steps are required for mining reclamation to occur?
Reclamation includes the following steps: contouring of land; placement of topsoil or an approved substitute on the graded area; reseeding with native vegetation, crops and/or trees; and years of careful monitoring to assure success.
What criteria should be addressed by land reclamation?
The reclamation plan must include, among other criteria, the pre-mining condition and use of the land to be mined; the proposed use of the land after reclamation; an estimated time table for the reclamation; and the steps that will be taken to comply with the relevant air and water quality laws.
What is a reclamation plan?
A reclamation plan is the basis for granting a reclamation permit. It is a blueprint describing the steps that are necessary to reclaim the site to achieve a post-mining land use.
How much does mine reclamation cost?
According to OSMRE, the states and tribes have estimated total unfunded costs for the reclamation of eligible sites of approximately $10.7 billion to date.
What is the reclamation process?
​Reclamation is the combined process by which adverse environmental effects of surface mining are minimized and mined lands are returned to a beneficial end use. Some components of reclamation include practices that control erosion and sedimentation, stablize slopes, and avoid and repair impacts to wildlife habitat.
What is land reclamation in mining?
​Reclamation is the combined process by which adverse environmental effects of surface mining are minimized and mined lands are returned to a beneficial end use.
What is the goal of mine reclamation?
Mine reclamation entails restoring these disturbed areas to a previous natural resource setting, such as forest or agricultural land uses, while minimizing environmental impacts.
What are the goals of reclamation?
The primary goal of reclamation on oil and gas lands is to restore site stability and ecosystem functions, returning disturbed lands to their original use or use prior to disturbance, such as crop production or wildlife habitat.
How much does it cost to mine land?
It is estimated that there are 110 million land mines in the ground right now. An equal amount is in stockpiles waiting to be planted or destroyed. Mines cost between $3 and $30, but the cost of removing them is $300 to $1000. The cost of removing all existing mines would be $50- to $100-billion.
Why are open pit mining and strip mining both considered to be surface mining?
Surface mining, including strip mining, open-pit mining and mountaintop removal mining, is a broad category of mining in which soil and rock overlying the mineral deposit (the overburden) are removed, in contrast to underground mining, in which the overlying rock is left in place, and the mineral is removed through …
Are there any laws about coal mine reclamation?
Since that time, many states have developed their own laws regarding mine reclamation for both coal and non-coal surface mines, and mining operations must now specifically outline their reclamation plan when they apply for mining permits (before they even start digging!).
How is mine safety regulated in the United States?
Instead, it served as a political strategy, allowing us to put pressure on other nations by holding them accountable for their own mine workers’ health and safety. In the U.S., mine safety is regulated by the Mine Safety and Health Administration, or MSHA, which is an agency of the U.S. Department of Labor.
How to mitigate the effects of underground mining?
One way to mitigate these issues is through reclamation, or restoring an area that has been disturbed by surface or underground mining. The word means just what it sounds like – reclaiming the land for future use.
How are laws related to the mining industry?
For example, the Safe Drinking Water Act sets drinking water quality standards, and the Clean Air Act sets standards for air quality. Since mines are sources of both air and water pollution, these laws help reduce the negative effects from mines on our air and water quality in the U.S.
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