Science
This seminar will review the essential steps and protocols for the assessment and rehabilitation of active and abandoned mining sites in humid regions with examples drawn from the mid-Atlantic USA. In these environments, appropriate stabilization and closure plans must address direct surface revegetation and erosion control along with predicting and controlling adverse water quality discharges. Important site-specific limitations that must be assessed and planned for include (1) avoiding acid-forming materials, (2) minimizing mine soil compaction, (3) ensuring adequate plant moisture supply, and (4) accounting for slope x aspect effects. Due to the net leaching climate, reclamation practitioners must also predict and manage against emission of acid mine/rock drainage in many instances and/or circumneutral high TDS discharges in others. Specific examples will include reclamation of surface coal mines to hayland/pasture or native forests, stabilization and revegetation of acid-forming coal refuse, and return of mineral sands (Ti and Zr) mines to prime farmland row cropping systems. The seminar will cover recommendations for (a) pre-mine closure overburden and soil testing, (b) mine soil reconstruction, (c) basics of AMD/TDS drainage potential prediction, (d) topsoil and organic matter management, and (e) long term soil fertility and pH management concerns. Complete supporting materials and publications are available at https://landrehab.org/. To view this archive online or download the slides associated with this seminar, please visit http://www.clu-in.org/conf/tio/mining-humidregion_051821/