Reclamation |
Mined land must be returned to its approximate original contour, with the exception of mountaintop removal operations, in accordance with the federal Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977. According to the 1977 law, mountaintops may be reclaimed as flat land, leaving the land more valuable for development. Reclaimed land must be as useful as the land was before mining. Land is frequently more valuable and useful after mining reclamation. Stringent regulations govern the design, operation, and environmental impact of every mine. Mining and reclamation sites are inspected on a regular basis by state inspectors. Federal inspectors also conduct random oversight inspections. Kentucky coal operators through FY 2004 have paid $898.6 million into the Federal Abandoned Mine Land program to reclaim land mined prior to August 3, 1977. Before surface mining begins, Kentucky coal operators must post bonds to ensure proper reclamation. Under Kentucky’s 1984 Permanent Program or “Primacy Program”, bonds are not fully released until a coal operator has demonstrated five years of consecutive successful reclamation (see chart below). As of December 2005, the Kentucky mining industry had a total of 8,502 outstanding bonds, valued at $779.9 million. The bonds assure timely and successful reclamation. Mining reclamation bonds are released in the following phases: |
|
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Bond Release |
Reclamation |
% of Bond |
Time/Phase Requirement |
|
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Phase I |
Backfilling, grading, seeding, and drainage |
60% |
Complete landscaping |
Phase II |
Vegetation |
25% |
Two years of successful reclamation |
Phase III |
Final |
15% |
Five years of consecutive successful reclamation |
|
Successful Mining Reclamation / Primacy Bond Releases, 1984-2005 |
Phase I |
Phase II |
Phase III |
|||||||
Year |
# of Releases |
Acres* |
Bond |
# of Releases |
Acres* |
Bond |
# of Releases |
Acres* |
Bond |
|
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1984 |
4 |
123 |
$ 277,886 |
- |
- |
$ |
- |
- |
$ |
1985 |
40 |
767 |
1,946,323 |
2 |
84 |
79,841 |
1 |
8 |
$11,600 |
1986 |
248 |
6,361 |
16,781,470 |
- |
- |
- |
1 |
14 |
16,800 |
1987 |
332 |
8,379 |
21,390,109 |
11 |
253 |
289,767 |
4 |
155 |
284,300 |
1988 |
561 |
15,583 |
38,194,394 |
57 |
1,303 |
1,261,810 |
- |
- |
- |
1989 |
446 |
16,777 |
32,058,350 |
60 |
1,632 |
1,967,811 |
3 |
21 |
38,500 |
1990 |
533 |
15,383 |
28,108,146 |
260 |
7,298 |
6,221,870 |
51 |
1,697 |
1,569,147 |
1991 |
626 |
14,642 |
28,373,662 |
428 |
12,667 |
11,200,897 |
130 |
2,958 |
6,890,877 |
1992 |
670 |
18,278 |
33,822,612 |
477 |
13,338 |
11,489,035 |
255 |
8,101 |
6,811,872 |
1993 |
498 |
13,893 |
25,386,134 |
416 |
12,661 |
11,242,965 |
448 |
15,986 |
8,629,089 |
1994 |
452 |
15,933 |
27,423,038 |
319 |
10,828 |
9,768,647 |
406 |
14,098 |
8,709,946 |
1995 |
525 |
16,650 |
32,343,224 |
427 |
13,141 |
12,399,017 |
517 |
18,419 |
16,338,524 |
1996 |
619 |
23,968 |
47,602,996 |
419 |
14,784 |
17,378,599 |
784 |
27,018 |
22,365,232 |
1997 |
393 |
13,179 |
23,571,000 |
373 |
13,323 |
13,463,098 |
806 |
30,768 |
29,923,783 |
1998 |
351 |
12,646 |
28,589,902 |
255 |
8,104 |
9,370,064 |
747 |
21,387 |
18,859,893 |
1999 | 357 | 11,259 | 20,644,178 | 192 | 5,971 | 6,719,383 | 602 | 19,774 | 23,043,414 |
2000 | 285 | 10,237 | 18,529,971 | 206 | 6,380 | 9,449,942 | 587 | 20,678 | 17,215,050 |
2001 | 268 | 9,837 | 13,321,034 | 175 | 7,963 | 12,064,790 | 439 | 13,274 | 14,176,508 |
2002 | 398 | 14,380 | 19,236,198 | 142 | 5,929 | 6,130,207 | 449 | 15,384 | 16,013,176 |
2003 | 396 | 12,296 | 16,879,563 | 143 | 5,855 | 5,424,044 | 367 | 10,462 | 11,291,162 |
2004 | 328 | 11,974 | 18,229,856 | 136 | 3,941 | 3,581,106 | 412 | 10,772 | 13,163,416 |
2005 | 241 | 9,216 | 15,148,893 | 131 | 4,922 | 3,980,049 | 314 | 12,732 | 12,419,565 |
|
|||||||||
Total |
8,571 |
271,761 |
$507,858,939 |
4,629 |
150,377 |
$153,482,942 |
7,323 |
243,706 |
$227,771,854 |
|
*Note: Includes surface acreage over
underground mines.
Source: Kentucky Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Cabinet, Department for Surface Mining, Reclamation & Enforcement.. |