Science Unit 4 Lesson 4 Flashcards
Approximately how many acres of land have been surface mined in the US. What happned to this land?
Approximately 8.4 million acres of land have been surface mined in the United States. For many years, mines were simply abandoned, leaving huge scars on local landscapes.
What is Land Reclmation?
to restore land degraded from mining operations / is the effort to restore the land from a mining site.
What does mitigate mean? What is Land reclmation intended to do?
To offset, make less severe, or alleviate. Land reclamation is intended to mitigate the environmental damage caused by surface mining.
What was the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act (SMCRA) 1977 and what did it do?
Though this legislation was applicable to just coal mines, it became the foundation for setting standards for all surface mining reclamation. Now a mining company must get a permit before mining can begin. As part of that permitting process, the company must present a detailed reclamation plan for the area when the mine is closed.
What are the three major components to reclaim land from surface mining operations?
.First step is replacing and reforming land where digging has been done.
.Another component is the cleanup of environmental hazards and contamination, particularly of water.
.Lastly is either revitalizing ecosystems through appropriate vegetation and wildlife introduction or development of land for appropriate use.
What is Land Reclamation main goals?
.Removal of hazardous materials or environmental dangers to the public
.Restoration of local wildlife and environmental engineering to promote local ecosystem health
.Repurposing land to add economic value to local communities
What changes were brought upon the mining sites before the Reclamation act existed?
Prior to the introduction of legislation and regulations, little consideration was given to how the land was left when a mine was closed. There remain millions of acres of land scarred by mines that are no longer operational. Nothing has changed because these lands are abandoned.
Conflicts when trying to enforce Land reclamation?
This is a basic conflict of interest. Certainly it is more profitable for a mining company to keep reclamation efforts to a minimum when there is no profit to be had.
Reclamation can be very expensive, often running to more than ___million for a small site.
1.5
Where do they get the money for land reclamation?
The primary source is the mining company itself. Other sources of funds include federal grants, government-collected mining fees, partnerships for development (if the land will have a commercial use), and environmental nonprofit organization grants.
