[DJC]

[Protecting the Environment]

SURFACE MINES NEED RECLAMATINO PLANS BY '98

BY CALLIE RIDOLFI
Ridolfi Engineers

Visualize a mining project that begins with the end in mind.

It begins with a reclamation plan that defines what the site will look like when the mining ends. The plan even describes the strategy to be used and the most economical way to do it. Visualize this most challenging element of the project and you'll visualize success, for the mine operator and the community.

Of the some 1,000 surface mines operating in Washington, more than 600 are sand and gravel operations and approximately 250 are rock quarries. The remainder of the operations extract other products such as metals, industrial minerals, clay, peat and silica.

As of 1990, some 22,000 acres of land had been disturbed by surface mining and 8,000 acres had been reclaimed. The largest surface mine in the state is the Centralia coal mine, which extends over an area of 3,500 acres.

The Washington Department of Natural Resources (DNR) regulates the reclamation of non-coal surface mines in Washington. The
Reclamation and mining happen concurrently at the John Henry Mine in King County.
surface mines must have reclamation plans submitted to the regional DNR inspectors office by July of 1998. Costs for developing a reclamation plan can range from $1,000 for a simple small gravel pit to millions of dollars for a large gold mining operation such as the proposed Crown Jewel mine in Okanogan County.

How is surface mining regulated?
In Washington, the Surface Mine Reclamation Act requires a permit for surface mines that disturb more than three acres of land or that have a highwall that is greater than 30 feet high and steeper than 45 degrees. The act was amended in 1993 to assure that the surface mines are reclaimed properly and promptly. DNR is the agency responsible for ensuring that the disturbed site is reclaimed following completion of mining. Local governments are given the opportunity to comment on new or modified reclamation plans.

Surface mining of coal in Washington is regulated by the federal Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSMRE) under the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act. Reclamation of surface coal mines has been required and regulations strictly enforced under this act since 1977.

The act ensures that the environment is protected during surface coal mine operations, and that lands mined for coal are adequately reclaimed after mining is completed. It allows alternative or experimental reclamation practices to encourage technological advances in mine reclamation and innovative post-mining land uses. For example, in 1995 the OSMRE issued a directive encouraging the construction of wetlands as a post-mining land use.

In addition to reclamation laws, other regulations apply to protecting the environment from surface mining operations. Mine operations are regulated by local, state, and federal agencies. All mines are subject to the State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA).

Under SEPA, an environmental assessment is used to determine the impacts of the project, and public review and comment is included in the permitting process. Laws related to shorelines, wetlands, and forest practices further protect the environment. Water quality, discharges, and withdrawal and hazardous waste management related to mining operations are regulated by the Washington Department of Ecology. If the natural flow or bed of any water body is used, diverted, obstructed, or changed, hydraulic project approval by the Department of Fish and Wildlife is required.

Surface mines are also subject to zoning, land use and growth management regulations. Local governments must formally approve mine siting and/or the use of the site following mining prior to the mine operator receiving a reclamation permit from the DNR. Local governments may also set standards for noise levels and for mineral processing operations such as crushing. Additional regulation by state and local agencies cover landfills, air quality, burning and archeological resources.

Mining on federally-owned land is regulated by the appropriate agencies, e.g., the U.S. Forest Service (USFS); the Bureau of Land Management (BLM); the National Park Service (NPS). Safety and health issues at mines are regulated by the federal Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) and by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) if explosives are imported into the state. The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (FWS) addresses wildlife conservation through the Endangered Species Act.

What are the reclamation requirements?
Under the amended state law, a reclamation plan is required for each surface mine by 1998. The plan defines what the topography, vegetation and drainage for the site will be following mining. It describes how the mine permit-holder will achieve acceptable reclamation, the equipment necessary and how much it will cost. The plan identifies how environmental impacts will be mitigated.

A reclamation plan should be simple, practical and easy to implement. Maps and cross sections must be included in the plan. Reclamation of the mine site must meet or exceed the minimum reclamation standards required by the Washington State Surface Mining Act. The costs of implementing the plan are estimated, and the surface mine operator must post a security bond based on the projected costs of reclamation.

The reclamation plan describes the strategy that will be used by the mine operator to achieve acceptable and cost-effective reclamation. It establishes an economic limit of mining for the site based on the area available for mining and the grade of the mineral deposit.

The plan identifies and addresses mitigation of environmental impacts, establishes a sequence of mining and reclamation that will avoid unnecessary earth-moving, and identifies the equipment required.

A typical reclamation plan includes the following maps: 1) pre-mining topography map showing the permit area, slopes, drainage, property boundary, roads, utility lines, streams; 2) reclamation sequence map showing the direction, extent and mining boundaries as well as designated areas for setbacks, buffers and storage areas for topsoil and overburden; and 3) final reclamation map showing the final elevations, contours, drainage, slopes, roads and other features of the site following reclamation. The final land surface will have natural contours that blend with the surrounding topography.

How is reclamation accomplished?
The initial planning is the most challenging aspect of mine reclamation, according to David Norman, state reclamation specialist for the DNR. This first step involves thinking through the entire life-cycle of the mining process and how the site will look in the end to incorporate segmental reclamation, preserve available topsoil and avoid over excavation.

Best management practices for surface mine operation and reclamation include erosion control, storm-water management, water quality control, protection of streams, restoration of landforms and revegetation. Erosion increases sediment loads in streams and can be controlled with vegetation, diversion ditches, contours, berms and swales.

A good strategy for storm-water control is to divert overland flow and streams around the mining site. Stream buffers can be used to preserve water quality and protect riparian habitat. The lands can be shaped with contours that blend with the surrounding area, have slope angles that are stable and are consistent with the final land use. Plant selection, timing, and phased succession are important for revegetation.

As mining operations begin, topsoil at the site should be removed, stockpiled and revegetated during the interim to prevent erosion. As mining proceeds, it is most cost-effective and efficient if the topsoil and overburden removed can be used immediately to backfill mined-out areas.

In this way, the mined areas are contoured and reclaimed as the product is extracted. This results in cost savings by reducing the amount of material moved or rehandled, according to Ron Summers of Lone Star Northwest.

Lone Star has three sand and gravel operations and one active quarry in Western Washington where they have instituted progressive reclamation. Preparation, extraction and reclamation are each an intregal part of the mining process. Reclamation is planned at the onset and happens as the mine is worked. Mine planning takes the seasons into account, so that vegetation is established in time to prevent erosion from summer winds or winter rains.

Successful final revegetation is dependent on proper plant selection, timing of planting, and soil conditions. Effective multi-species revegetation is desirable, with ground cover supplemented with pioneer trees and shrubs. Native species, which are naturally adapted to local conditions, should be used for replanting if possible.

What are reclaimed mine sites used for?
Land uses following mining include wetlands and lakes, forest production and wildlife habitat. Wetlands can improve water quality, biological diversity, wildlife habitat, provide flood control and provide recreational opportunities for the surrounding community. Many mined properties have forestry potential. Technical assistance and financial incentives are available for final land use for forest production.

How much does reclamation cost?
Typical costs for reclamation can range from $1,000 to more than $15,000 per acre, depending on the size and complexity of the mine. Annual state permit fees for surface mines were increased in 1993 to $650.

With thorough planning of mine operations and reclamation strategies and by "mining to reclaim" (keeping the end in mind at the beginning), earthwork to establish the final land form can be minimized and revegetation techniques can be optimized.

The operator can complete reclamation earlier, lower mining costs and reduce the amount of the required performance bond. The result can be a productive post-mining land use that will benefit wildlife, water quality, and the surrounding community.

How the John Henry Mine was reclaimed

The John Henry Mine is a surface coal mine in Black Diamond, King County. The proposed final land use is forestry with a lake and wetland.

As the mine was developed initially, topsoil and overburden was removed and stored, and coal mining began. The stockpile of overburden was capped with topsoil and revegetated using native grasses and douglas fir trees to prevent erosion and preserve the topsoil.

As mining proceeded and the coal was mined from the initial area, backfilling of the pit began. It was then possible to use the material being removed to expose the coal as backfill in the mined-out area.

Once the areas are backfilled and regraded to approximate original contour, topsoil is replaced and vegetation is planted. In this way, reclamation is done concurrently with mining.

Callie Ridolfi, P.E., is the president of Ridolfi Engineers and Associates, Inc., a civil/environmental consulting engineering firm based in Seattle. She has over 15 years of experience in environmental management of mining, hazardous waste, and natural resource projects.

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Copyright © 1996 Seattle Daily Journal of Commerce.