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Post-Mining Land Use
Reprinted with permission from Coal Leader, Coal's National Newspaper
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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.
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Twisted Gun Golf Course in Mingo County, West Virginia, is located on reclaimed land. |
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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.
Pete Dye Golf Course, Bridgeport; Scholar Oaks Golf Course, Putnam County, two premier golf courses in the state
Mt. View High School - McDowell County built in 1980; mined by Tracy Hylton
New Hope Village - McDowell County; built on 20 acres on Tom's Mountain in late 2001. This area provided homes out of the flood plain for 70 families displaces from the flooding in that year
Knight of Columbus Community Park - Tucker County ; this baseball/softball field hosts everything from t-ball to women's softball in the Thomas area. Built in the 1980's by Buffalo Coal Co.
Davis Cemetery - the town of Davis ran out of room for their cemetery and worked with Buffalo Coal to provide additional space. This is the only known cemetery in the U.S. among a reclaimed surface mine.
Robert C. Byrd High School - Harrison County , 70 acres mined in the late 1970's.
Morgantown Hall - Monongalia County , 69 acres mined in the 1980's
Logan County Airport - Logan County ; on 75 acres this is the only airport in Logan County
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The FBI complex in Clarksburg, WV (above)
provides more than 3,000 West Virginia
jobs. Completed in 1995, the complex is located on 986 acres
of reclaimed land. |
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Mount View High School
was built on an area that once was a mountaintop mining site.
With McDowell County more than 90 percent hillside, land available
for economic development is in short supply. |
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Southwest Regional Jail - Logan County, located on corridor G in Logan County the area is part of an industrial complex. The facility opened in April 1998.
East Pointe Mall Area - Harrison County, Interstate 79 and U.S. 50 interchange is considered one of the busiest interchanges in the state; includes Wal-Mart, post office, numerous retail stores and the Bridgeport City Hall
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Weirton - about 85% of modern day weirton is built on mountaintop mining sites that have been reclaimed and developed in the late 1970's. Weirton's post mining land use includes housing developments and the city's hospital which was built in 1978
FBI Complex - Harrison County, completed in 1995, complex has more than 3,000 employees on 985 acres.
Mt. Olive Correctional Facility - Fayette County, due to the limited supply of accessible, sufficiently large level tracts of land, planters considered building two facilities to replace Moundsville. However, reclaimed surface mine sites have the potential for redevelopment and could provide an acceptable site.
Anker Sports Complex - Monongalia County, two softball fields and two baseball fields all lighted were completed in April 2000.
Twisted Gun Golf Course - Mingo County, this is the only golf course in the county and neighboring counties.
Hilltop Hunting Preserve - Boone County
Beckley YMCA Soccer Complex, built on 75 acres, plans include eight lighted soccer fields with a center stadium that will seat nearly 2,000 people.
Hatfield-McCoy Trail currently has about 300 miles of trail with portions on reclaimed mine sites. Scheduled to have 3,000 miles of trail through seven southern counties
Mountain Greeneries - Fayette County, nursery located on Cannelton Site, growing about 50,000 plants
Buck Harless Wood Products Center
West Virginia Aqua Arctic Char raised in underground mine water from nearby Mingo Logan Mine
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
Big Sandy Regional Airport Field Hatcher - Martin County
Field Airport - Pike County
Carroll Airport - Breathitt County
Ford Airport - Perry County
Ohio County Airport - Ohio County
Correctional Facilities
Federal Correctional Institute - Clay and Martin Counties
East Kentucky Correctional Complex - Morgan County
Medium Security Prison - Muhlenberg Knot County (in development)
Otter Creek Correctional Center - Floyd County
Juvenile Boot Camp - Breathitt County
Government Facilities
Earle C. Clements Job Corp. Center - Muhlenberg County
Army National Guard Training Center - Muhlenberg County
U.S. Postal Service - Laurel County
County Park - Ohio County
Madisonville South Bypass - Hopkins County
Solid Waste Landfills - Daviess, Greenup, Ohio, Hopkins, Perry and Lee Counties
Hazard Armory - Perry County
Jail and State Police Barracks - Perry County
Veterans Nursing Home - Perry County
Fish and Wildlife
Duck Refuge Areas - Ohio, Perry, Breathitt, Knot, Martin and Muhlenberg Counties
Catfish Farming - McEan County
Wildlife Management Area - Muhlenberg, Ohio and Perry Counties
Wetland Development - Muhlenberg County
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
Starfire Project - Perry County
Mapco/Moorehead Agriculture Center - Martin County
Martin County Coal Corp. Farm - Martin County
DNR Brangus Farm - Perry County
Hawk Farm - Hopkins and Knox Counties
Livestock Feed - Greenup, Harland, Lee, Johnson, Wolfe and Whitley Counties
Chicken/Broader Houses - Hopkins and Muhlenberg Counties
Avian Farms - Wayne County
Agricultural Projects - Pike County
Industrial/Commercial
Electrical Construction Office and Shop - Hopkins County
Electric Utility Operations Center - Ohio Daviess and Webster Counties
Industrial Scrubber Sludge Disposal - Muhlenberg County
Explosive Manufacturing - Breathitt, Perry and Pike Counties
Wood Fabrication Plant - Perry and Boyd Counties
Apparel Manufacturing - Johnson, Hopkins, Knox and Muhlenberg Counties
Mine - Ohio, Union and Whitley Counties
Shops/Welding/Machine/Equipment - Muhlenberg and Boyd Counties
Trucking Company - Butler County
Truck/Equipment Sales - Perry and Hopkins County
Explosive Company - Hopkins County
Farm Equipment - Bell, Butler, Clay, Jackson, Laurel and Pike Counties
Sawmill/Logs/Lumber - Whitley and Wolfe Counties
Recycling Facility - Letcher County
Blacktop/Concrete Facilities - Laurel and Perry Counties
Oil/Gas Facilities - Clay, Lee and Elliott Counties
Cabinet Factory - Perry County
Clay - Leslie Regional Industrial Park - Clay and Leslie County
Coalfields Regional Industrial Park - Breahitt, Harlan, Leslie and Perry Counties - Corbin Tri-County Industrial Park - Knox County
East Park Regional Industrial Park - Boyd, Carter, Elliott, Greenup, and Lawrence Counties
Equipment Rental/Sales - Boyd County
Gateway Regional Business Park - Floyd, Knot, Letcher and Pike Counties
Honeybranch Regional Business Park - Floyd, Johnson, Magoffin, Martin and Pike Counties
Little Goose Industrial Site - Clay County
Maggie Mountain Industrial Park - Floyd County
Paul Coffey Industrial Park - Boyd County
Pine Mountain Regional Business Park - Bell, Harlan, Knox, Letcher and Whitley Counties
Retail Outfitters - Clay County
South McCreary Industrial Park - McCreary County (in development)
Tooling Company - Clay County
Uniform Rental Services - Carter County
Utility - Boyd, Knot and Perry Counties
Wireless Communications - Carter County
Plastic Injection Molding Company - Perry County
Mine/Electronic Supply - Martin County
Industrial Parkway - Greenup County
United Parcel Services - Perry and Boyd Counties
Unified Power Distribution - Martin County
Rails-to-Trails
Old coal haul rails have been removed to make walking trails in Muhlenberg, Union and Webster Counties.
R&R/Sports
Baseball fields - Boyd County
Coal Hauler Park - Floyd County
Elkhorn Educational Recreation Park - Floyd County
Golf courses - Clay, Laurel, Letcher, Floyd, McClaine and Owsley counties
Recreational Area (proposed)
Red Fox Resort - Lee and Greenup Counties
Stone Crest Golf Course - Knot County (in development)
Wayland Park - Floyd County
Golf (drive and putt) - Floyd County
Recreational area and fishing lake - Webster County
Athletic facilities - Pike County
Fairgrounds - Letcher County
Riding stables and trails - Morgan County
Campground (proposed) - Muhlenberg and Hopkins Counties
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
High schools - Pike County
Elementary school - Boyd County
Flea market - Perry County
Athletic complexes - Letcher and Pike Counties
Appalachian Regional Hospital - Perry County
Housing developments - Belle, Boyd, Clay, Floyd, Greenup, Harland, Johnson, Knox, Laurel, Lee, Leslie, Letcher, Martin, Perry and Pike Counties
Church day care - Laurel and Perry Counties
Mobile Home Sales - Laurel County
Shopping centers - Breathitt, Clay, Knox, Laurel, Leslie, Letcher, Pike and Perry Counties
Cars/Trucks/Equipment Sales - Perry County
Motel/hotel - Laurel and Perry Counties
Office complex - Morgan, Martin, Perry and Pike Counties (proposed)
Storage rental facility - Hopkins and Perry Counties
Off-track betting - Perry County
Telecommunications Call Center - Perry County
Numerous small businesses in eastern Kentucky
Virginia
A listing of post-mining land use was provided by Dula.
St. Mary's Hospital and Norton Elementary School developed on areas mined in the '70s
Norton Community Hospital and retail stores developed on areas mined in the '70s
B.A. Mullican Flooring Plant in Blackwood developed on area mined in the '70s or '80s
J.W. Adams Elementary School developed on area mined in the '70s
Wise County Fairgrounds developed on area mined in the '60s
Lonesome Pine Airport and Veldon Dotson Recreation and Industrial Park developed on area mined in the '70s and '80s
Coastal Coal Permit near Coeburn, experimental practice site reclaimed as an industrial development site
Reclaimed mine land in Wise area with various land uses including recreation, residential, Lonesome Pine Airport, etc.
Buchanan County Park Air Mail projected eliminated 3,200 feet of dangerous highwall and left 21 acres of flat land for recreational use
Poplar Gap Recreation Area
Wal-Mart Shopping Center at Norton
Red Onion Prison, Clintwood
Wise County Landfill, Blackwood
Mountaintop Golf, Buchanan County
Grundy Airport
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