Future lignite mining in the South and impacts on fish and wildlife under SMCRA
Large deposits of recoverable lignite (> 16 billion tons) occur in parts of Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas. Commercial surface mining of these reserves has occurred only in eastern Texas, but additional mining has been proposed for Texas and the other states during the 1980's. Almost all of the new mining would occur in the Southeastern Mixed Forest (Pineywoods) ecoregion, and the Prairie Parkland ecoregion of eastern Texas. Potential impacts on fish and wildlife will be lessened because of the enactment of the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 (P.L. 95-87) and the permanent program regulations. However, major impacts on fish and wildlife may still occur as a result of habitat destruction and inadequate reclamation strategies. The prevention of significant impacts will depend mostly upon the diligent implementation and enforcement of the requirements of the Act, including evaluation of fish and wildlife impacts by trained and competent biologists. These issues and research and assessment needs are discussed.
- Research Organization:
- Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (USA)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE Office of Health and Environmental Research
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-7405-ENG-26
- OSTI ID:
- 5513902
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-7910154-1
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: 33. annual conference of the Southeastern Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, Hot Springs, AR, USA, 21 Oct 1979
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Summary of fish and wildlife information needs to surface mine coal in the United States. Part 3. A handbook for meeting fish and wildlife information needs to surface mine coal: OSM Region II. Final report
Summary of fish and wildlife information needs to surface mine coal in the United States. Part 3. A handbook for meeting fish and wildlife information needs to surface mine coal: OSM Region IV. Final report
Related Subjects
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
SURFACE MINING
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS
ALABAMA
ARKANSAS
COAL DEPOSITS
ENFORCEMENT
FISHES
FORESTS
IMPLEMENTATION
LIGNITE
LOUISIANA
MAPS
MISSISSIPPI
PLANNING
SURFACE MINING ACTS
TEXAS
WILD ANIMALS
ANIMALS
AQUATIC ORGANISMS
BROWN COAL
CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS
COAL
ENERGY SOURCES
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
GEOLOGIC DEPOSITS
LAWS
MINING
MINING LAWS
NORTH AMERICA
RESOURCES
SOUTHEAST REGION
SOUTHWEST REGION
USA
VERTEBRATES
010900* - Coal
Lignite
& Peat- Environmental Aspects
510500 - Environment
Terrestrial- Site Resource & Use Studies- (-1989)