It came into existence in the late 20th century as more information came to light over the damage that mining does to the environment. What it means is that mining companies must restore the patch of land that they mined. And according to Alaska law, they have to pay for it.
How is land restored after mining is completed?
After the coal is stripped, mine companies are legally required to do some restoration, which usually involves replacing the exploded soil and rock—rubble—covering it with a layer of topsoil, and seeding it with anything that will hold the ground together.
What happens to the ground after gold mining?
Eventually, once the most accessible and valuable materials have been extracted, the mine is closed, and the site must be restored back to its original state. This includes covering up mine entrances, replanting grass and trees, and testing surrounding water, soil, and air for contaminants.
Does gold mining destroy the land?
It can displace communities, contaminate drinking water, hurt workers, and destroy pristine environments. It pollutes water and land with mercury and cyanide, endangering the health of people and ecosystems. Producing gold for one wedding ring alone generates 20 tons of waste.
What happens to land after mining?
Across the US, two out of every three acres of reclaimed coal mines have been turned into some form of grassland, which regulators say is often disused. Only 18% was converted into farming, housing, industry or recreation, while 16% was left in a wilder state as forest or undeveloped land.
Can mining lands be restored?
Reclamation in the National Park System focuses on reestablishing landscapes and environments that mimic the surrounding undisturbed lands. Mine structures such as mills, shops, headframes, and others of historic value are stabilized and preserved. Otherwise, the pre-mine condition is restored wherever possible.
How much does it cost to reclaim land after mining 2021?
According to OSMRE, the states and tribes have estimated total unfunded costs for the reclamation of eligible sites of approximately $11.5 billion to date.
How much does it cost to reclaim land after mining?
Estimated costs of mined land reclamation averaged $3,500 per acre in 1976 for western coal regions, an average of 5 cents per ton of coal produced and less than 1 percent of mine-mouth coal prices.
How are mine sites rehabilitated after mining?
Often in gold mines, rehabilitation is performed by scavenger operations which treat the soil within the plant area for spilled gold using modified placer mining gravity collection plants. Also possible is that the section of the mine that is below ground, is kept and used to provide heating, water and/or methane.
Why do mines get abandoned?
Blasting caps and other undetonated explosives. Blackdamp accumulating in old mines, which can cause suffocation. Hidden mine shafts, often hidden beneath bushes and grasses and other vegetation that has grown up around the mine entrance. Unstable roofs and passageways, prone to cave-ins.
Does gold cause health problems?
Many human problems arise through the ability of metallic gold to induce allergic contact hypersensitivity. While gold in jewelry can evoke allergic reactions, other metals such as nickel, chromium and copper present in white gold or alloys exhibit more serious clinical problems.
How much waste does gold mining produce?
Modern industrial gold mining destroys landscapes and creates huge amounts of toxic waste. Due to the use of dirty practices such as open pit mining and cyanide heap leaching, mining companies generate about 20 tons of toxic waste for every 0.333-ounce gold ring.
Is gold ethical?
Ethical Gold is gold that is mined in consideration of working conditions. While child labor and exploitation of vulnerable communities are hard violations, any gold that is deemed ethical needs to also pay fair wages to miners.
Why is it important to restore land after it has been mined?
Mine reclamation creates useful landscapes that meet a variety of goals ranging from the restoration of productive ecosystems to the creation of industrial and municipal resources. In the United States, mine reclamation is a regular part of modern mining practices.
What happens to a mine when it is no longer productive?
Once production on a mine stops, a small labour force remains behind to shut down and decommission the site. This involves removing completely the machinery that can be, or needs to be, removed. Often this is taken to another site or sold.
How would a mining company try to restore the land back to its original state after extraction of the ore was completed?
Reclamation includes the following steps: contouring of land; placement of topsoil or an approved substitute on the graded area; reseeding with native vegetation, crops and/or trees; and years of careful monitoring to assure success.
Why is mine reclamation necessary?
Reclamation is the combined process by which adverse environmental effects of surface mining are minimized and mined lands are returned to a beneficial end use. End uses may be open space, wildlife habitat, agriculture, or residential and commercial development.
What is land reclamation in mining?
The Abandoned Mine Land (AML) Reclamation Program uses fees paid by present-day coal mining companies to reclaim coal mines abandoned before 1977. This makes these areas safer for people and the environment. The Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act (SMCRA) of 1977, as amended, created this program.
Where do minerals go after they are mined?
In both surface and underground mines, rock that contains the ore is blasted into pieces small enough to be loaded onto trucks. The ore is then transported to the mill. A mill is a type of processing plant where the ore is crushed. Valuable minerals are then separated out from the non-valuable rock.
When was the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act?
1977
The Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 (SMCRA) prohibits surface coal mining within the boundaries of any unit of the National Park System. SMCRA also provides the NPS with authority over permitting decisions regarding external surface coal mining.
How much gold is left in Alaska?
At the end of 2015 there were reserves of 162.4 million tons at 0.012 ounce of gold per ton (0.37 g/t), sufficient to carry the mine plan into year 2020, within a total identified resource of 284.4 million tons at 0.013 ounce per ton (0.40 g/t), containing 1,900,000 troy ounces (59,000 kg) of gold.
