Mining Reclamation
Image by ForestWander from Wikimedia Commons
The mountains are stained by streaks of colorful minerals, left carelessly behind by miners after the value of the mines were exploited. Abandoned mines might seem like they have become a beautiful part of nature, but they pose an immense danger to those in the surrounding area and the environment. Abandoned mines have a number of dangers that are often overlooked. Precarious infrastructure, deadly dust particles, toxic chemicals, and discarded dynamite are all immediate threats a person could face if they explored an abandoned mine (“Abandoned Mine Lands Unit”). Additionally, abandoned mines are often home to hidden wildlife such as rattlesnakes, mountain lions, and bears with whom an interaction could be fatal (“Abandoned Mine Lands Unit”). Despite the immediate dangers, there are also growing concerns of the prolonged effects abandoned mines pose to the environment.
With blasting sites left behind, erosion has become a big issue. When erosion is left unchecked, it “can result in the loss of food crops, negatively impact community resiliency and livelihoods, and even alter ecosystems by reducing biodiversity above, within, and below the topsoil,” (Mulvihill). Erosion from blast sites damages the topsoil and deters the growth of native plants and crops which harms the ecosystem by eliminating prime food sources for many organisms (Sulaeman and Westhoff). Loose soil can cause flooding or prevent rivers and streams from flowing, potentially cutting off key water sources (Sulaeman and Westhoff). Soil erosion could also put toxic chemicals in the water which could harm wildlife. Fertilizer found in some top soil could spawn algae blooms which remove oxygen from the water and kill aquatic life (Mulvihill). Wind erosion could cause dust storms and pollute the air, damaging crops, harming livestock, and affecting an individual’s breathing, especially those with asthma (Mulvihill). Chemicals can spread through wind erosion, and the thick dust clouds created by wind erosion can make operating vehicles difficult and extremely dangerous due to low visibility (Mulvihill). All of these problems are due to the loose soil left behind from miners. “The United States’ reliance on coal to generate almost half of its electricity, costs the economy about $345 billion a year in hidden expenses not borne by miners or utilities, including health problems in mining communities and pollution around power plants, a study found” (“Abandoned Mine Land Reclamation Program”. The negative effects of coal mining further exemplify the need for mining reclamation.
Mining reclamation aims to decrease the effects of erosion from blast sites and restore the land to support biodiversity and help fight climate change. In order for mining reclamation to be successful, the topsoil must first be contoured and cultivated in order to ensure plant growth. Next, native plants, crops, or trees are planted. Lastly, the site must be monitored over a period of several years to ensure growth (“Mine Reclamation”). Examples of mining reclamation could be “ a company reclaimed its mining pit to a strawberry field; a gravel extraction area at Mississippi Bar was returned to a riparian wildlife habitat; other mined lands have been reclaimed to grazing and production of crops such as alfalfa, corn, grapes, and tomatoes,” (“What is Mine Reclamation?”). Mining reclamation helps to control erosion and rebuild wildlife habitats by replacing and renewing topsoil and reintroducing natural plants back into the environment (“What is Mine Reclamation?”). Oftentimes mining reclamation is funded through a mined coal tax. The price varies from $0.12 to $0.28 per ton of coal mined, depending on whether the coal was mined underground or on the surface (“Mine Reclamation”). The government has three main priorities for mining reclamation. The first two points primarily focus on protecting “public health, safety, and property,” from the dangerous effects of coal mines. The third priority reflects the government’s desire to protect the environment from the effects of coal mining (“Abandoned Mine Land Reclamation Program”). Fortunately, the government has extended the Abandoned Mine Reclamation Fund through 2034 although taxes for these funds will see a reduction of twenty percent (“Interior Department Extends Abandoned Mine Land Program through 2034”). These funds are essential to cleaning up the lingering destruction of the American countryside, and the source of these funds help keep the coal mining industry in check.
Reboot Reforestation is researching new ways to get involved in reclaiming mines and restoring the damaged land. Reboot Reforestation hopes to use its drones to plant seed balls in affected areas in order to increase the growth of native plants that were destroyed during the mining process and help decrease the effects of coal mining on the environment and public health & safety.
Works Cited
“Abandoned Mine Land Reclamation Program.” revenuedata.doi.gov,
https://revenuedata.doi.gov/how-revenue-works/aml-reclamation-program/#cert.
Accessed 4 April 2022.
“Abandoned Mine Lands Unit.” ca.gov, https://www.conservation.ca.gov/
dmr/abandoned_mine_lands. Accessed 20 Mar. 2022.
“Interior Department Extends Abandoned Mine Land Program through 2034.”doi.gov,
https://www.doi.gov/pressreleases/interior-department-extends-abandoned-mine-land-program-through-2034. Accessed 4 April 2022.
“Mine Reclamation.”wikipedia.com, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mine_reclamation. Accessed
4 April 2022.
Mulvihill, Keith. “Soil Erosion 101.” nrdc.org, 1 June 2021, https://www.nrdc.org
/stories/soil-erosion-101. Accessed 20 Mar. 2022.
Sulaeman, Dede, and Thomas Westhoff. “The Causes and Effects of Soil Erosion, and How to
Prevent it.”World Resources Institute, 7 Feb. 2020, https://www.wri.org/insights/causes
-and-effects-soil-erosion-and-how-prevent-it. Accessed 20 Mar. 2022.
“What is Mine Reclamation?” ca.gov, https://www.conservation.ca.gov/dmr/
SMARA%20Mines/reclamation. Accessed 20 Mar. 2022.