Coal surface mining reclamation costs: Appalachian and Midwestern coal supply districts

Technical Report · Wed Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1975

OSTI ID:7338544

Evans, R J; Bitler, J R

Reclamation costs were estimated for 20 coal surface mining operations in the Appalachian and Midwestern Coal Supply Districts. The cost data were obtained through onsite observations, interviews with mining company personnel, and the authors' cost estimating procedures. The cost data are presented in terms of dollars per acre, dollars per ton of coal produced, and dollars per cubic yard of overburden moved during backfilling. The reclamation process is divided into three cost categories: Premining planning, backfilling, and revegetation. The average total reclamation costs for the three regions are $2.77 per ton of coal produced and $8,168 per acre. As the result of comparisons of reclamation costs by region, by mining method, by slope, and by size of operation, it was found that the most important reclamation cost difference is between area mining methods ($1.73 per ton) and contour mining methods ($3.81 per ton). This study was conducted to determine as accurately as possible the actual costs involved with the reclamation of surface-mined coal land in active mining operations.

• Research Organization: Bureau of Mines, Pittsburgh, Pa. (USA). Eastern Field Operation Center-Field and Environmental Activities
• OSTI ID: 7338544
• Report Number(s): BM-IC-8695
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT
010900* -- Coal
Lignite
& Peat-- Environmental Aspects
510500 -- Environment
Terrestrial-- Site Resource & Use Studies-- (-1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
BACKFILLING
COAL MINING
COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS
COST
LAND RECLAMATION
MINING
NORTH AMERICA
PLANNING
REVEGETATION
SURFACE MINING
USA