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Title: Illinois abandoned mined lands reclamation program: a progress report

Conference · · Univ. Ky., Off. Eng. Serv., (Bull.); (United States)
OSTI ID:5579461

The Illinois Abandoned Mined Lands Reclamation Council (AMLRC), created in 1975, is responsible for the abatement of hazardous and environmental problems associated with pre-law abandoned coal mines throughout the State. The availability of federal funds for reclamation, through passage of the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 (SMCRA), greatly expanded the program. With funds provided through early cooperative agreements and current annual grants from the federal Office of Surface Mining (OSM), the State has reclaimed, or is currently reclaiming, 182 mine sites and has assisted OSM in the abatement of 67 emergency situations. This paper reviews the progress made by the AMLRC in dealing with the State's abandoned mine problems. Specifically, the numbers and types of problem sites reclaimed annually, their costs, and reclamation methods are identified. Progress of the program relative to the entire State's abandoned mine problems is reviewed. The effects of other reclamation factors, such as natural revegetation, remaining privately-funded reclamation, and secondary carbon recovery, on the overall scope of the State's program are also examined. General comments are made concerning grant preparation, State-OSM cooperation and AML-Inventory control. Selected reclamation projects and techniques are also discussed. 11 references, 3 tables.

Research Organization:
Abandoned Mined Lands Reclamation Council, Springfield, IL
OSTI ID:
5579461
Report Number(s):
CONF-851213-
Journal Information:
Univ. Ky., Off. Eng. Serv., (Bull.); (United States), Conference: 7. annual national symposium on surface mining, hydrology, sedimentology and reclamation, Lexington, KY, USA, 8 Dec 1985
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English