Mining in the early to mid 1900’s has degraded streams within the Beaver Creek watershed in Tucker County, West Virginia. Channels have incised to bedrock and banks suffer from severe erosion. The sediment supply surpasses the stream’s transport capacity, which has resulted in channel alterations. In a preliminary study, the headwater regions of two streams within the Beaver Creek watershed wer...

Vegetation plays an important role in improving and restoring fragile ecological environments. In the Antaibao opencast coal mine, located in a loess area, the eco-environment has been substantially disturbed by mining activities, and the relationship between the vegetation and environmental factors is not very clear. Therefore, it is crucial to understand the effects of soil and topographic fa...

Surface coal mining in Appalachia disturbs hundreds of hectares of land every year with the removal of valuable and ecologically diverse eastern deciduous forests. After the passage of the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act in 1977, coal mine operators began planting a variety of grasses and legumes as a fast and economical way to reestablish a permanent vegetative cover to meet erosion...

Increasing global demands have resulted in widespread proliferation of resource extraction. Scientists are challenged to develop environmental mitigation strategies that meet societal expectations of resource supply, while achieving minimal disruption to sensitive "wilderness" species. We used GPS collar data from a 9-year study on grizzly bears (Ursus arctos) (n = 18) in Alberta, Canada to ass...

Tree water uptake relies on well-developed root systems. However, mine wastes can restrict root growth, in particular metalliferous mill tailings, which consist of the finely crushed ore that remains after valuable metals are removed. Thus, water stress could limit plantation success in reclaimed mine lands. This study evaluates the effect of substrates varying in quality (topsoil, overburden, ...

Abstract This paper provides an overview of planning requirements, including regulatory, and implementation approaches for achieving ecologically sound reclamation restoration mines upon closure in the USA. Mine includes mined-out areas, decommissioning plants structures, appropriate monitoring post-mining land, water, air resources. Although discussion general guidelines, each mine site presen...

The social licence to operate is one of, if not the greatest challenge and risk faced when expanding or opening a new mine. Why that? negative public legacy of mining in United States, globally for that matter, human health impact environmental destruction. This result short-term vision, lack concern impacts natural environment health, adequate regulatory guidance enforcement. Fortunately, indu...

Cessation of mining operations in Ducktown, TN, left 800-900 acres of barren copper mine tailings. Revegetation activities had met with limited success. In 1998, efforts for revegetation of the tailings materials began anew. The objective of this case history is to provide insight into decision making processes which resulted in conversion of 800-900 acres of barren mine tailings into a vegetat...

Data collected for 35 yr from a 1790-ha strip mine reclamation site in Fulton County, Illinois, where biosolids were applied from 1972 to 2004, were used to evaluate the impacts of long-term biosolids application on metal concentrations in groundwater. Groundwater samples were collected between 1972 and 2006 from wells installed in seven strip-mined fields treated with biosolids at cumulative l...

The South African mining industry has been the backbone of the country’s economy for much of the past century. Mining has, however, often caused the degradation of productive soils. The amendment of these soils is often very expensive and often not sustainable. The University of Pretoria in cooperation with Eskom TSI, has over the past seven years conducted a series of trials. These trials have...