Reclamation

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Bonanza in the Bluegrass State

This article was originally published in the July-August 2009 issue of Bugle, the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation's journal of elk country and the hunt, and appears here courtesy of the Elk Foundation.

Old coal mines become prime real estate for development in coal fields

Published November 26, 2008 in the Charleston Daily Mail

WILLIAMSON, W.Va. - Mingo County development officials believe they are leading the way for other coalfield counties to revitalize and diversify their economies by finding productive uses for surface-mined land.

Instead of just reseeding when mining is finished on a section of land, coal companies are being urged to prepare the land for future businesses and other ventures.

Some already have sprouted.

"We take whatever we've got and we try to grow these jobs from what we've got," said Terry Sammons, a Gilbert lawyer and chairman of the Mingo County Redevelopment Authority.

Read the story here

Post-Mining Land Use

Reprinted with permission from Coal Leader, Coal's National Newspaper

Steven H. Dula, President and General Manager, Hobet Mining Inc. of Madison, West Virginia presented a talk "A Historic and Operational Perspective of Post-Mining Land Use" to the joint fall meeting of the West Virginia Coal Mining Institute and Central Appalachian Section SME. Dula said that post mining land use activity has been going on for more than 25 years. He reviewed his experience with the early days, pre SMCRA (1975-1977) with Consol Exploration on conceptual surface mine design and post mining land uses. The next period was the beginning with SMCRA (1977-1979). The following years (1979 - 1987) were years of learning the regulations associated with SMCRA and complying. Dula spent the next five years in West Virginia and Eastern Kentucky permitting and operating surface mines. He then went to Illinois and experienced the Midwest regulatory environment once again permitting and operating surface mines. Returning to West Virginia, he operates within the regulatory environment in permitting and developing post-mining land uses.

Twisted Gun Golf Course in Mingo County, West Virginia, is located on reclaimed land. According to Dula, there are positive developments with alternative post-mining land uses in West Virginia, Kentucky and Virginia.

West Virginia

There are many examples of positive post-mining land uses and Dula described some of them as follows.

Kentucky

Post-mining land use changes go hand-in-hand with economic development in Kentucky; especially in many parts of eastern Kentucky where much needed level to gently rolling land for development is still at a premium. Dula provided a listing of post-mining land use and county:

Regional Airports

Correctional Facilities

Government Facilities

Fish and Wildlife

Elk are in the mountains of east Kentucky again. Free ranging elk have returned to the mountains of east Kentucky with reclaimed mountaintop removal areas, old reclaimed mine benches and hardwood forests serving as their home once again. The first hunter in more than 150 years to legally kill an elk in Kentucky did so in 2001.

Farms

Industrial/Commercial

Rails-to-Trails

Old coal haul rails have been removed to make walking trails in Muhlenberg, Union and Webster Counties.

R&R/Sports

Mountaintop Mining

Mining is only a temporary land use. Mountaintop mining has created several sites for new schools, hospitals, shopping centers, parks, golf courses, housing, airports, industry, agriculture and timber in eastern Kentucky.

Structural Building Sites

Virginia

A listing of post-mining land use was provided by Dula.