A Guide to State Program 

for the Reclamation 

of Surface Mined Areas 

GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 

CIRCULAR 731 

Resource and 

Land Investigations 

(RAL1) Program 
A Guide to State Programs 

for the Reclamation 

of Surface Mined Areas 

By Edgar A. Imhoff, Thomas 0. Friz, and James R. LaFevers 

GEOLOGICAL SURVEY CIRCULAR 73I 

The status, content, and general trend 

of State programs for the reclamation 

of surface mined areas. 

Resource and Land Investigations 

(RALI) Program 

1976 
United States Department of the Interior 

THOMAS S. KLEPPE, Secretory 

Geological Survey 

V. E. McKelvey, Director 

Library of Congress catalog-card No. 76-600011 

Free on application to Branch of Distribution, U.S. Geological Survey 

1200 South Eads Street, Arlington, Va. 22202 
CONTENTS 

Page 

Glossary of selected terms I V 

Abstract 1 

Introduction 1 

Sources of information 2 

Acknowledgments 2 

A primer on surface mining and related reclamation 2 

Open pit mining 3 

Quarrying 4 

Pit mining 4 

Area mining 4 

Contour mining 5 

Auger mining 6 

Dredge mining 6 

Non-Federal governmental controls 7 

State legislation : origin and trends 7 

State and local controls 9 

The matrix : approach and terms used 9 

Matrix entries 10 

Columns 2-4, stage of program development 10 

Columns 5-8, State law 10 

Columns 9-15, reclamation—main actions and standards 11 

Columns 16-19, requirements for land-use planning 23 

Columns 20-22, special provisions 24 

Column 23, substitute lands, and column 24, financial or economic 

analyses 25 

The State programs : common threads, differences, and trends 25 

Stages of development 25 

The permit process 25 

Mining method 26 

Overriding objectives 26 

The doctrine of reasonableness 26 

Flexible interpretation of State laws 27 

Attention called to other laws 27 

The planning process 27 

Conclusions 28 

References cited 29 

A directory to State sources of information on surface mined-area reclamation 

programs, 1975 30 

ILLUSTRATIONS 

Page 

FIGURES 1-13. Photographs showing1. Open pit copper mine in Arizona near Tucson 2 

2. "Tailings" consisting of fine-grained rock products that 

have been transported by pipeline from a nearby site 

of copper-ore processing near Tucson, Arizona 3 

3. Area of copper mine waste rock in Arizona reclaimed by 

the irrigation of introduced (nonnative) species of 

grasses, shrubs, and trees 4 

III 
rage 

FIGURE 4. Limestone quarry in Wisconsin 5 

5. Abandoned quarry which has been converted into a park 

for water-oriented recreation in Wisconsin 6 

6. Sand and gravel pit in the Los Angeles area of California 6 

7. Mined-out gravel pit converted to a prime residential area 

through grading, water control, and revegetation in 

Wisconsin 7 

8. Area mine in Indiana showing soil removal underway, 

overburden removal by dragline, coal removal from 

floor of cut, and ungraded spoil ridges 8 

9. Farmlands and ponds created through the reclamation of 

an area mine in Indiana 9 

10. High-value residences in Indiana on lake occupying the 

"last cut" of an area mine 11 

11. Results of head-of-hollow fill method of disposing of overburden and rock waste from a contour mine in West 

Virginia 11 

12. Equipment used to drill laterally into a coalbed exposed 

in contour mining 23 

13. Dredge mining for gold near Yuba City, California 24 

14. Sketch of the concept of integrated mining, reclamation, 

and land-use planning 25 

TABLES 

Page 

TABLE 1. Matrix of information on State surface mined-area reclamation 

programs 12 

2. Hypothetical example of State and local controls and permits 

required for a surface mine 22 

GLOSSARY OF SELECTED . TERMS 

[These definitions of terms are generalised. Co nsequently, the definitions will probably not conform in detail to the "official" definitions of a State. Nor will one State's definitions—official or 

as used informally—necessarily equate with those of another State] 

Area mining. A method of surface mining in lands of Contour mining. The general term for surface mining 

relatively gentle slopes and flat-lying bedrocks or in steep terrain, in which overburden is removed 

mineral deposits through the digging of a succession and the mineral or rock is mined by cutting into a 

of contiguous parallel pits. In a given pit or cut, sloping land surface and then "following" the minoverburden removed is cast (placed) in the mined- eral or bedrock along a hillside with continuous 

out cut immediately adjacent. excavations being made at approximately the same 

Auger mining. The process of extracting coal at a cutface elevation. 

or highwall by drilling holes laterally into an ex- Cutface. An unmined steep side of a pit, mine cut, or 

posed coalbed with a large-diameter auger type bit quarry. 

that delivers coal at the point of entry as the bit Highwall. (1) The unexcavated face of exposed overadvances into the wall or face. burden and bedrock in a surface mine; (2) The 

Backfill and grade. To place soil, overburden, or waste face or bank on the uphill side of a contour mine. 

rock into a surface mine excavation and level or Last cut. In area mining, the last linear excavation made 

shape this fill material to a desired surface con- as a result of which a highwall remains. 

figuration. Original contour. The pre-mining surface configuration 

Bench. (1) The surface of an excavated area at some of the land, not necessarily the pre-mining elevation. 

point between the material being mined and the Overburden. Soil, rock, and other materials which overlie 

original surface of the ground on which equipment mineral deposits and are removed in surface mining. 

can move or operate; (2) A working road or base Reclamation. The process of converting mined land to 

below a highwall as in contour mining for coal. its former or other productive uses. (Modified from 

Box cut. A rectangular excavation made at the initia- Bituminous Coal Research, Inc., 1974.) 

tion of a surface mine by removing the overburden Spoil. Overburden or mineral waste excavated and refrom bedrock so that essentially vertical walls result. deposited in surface mining. 

IV 
;poll ridge. A series of contiguous piles of spoil deposited 

adjacent and roughly parallel to the mine excavation. 

Spoil peak. The highest point of an individual spoil pile. 

Strike-off. To reduce the height and slope of spoil piles 

by mechanically truncating the peaks and smoothing out narrow ridges, generally with a motor grader 

or dozer. 

Subsoil. The B soil horizon or profile, or, in soils with 

weak profile development, the soil below the surface 

soil in which roots normally grow. (Modified from 

Bituminous Coal Research, Inc., 1974.) 

Substitute lands. Lands previously mined that are reclaimed in lieu of the reclamation of lands at the 

active or planned mine site. 

Survival standards. Standards to measure the effectiveness of the revegetation phase of reclamation by the 

extent to which seeded or planted species become 

capable of self-regenerative growth (usually measured by percent of area having specific types of 

growing plants and the sizes of plant-devoid areas). 

Terraced. Land that is cut or gracien into a succession 

of gently sloping benches and steep inclines. Terrace 

types: 

(a) Absorptive—a ridge type of terrace used primarily for moisture conservation ; 

(b) Bench—a horizontal or gently sloping terrace 

approximately on the contour, having a steep drop 

to the slope below ; 

(c) drainage—a broad channel-type terrace used 

primarily to conduct water from the area at a 

low velocity ; adapted to less absorptive soil and 

regions of high rainfall. (Modified from Bituminous Coal Research, Inc., 1974.) 

Topsoil. The surface portion of the soil profile or overburden, which may be darkened by organic material ; 

usually the most suitable medium for plant growth. 

Toxic material. Any substance present in sufficient concentration or amount to injure plant or animal life. 

V 

A Guide to State Programs for the Reclamation of Surface Mined Areas 

By EDGAR A. IMHOFF,1THOMAS 0. FRIZ,1and JAMES R. LAFEVERS2 

ABSTRACT 

During 1975 inquiries of agencies in each State and 

review of State statutes and related administrative codes 

revealed that 38 States have established programs requiring the reclamation of surface mined lands. Results 

of analyses of those programs and ancillary data are presented in : (1) A table (matrix) which has been designed 

for the notation and elaboration of information pertaining to the mined-area reclamation programs of the 50 

States; (2) a primer on surface mining activities and 

related reclamation practices and problems; and (3) a 

listing of types of non-Federal governmental controls 

applicable to reclamation. Interpretations of the status 

and content of State programs suggest that although a 

common thread runs through State statutory language, 

administrative requirements vary from State to State in 

order to meet different natural, economic, social, and political considerations. A general trend is seen in State 

programs toward the requiring of an integration of landuse planning and mine planning, with increased local 

governmental involvement. 

INTRODUCTION 

Reclamation of surface mined lands in the 

United States is a topic of considerable interest to 

environmentalists, resource developers, energy 

suppliers, and ultimately, every citizen who enjoys the fuel, metals, chemicals, building materials, and increased agricultural productivity that 

result from such mining activities. In 1975 the 

Geological Survey, through the Department of 

the Interior Resource and Land Investigations 

program, interviewed agencies in the 50 States, in 

order to determine the existence, status, and general content of State regulatory programs which 

address the statutory objectives of reclamation of 

surface mined lands for long-term beneficial land 

use. Because of the increased interest during 1975 

in energy and other resources within the United 

States, this report should be of interest and utility 

to land and resource planners, as well as to the 

1 U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, Virginia. 

2 Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, Illinois. 

administrators, technicians, and elected officials 

who are involved in decisions relating to resource 

development requiring surface mining and the 

subsequent reclamation of mined areas. 

The number of State programs designed specifically for mined-area reclamation has increased 

from one in 1939, with the initial action of West 

Virginia, to 38 States in 1975. Thirty-two of the 

State programs became effective during 1970-75. 

In several of the remaining 12 States, draft legislation abounds and all 50 States are likely to 

have programs by 1980. 

If present legislative and administrative trends 

continue, mined-area programs of States will appear largely as separate responses to individually 

perceived needs. As this report will show, however, most of the programs now coming on line are 

directed toward increasing integration of the 

formerly separate activities of local public planning, private mining, and State-private reclamation. Resource managers and planners, private as 

well as public, are being called upon to join mine 

operators, engineers, and scientists in addressing 

the complex technical tasks required in an 

integration of land planning, mining, and 

reclamation. 

The aim of this report is modest—it is intended 

to be a cursory display, analysis, and interpretation of the State programs for the reclamation of 

surface mine lands. Underground mining, lands 

underlying freshwater lakes, and submarine lands 

of the Continental Shelf are not covered. "Orphan" mined lands (lands mined but not reclaimed) are not discussed. State public land laws 

and Federal land and mineral laws receive only 

brief mention, and local planning considerations 

are treated in very cursory fashion. These omissions in coverage are due entirely to logistical 

considerations and should not be interpreted as 

rendering unimportant the omitted topics. 

1 
There is no intention to indicate or present an 

overall judgment of the merit of the State role or 

to assess the effectiveness of the various State 

reclamation programs. Such undertakings would 

indeed require a very bold charter and a program 

familiarity far beyond that possessed by the 

authors. 

SOURCES OF INFORMATION 

The principal sources of information for this 

report consist of the printed laws, rules and regulations, and guidelines of the individual States, 

plus oral and written communications with many 

of the State mined-area reclamationists.3State 

officials and agencies providing information are 

listed in the "Directory." 

This report is also based on field visits by the 

authors to surface mining and reclamation sites in 

27 of the 50 States. 

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 

We acknowledge especially the many diligent 

skilled professionals in State governments who 

took precious time from actual mined-area reclamation activities to review and comment upon 

much of the information supporting this report. 

Any residual errors of fact and all interpretations 

are the responsibility of the authors. 

A special acknowledgment is extended to Dr. 

Allen F. Agnew, Congressional Research Service, 

for his commentaries throughout the data collection and writing, and for his encouragement. 

We thank the following employees of the U.S. 

Geological Survey for their technical review of 

the complete manuscript : Richard F. Hadley, 

William R. Keefer, and William Kockelman. 

A PRIMER ON SURFACE MINING AND 

RELATED RECLAMATION 

"In the early years of surface mining, major emphasis was placed on 'recovery of the mineral,' with little 

or no regard to 'recovery of the land.' Initial lack of 

concern for the environment caused increasingly stringent strip mine legislation. Reclamation has now become 

an integral part of most surface mining operations, and 

has caused some major revisions in mining techniques, 

particularly in the East. Current practice is to incorporate reclamation with the mining sequence, and not to 

regard it as a separate operation." (Skelly and Loy, 

Engineers and Consultants, 1975, p. 2-5.) 

3 A term adopted informally by State regulatory personnel 

to describe the function of administering a program for the 

conversion of mined lands to productive use. 

Resource and land-use planning practices can 

be enhanced through awareness of the importance 

and nature of surface mining and related minedarea reclamation. As reported by Paone and others (1974, p. 7), 86 percent of the crude ore handled by the U.S. mining industry in 1971 came 

from surface mines. This included all the sand 

and gravel and phosphate, 98 percent of the clay, 

96 percent of the stone, 94 percent of the iron ore, 

90 percent of the copper, and 51 percent of the 

coal. From 1930 through 1971, land utilized in 

surface mining included 2,170,000 acres (870,000 

hectares) for mine excavations, 733,000 acres 

(293,000 hectares) for overburden and waste rock 

FIGURE 1.—Open pit copper mine in Arizona, near Tucson. Vertical scale is indicated by the 60-foot masts 

of two drill rigs on bench in center foreground. More 

than 99 percent of the material removed from this 

open pit has been deposited on nearby lands. 

2 
disposal, and 454,000 acres (182,000 hectares) for 

process waste and tailings. Of the 3,357,000 total 

acres (1,343,000 hectares)disturbed over this period, 1,436,000 acres (574,000 hectares) were reclaimed. The unreclaimed acreages represent 

active open pits and quarries and strip mines 

operated before the advent of State mined-area 

reclamation laws. 

The variety of State mining laws and regulations shown in table 1 covers all the surface mining methods now in use in the United States, with 

the possible exception of subaqueous coastal zone 

mining.4The major methods are open pit, quarry, 

pit, area, contour, auger, and dredge mining. A 

brief description of each of these mining methods 

is included to define the method, point out basic 

characteristics, and show the wide range of surface disturbance that can occur. Basic mined-area 

reclamation techniques and associated constraints 

are also presented. 

4 Grant (1973) describes ocean mining methods and outlines 

the status and content of State regulations on mining (petroleum excluded) on the Continental Shelf. 

OPEN PIT MINING 

Open pit or open cut mines (fig. 1) are used 

primarily to extract metallic minerals from nearsurface ore bodies. These mines tend to be deep—

some in excess of 1,000 feet (305 metres). Mining 

usually continues uninterrupted for many years 

and produces large amounts of waste rock and 

"tailings," the term for the finely ground waste 

rock and chemically leached material from which 

valuable minerals have been extracted. 

Reclamation of open pit mines is difficult because of the constraints represented by : (1) Large 

volumes of wastes (up to 99 percent of material 

mined in copper mines is waste) ; (2) sharp differences in physical and chemical characteristics 

of wastes from the same pit; and (3) the deep 

excavation left when mining is concluded. Large 

acreages of land—sometimes hundreds of acres 

per mine—are used for waste disposal. Reclamation of tailing ponds is difficult because of the 

fine-grained nature of the waste, which tends to 

become windblown when dry and physically unstable when wet. Because of textural and chemical 

problems, tailings (fig. 2) are difficult to revegeFIGURE 2.—"Tailings" consisting of fine-grained rock products that have been transported by pipeline from a nearby 

site of copper-ore processing near Tucson, Arizona. Reclamation of tailings is still in experimental stages. 

3 
tate. As indicated in figure 3, revegetation has 

been accomplished on some of the wastes from 

open pit mines. Coarse rock wastes are sometimes 

used as aggregate, and overburden has been used 

for agriculture. A study team at the University 

of Arizona (Matter and others, 1974) designed 

comprehensive plan alternatives (using scale 

models) for open pit copper mines and mine waste 

disposal areas. Zube (1963) suggested land uses 

and landscape design principles for the reclamation of taconite areas in Wisconsin. Active open 

pits, as compared to area coal mines, provide 

fewer opportunities for simultaneous mining and 

reclamation because of inherent conflicts in land 

use that prevail as long as mining is underway. 

When mining ceases, the problem of sequential 

use of the pit is tied primarily to economic 

feasibility. 

QUARRYING 

Quarries are used to extract stone for ornamental and building purposes or as a source of 

FIGURE 3.—Reclamation of copper mine waste rock in 

Arizona has been accompanied by the irrigation of 

introduced (nonnative) species of grasses, shrubs, 

and trees. 

crushed stone for construction materials or chemicals. Quarries vary considerably in size and depth, 

depending upon the quality, use, and physical 

characteristics of the rock mined (fig. 4). Quarries generally are not as deep as open pit mines, 

although depths to 200 feet (61 metres) are not 

uncommon. Normally, quarries are active for extended periods of time, some operations continuing for more than 100 years. Waste rock production from quarries is small, and therefore surface 

disposal of waste is usually not a serious probleth. 

Reclamation of a quarry site commonly is difficult 

because of steep sides, great depths, and lack of 

drainage. Recreation (fig. 5) is probably the most 

common reclamation objective. An imaginative 

reclamation plan was prepared by Angster and 

others (1970) for the eventual conversion of a 

crushed stone quarry to a site for an apartment 

complex. 

PIT MINING 

Pits are the most common type of excavation 

for sand, gravel, or clay. They tend to be shallow—rarely exceeding 100 feet (30 metres) in 

depth—and generally have limited surface extent 

(fig. 6). The large number of pits is the result of 

the high demand for sand and gravel and the 

relatively small volume of these materials normally in any one deposit. Most communities are 

served by one or more sand and gravel pit. Clay 

pits are dug less frequently than sand and gravel 

pits but are nonetheless numerous. Relatively 

little waste is produced by pit mining. Unmarketable overburden or other materials may be bypassed during mining or returned to the pit after 

processing. The extent of reclamation of pits 

varies rather directly according to the nearness 

of urban communities. Urban lands are generally 

valuable, and reclamation of pits for planned sequential use is often required by local units of 

government. In the Midwestern United. States 

many pits have been reclaimed for water-oriented 

residential development (fig. 7). 

AREA MINING 

Area mining is used to extract near-surface 

bedded deposits in flat-lying terrain. Coal and 

coastal plain phosphate are most commonly extracted using area mining methods. The overburden is removed from the first cut, followed by 

removal of the mineral material. A second paral4 
FIGURE 4.—Limestone quarry in Wisconsin. The life of a quarry usually spans many years, with significant reclamation possible only after final shutdown. 

lel cut is then made, and the overburden removed 

is placed into the pit resulting from the first cut. 

The series of parallel cuts progresses across the 

property until the depth of overburden and coal 

characteristics make the mine uneconomic or until 

property boundaries are reached. Some area mines 

now reach depths of 200 feet (61 metres). Large 

tracts of land tend to be disturbed by area mining, but only a narrow tract of land is unreclaimed at any given time. Figure 8 shows a mine 

in which grading or levelling of spoil has taken 

place only two ridges away from an active mine 

cut. Area mines reclaimed for agricultural, residential, and recreational purposes are shown in 

figures 9 and 10. 

CONTOUR MINING 

Contour mining is used principally to extract 

coal that crops out along the sides of steep hills, 

the mine following the coal seam around the hillside. The overburden above the coal is removed, 

followed by the coal. Overburden up to 150 feet 

deep (46 metres) can be handled—depending on 

coal thickness and quality. Auger mining may be 

used to extract additional coal from the coal seam 

exposed in the highwall. Handling of overburden 

creates problems in contour mining because of the 

little working space available. Historically, reclamation involved casting the overburden down hill 

slopes. Modern practice emphasizes replacing 

overburden in the contour mine immediately after 

coal removal. Mountaintop mining is a variation 

of both contour and area mining. Some of the 

overburden removed to expose the coal is placed 

in head-of-hollow fills (fig. 11), and the remaining overburden is placed in the previous cuts. The 

entire coal seam is mined progressively, as in area 

mining. Grading of the spoil creates flat to gently rolling topography which can support a variety of sequential land uses. 

5 
FIGURE 5.—Abandoned quarry which has been converted 

into a park for water-oriented recreation, Wisconsin. 

AUGER MINING 

Auger mining utilizes auger drills several feet 

in diameter that can penetrate several hundred 

feet (usually in a horizontal direction) into a coal 

seam and extract the coal. Auger mining is used 

commonly with contour mining to recover additional reserves of coal from the bank or highwall 

(fig. 12). When the overburden becomes too thick 

to allow economical contour stripping to continue 

and underground mining would be uneconomical 

or hazardous, an auger is used to remove additional coal. 

Auger mining requires that the last strip cut be 

left open for access of equipment and removal of 

the coal. Thus the final reclamation of the contour 

mine must be delayed until extraction of coal by 

the auger is complete. 

DREDGE MINING 

Dredge mining involves the continuous removal 

and processing of unconsolidated mineral deposits. The dredge is basically a floating platform 

(fig. 13) containing continuous digging or suction 

equipment to extract the mineral and processing 

equipment to segregate and remove the valuable 

FIGURE 6.—Sand and gravel pit in Los Angeles area of 

California. Reclamation of sand and gravel pits in 

urban areas is facilitated by high land values. 

mineral fraction. Dredges are used in the United 

States to mine sand and gravel deposits and 

placer gold deposits where water is available to 

float a dredge. Dredges are limited to digging 

depths of about 120 feet (36 metres). Dredging 

of sand and gravel results commonly in creation 

of a lake, as most of the excavated material is 

removed for sale. Dredging for gold, however, 

results in removal of but a minute portion of the 

material handled by the dredge. Waste disposal 

and subsequent reclamation of gold-dredged land 

is a considerable problem because waste material 

from gold dredging is stacked behind the dredge, 

creating spoil piles not unlike those of area mining. Reclamation of this waste is difficult because 

of the gravelly nature of the waste, lack of topsoil to re-establish plant growth after mining, and 

potential for flooding due to the location of most 

dredging operations in stream beds and valley 

floors. 

6 
FIGURE 7.—Mined-out gravel pit converted to prime residential area through grading, water control, and revegetation in Wisconsin. 

NON-FEDERAL GOVERNMENTAL 

CONTROLS 

STATE LEGISLATION: ORIGIN AND TRENDS 

The reclamation of surface mined lands in the 

United States began in the Midwest in the 1920's 

as a voluntary experimental program initiated by 

coal companies attempting to establish, at minimum costs, quick-growth forests on ungraded 

spoil heaps (Carter and others, 1974) . Successful 

reforestation was demonstrated in West Virginia 

and was followed in Indiana by the successful 

conversion of strip mined land to pasture and to 

row crops at Meadowlark farms, near Terre 

Haute. The demonstration of reclamation capability and of the potential for recovery of costs (if 

not profit) provided substantial impetus for the 

first State mined-land reclamation laws, enacted 

in West Virginia in 1939, Illinois in 1943, Indiana 

in 1941, Pennsylvania in 1945, Ohio in 1947, and 

Kentucky in 1954. 

Early State reclamation laws addressed only 

coal mining. Rules were promulgated requiring 

revegetation and, in some cases, reduction of spoil 

pile slopes as a means of converting strip mined 

land to a land-cover type that would be of economic value and would reduce erosion. 

In the 1950's and 1960's, revisions in the early 

laws and the new laws of additional States normally added requirements for soil conservation 

and for water quality control at the site (an objective addressed also by intensified activities in 

Federal and State pollution control laws). 

Near the close of the 1960's, States began expanding coverage of the law to all minerals, and 

the new State laws tended to address land-use 

planning relationships to reclamation. Detailed 

standards were developed relating to all the major 

activities that occur at a mine site—before, during, and after mineral removal—and to the impact of the mining and reclamation activity on the 

surrounding environment. 

7 
8 
FIGURE 9.—Farmlands and ponds created through the reclamation of area mine in Indiana. Techniques for such 

reclamation were developed during the 1930's. 

The decade of the 1970's has been characterized 

by new programs that treat mining as an interim 

land use. This emerging concept, illustrated in 

figure 14, is being expressed increasingly in State 

legislation. 

STATE AND LOCAL CONTROLS 

Besides the governmental programs specifically 

termed "mined-area reclamation," a great number 

of other local and State controls of various kinds 

pertain to the integrated set of activities that 

occur over time at the "average" surface mine site. 

The number and type of controls vary by locale 

and by State. The hypothetical example given in 

table 2 suggests that the mine operator may have 

to obtain literally dozens of governmental permits 

(excluding Federal) if the mining, reclamation, 

and land-use activities that ensue at the site are 

to be lawful. Table 2 is based on a review of State 

and local legislation, State and local plans, and 

environmental impacts statements. See also Bisselle and others (1975, p. IV-22.). 

THE MATRIX: APPROACH AND TERMS 

USED 

A matrix of 24 items by 50 items (table 1) is 

the focal point of this report. The following text 

explains the rationale of the matrix and establishes the meaning of the terms used in subtitles 

and in column headings. 

4 FIGURE 8.—Area mine in Indiana showing soil removal underway on left, overburden removal by dragline in background, coal removal from floor of cut in the center, and ungraded spoil ridges in the right 

foreground. Cut is about 60 feet (18 metres) deep. Area in upper right is reclaimed land mined 1 to 

2 years before. 

9 
Explanation of entries in table 1 

Entry Meaning 

Indicates the absence of a specific requirement or program element. No specific mention of this topic is made in the State Act 

or in the rules or regulations, but the topic may be addressed 

in administrative orders or in current professional practice 

extant in that State. 

X Affirms the existence of a requirement or program element ; means 

that the wording in the column heading applies to the given 

State. 

An entry phrase Affirms that the subject of the column heading is covered in the 

or sentence not State. Also supplies detailed information useful in showing the 

in parentheses individual character of the State program. 

(A note set in Used to modify an X entry or note entry by giving an example, 

parentheses) showing an exception (if so stated), or refining the main information presented. 

Explanation of Symbols 

> Greater than 

Greater than or equal to 

Less than or equal to 

Definition of Technical Terms 

See "Glossary", page IV. 

Conversion Equation For English to Metric 

Units 

1 foot (ft) =0.30 metres (m) 

1 acre=0.40 hectares (ha) 

Special Note on Heading of Column 21 

The provision cited is a possible pre-application, blanket exclusion of surface mining 

from areas declared "off limits" on the basis of explicit criteria. 

MATRIX ENTRIES 

All 50 States are listed in the matrix even 

though there are no entries or notations under 

some column headings. Blank spaces signify the 

absence in a given State of a regulatory program 

for the reclamation of surface mined areas pertaining to all lands within a State. Where State 

laws on mined-area reclamation cover only certain 

lands (for example, Arizona) , this is indicated by 

a note across the columns. Several States require 

reclamation of State-owned lands. Some States 

(e.g., Rhode Island) have little State-owned land 

open to mining, but local land-use control processes address mineral extraction. In addition, proposed Federal rules for reclamation apply in the 

States that have Federal lands open to mining.5 

This report, however, concentrates upon the specifically named programs that apply mined-area 

reclamation laws to the total area of a State. 

COLUMNS 2-4, STATE OF PROGRAM 

DEVELOPMENT 

The sequence of the headings 2 through 4 follows the normal order of progression of State 

legislation and follow-up administrative action, 

deliberately omitting a bill phase. At any given 

time, some States are initiating new programs and 

other States are revising existing programs. The 

heading Act(s) refers to the existence of a kgis5 For example, see Coal Mining Operating Regulations, 43 

CFR Parts 23, 3040 and 30 CFR Parts 211, 216, p. 41122-

41139, Federal Register, vol. 40, no. 173, 9-5-75. 

lative mandate establishing a mined-area reclamation program for the whole State. Note that 

Act(s) does not refer to other State legislation 

that may be important to the successful establishment and conduct of a mined-area reclamation 

program—such as constitutional amendments, enabling legislation, administrative codes, and pollution control laws. 

Rules and Regulations refers to the promulgation, by the authority stipulated in the Act, of 

requirements giving specific direction and setting 

minimum levels of performance. In practice, rules 

and regulations grade into "technical guidelines" 

—a term which in strict definition means instructional material. In this report, however, guidelines includes both standards and instructional 

materials, whether mandatory or recommendatory. 

COLUMNS 5-8, STATE LAW 

Title of Act(s) refers to the official name, or 

statutory citation, of the State mined-area reclamation program. Governmental reorganization 

and statutory amendments may have changed the 

administrative agency and the Act from that 

originally cited. Administering Agency is the department of State government presently assigned 

the staff work of developing information, processing applications, and issuing and monitoring permits for mining and related reclamation. 

Mineral or Commodity Covered and Rules 

(that) Vary By Mining Methods refer to the gen10 
FIGURE 10.—High-value residences in Indiana on a lake 

occupying the "last cut" of an area mine. Streets 

trend along the crest of ridges of spoil graded 

moderately to remove peaks. 

eral coverage of the Act. In this report the terms 

"mineral" and "commodity" are used interchangeably to refer to essentially solid natural substances occurring in the earth and sought for 

commercial purposes. Natural gases, liquid petroleum, and water are excluded. The heading of 

column 8 addresses the fact that rules and regulations may differ according to the type of mining 

operation. An entry in column 8 usually necessitates entries in subsequent columns to note the 

nature of the variances. 

COLUMNS 9-15, RECLAMATION—MAIN ACTIONS 

AND STANDARDS 

These column headings give, generally, the sequence of major actions in mined-area reclamation. The wording is in popular but by no means 

FIGURE 11.—Results of head-of-hollow fill method of disposing of overburden and rock waste from contour 

mine, West Virginia. Fill has been terraced to reduce 

slope. A rock gutter (center foreground) has been 

constructed to control runoff. 

universal terms. The following partial listing of 

synonymous phrases is presented to help explain 

the headings. Specific terms are defined in the 

"Glossary." 

Column and heading Synonymous phrases 

(9) Control water flow 

and quality __Institute water management. 

Follow good soil and water conservation practices. 

Secure adequate drainage and meet water 

pollution control 

standards. 

(10) Conserve and replace topsoil ___Segregate and re-spread 

topsoil. 

Stockpile and re-use 

soils. 

Remove and re-apply 

most suitable plantgrowth materials. 

11 
TABLE 1.—Matrix of information on State surface mined-area reclamation programs, December 1975 

[For explanation of symbols and termi , nology, see p. 10 and the "Glossary") 

1 2 8 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 

Special Provisions 

22 23 24 

Other rules 

or remark s

State Act(s) 

Rules Techand nical 

regu- guidelations lines 

Rules Control 

Mineral or vary water 

commodity by Bow 

covered milling and 

method quality 

Reclamation—Main actions required and standards set 

Reduce Bury or 

highwall neutralize 

or pitwall toxic wastes 

Revegetate 

for beneficial use 

Requirements for 1111)(1.41Se planning 

Resources Alternative End use Role of 

information uses will he will be local public 

required considered decla red planning 

lion 

areas 

non 

Minerals 

protected of 

from

ml from ing 

develop- 1 ,,n tiOn for 

ndning 

Long-range 

or regional 

mine 

planning 

,„ Financial 

Substitute or economic lands - -

analyses 

"Ii°wed required 

Stage of program development 

State law 

Title of Administering 

Act (s) agency(les) 

Conserve 

and Backfill and 

replace grade 

topsoil 

ALABAMA X X Alabama Sur- Department of All minerals 

face Mining Industrial except limeAct of 1969 Relations and stone, marble, 

and Alabama Surface Min- and dolomite 

Surface Min- ing Reclama- (coal covered 

ing Reclama- tion Com- by 1975 Act). 

Hon Act of mission. 

1975. 

X X Strike-off top 

of spoil 

ridges to 

width 

ft anti cover 

coal seam 

with spoil to 

depth ft. 

4E11ml:tate coal With 2 ft Standards Construct Flvdrology, X X 1975 Act is 

mine high- of earth for two ac- and land 

wall, ex- or perma- forests, cess roads else. preempt 

cept at nent grasses, per each local ... 

final cut. water and mile of regulabody. legumes. coal mine Lion of 

soil midi- highwall. coal sur9 tires may Depth of face minbe re- lakes 66 tug ..." 

qulred. ft. 

ALASKA NOTE: On State lands, reclamation requirements are established by the State of Alaska—on a case-by-case basis—as part of the terms of lessen to mine operators. Most of the mineral deposits of Alaska lie on State or Federal lands (where reclamation requirements are 

a condition of leasing). 

ARIZONA NOTE: The State of Arizona applies standard reclamation requirements to State Lands as a condition of mineral leases. Arizona also contains Federal lands where reclamation requirements are a condition of mineral leases. Some local units of government use land-use controls (e.g., zoning) and activity permits (e. g., minerals proceeding) to encourage reclamation. 

ARKANSAS X X X The Arkansas Department of All minerals _ X Standards All grades will X With 3 ft X Construct Soils Any "pro- X 

Open Cut Pollution Con vary ac- be 43:t%; of earth fire lanes ductive 

Land Reclama- trot and cording blade and or perma- or access use." 

Hon Act of Ecology. to orig- grade to ap- nent in areas 

1971. final proximate water of reforenatural original sur- body, station. 

conditions. face conditions. 

CALIFORNIA X Surface Mining Department of All minerals __ X Climate, Operator X Act on per- State may 

and Reclama- Conservation geology, must de- gaits and desigtion Act of (Policy) ; 10- land use, eta re "no- reclama- nate 

1975. cal govern- minerals, tential t Ion plans areas 

meats (Per- popula- uses." and reserved 

colts and Hon, topo- establish for 

Plans). graphy, mining mining. 

and water policy in 

resources. general 

plans. 

COLORADO X Colorado Open Department of Coal, sand, X Strike-off top of X Geology. X Review for X 

Mining Land Natural gravel, quarry spoil ridges (Exceptions land use, conformReclamation Resources. aggregate, to width of for un- minerals, ity with 

Act of 1973, and construe- X15 ft. suitable topog- local landlion lime- Achieve level areas.) raphy, use constone. or undulating and trots. 

skyline. water 

reS011reeS. 

CONNECTICUT NOTE: Local governmental land-use controls and permit activities may be applicable to mining rind reclamation. 

DELAWARE NOTE: Local governmental land-use controls and permit activities may be applicable to mining and reclamation. 

FLORIDA X X Chapter 211. II Department of All minerals X X All grades will Plant coy- Established Land use, Consider X Must certify X 

Florida Natural (Lakes shall be -.25%. crane lakes minerals, "land- excavaStatutes. Resources, support Blend peaks. >80%; must be soils, to- owner's tions infish or ridges. and val- hare areas at least 3 pography desires." tended 

recrea- leys. Develop ..,', 14 at-re. acres in (USGS), for proption). uninterrupted size and and erty imdrainage. it ft in water re- provedepth. sources. ment. 

GEORGIA X X X Georgia Surface Department of All minerals _ X X Blend peaks, X With 2 ft Attain high Land use X Rules pro- X 

Mining Act of Natural ridges, and (Except in of soil quality minerals, vide for 

1968, as Resources. valleys into solid support- permanent popula- longamended. a rolling topo- rock.) tug vege- cover. Lion. to- range 

graphy suit- tation. pography. planning 

able for plant and water updated 

growth. resources. by annual permits. 

HAWAII X Chap. 181, Sub- Department of All minerals, X If necessary Strike-off peaks Quick cover Carrying Soils. to- Land uses 

title 3. Land and except sand, for end-use and grass capacity pography, comparHawaii Natural rock, gravel, objective. ridges of spoil crop, fol- of pasture and water able, at 

Statutes. Resources. and construe- and fill de- lowed by lands will resources. least, to 

don mate- invasions. reforests- he _-1 premining 

rials.. 4 non, or cow per condiconversion 3 acres. lions. 

to farming. 

IDAHO X The Idaho Sur- Department of All minerals __ X Replace Strike-off ridges Revegetate Minerals 

face Mining Lands. overburden to width of to corn- and water 

Act. to extent ?__-10 ft and '4' pare to resources. 

reasonably peaks to width preminavailable. of ?--15 ft. ing conditions. 

ILLINOIS X X X Surface-Mined Department of All minerals _ X Row crops, Varies by To grade of With 4 ft Replant row Separate Geology. Agency will X Co Rules "en- X Land values, 

Land Conser- Mines and 18 in. ; planned use, 459%. of water crops if permits land Ilse, "encour- ht:anatr3;1 may y courage" tax base, 

vation and Minerals. Other uses, i.e.: original or suit- soils suit- required minerals, age" con- recom- long-range state & 

Reclamation replace grade for row able mate- able. De- for re. soils. to slileration mend land reclama- regional 

Act. as prat- crops; 630% rial. tailed fuse ills- pograpby of multi- use, and lion plan- economy, 

ticable. forest and standards posal (1-SGS I, pie land may re- fling. employwildlife; for other (landfill), vegeta- use. quest meat & 

-_550% hay uses• lion, hearings. effect of 

and pasture. water re- plan. 

soli ryes, 

and wildlife. 

12 13 

X 
Rules Control 

Mineral or vary water 

commodity by flow 

covered mining and 

met hod quality 

Conserve 

and 

replace 

topsoil 

Reduce Bury or Revegetate 

highwall neutralize for beneor pitwall toxic wastes tidal use 

Other rules 

or remarks 

Stage of program development 

State law Reclamation—Main actions required and standards set 

State 

Rules TechAct(s) and nical 

regu- guidelotioiis 

Title of Administering 

Act (s) agency (les) 

Backbit and 

grade 

Substitute 

lands 

allowed 

Financial 

or economic 

analyses 

required 

TABLE affix of information on state surface mined- area reciamation programs, December 1975—Continued 

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 

Special Provisions 

Minerals Excluprotected Mon of Long-range 

Requirements for land—use planning from 

Resources Alternative End use Role of nonmining from or regional areas 

considera- mine 

develop. information uses will be will be local public ment lion for planning 

required considered declared planning mining 

INDIANA X X X Chap. 344, Acts Department of Coal. clay, and X Grades: row To grade of With 2 ft X Other stand- Geology, X X Proof 1967. In- Natural shale. crops - -870, .

tutes. hay -5.25%, 

t5-33% or of soil, 

in pit. burden, or lakes, soil soils, toards per- land use, 

tain to minerals, 

hibited. 

diana Sta- Resources. pasture and create lake overforest and water. texture, pography, 

range 633% 

L

and waste and water 

limited). 

(slope lengths disposal. resources. 

IOWA X X X An Act Reba- Department of All minerals _ X in coal mine Grade spoil to 

hut to Sur- Soil Conser- reclaim.- 625%. exfa ce Mining, va Hon. lion, cept where 

as amended. strata original land 

more was steeper, 

suitable then, blend 

than top with adjacent 

soil may land. 

beused. 

KANSAS X X X Mined-Land State Corpora- ('oal X As Ileeeti- Rolling topog- To grade of With 2 ft of X Other stand- Geology, X Rides al- X 

Conservation Hon Commis- sa ry to raphy tra- 625% un- spoil or ards per- soils. low 5- 

and 'teatime- sion. provide versable for less sup- permanent lain to topoti- yr plans 

ion Act. plant planned use. ported, as water removal raptly for "eongrowth Grade 525% by a lake. body. of (I SGS), ttguous" 

material. (slope boulders and water mined 

lengths and for- resources. areas, 

limited). illation of 

lakes. 

KENTUCKY X X X Chapter 350, Department for All minerals _ For C0/1- Detailed Approximate Auger min• With 4 ft of X Other. de- Soils, topo- State per- Rules alKentucky Re- Natural Re- tour stand- original con- log face over- (Detailed tailed gra phy !nits must low the 

vised Sta- sources and rain- ants. tour. Grade to —4,5°t burden. guidelines standards (I'SGS), comply developtotes. Environ- in p, bench tables other into- avail- on : ac- and water with moot of 

mental Pro- limits to -E10%• ing, back- able, e.g., cess resources. local con- "a rea 

tection. are till and time of roads, lug laws. plans" 

placed cover coal planting.) lakes, and for mined 

on cut to 4 ft. sediment areas. 

benches control. 

and 

slope. 

LOUISIANA NOTE: Local governmental land-use controls and permit activities may be applicable to mining and reclamation. 

To grade 

spoil. (Detailed 

With 2 ft of X Mineral, 

o 

 

soils, 

guidelines and water 

avail- resources. 

able.) 

MAINE X X (1) Mining and Department of All minerals 

Rehabilita- Environ- (sand and 

tion of Land mental Pro- gravel are 

Act, and (2) tection. covered only 

Site Location by Site Act). 

of Development Act. 

MARYLAND X X X Maryland Strip Energy and Coal Back- X X t yea: approxiMining Law. Coastal zone tilling (pH ralw,. mate conAdministra- rules n.s t,, tour. 7'erracHon. vary s.:, , big: grade 

by the bench to 

area, E11% and 

terra c- outer slope 

tug, or grade to 

block- 670%. 

cut 

methode of 

Milling. 

X Minerals, 

soils, toPogra phy 

(USGS), 

vegetation. and 

water resources. 

Eliminate With 2 ft of Quick cover Specific sir- Minerals, X X Agency Land "Encour- Pro 

highwall over- grass vival soils. ( Atten- takes slop- aged." hibited. 

by back- burden. crop. fol- standards topog- tion to cogni- tag Annual 

till and lowed by for the raptly land- mince of more permit 

cut. vegeta- vegeta ( I SGS). owner's county than renewals 

t ion for t and water de- planning , 20° provide 

end uses. estab- resources. sires.) zoning. (any update. 

lished and 200 ft 

through grading crossreclama- permits. sec - 

Hon. lion) 

is excluded. 

MASSACIIUSF)TTS NOTE: Local governmental land-use controls and permit activities may he applicable to mining and reclamation. 

MICHIGAN X Mine Reclama- Department of All minerals Environ Act mention Act of Natural Re- except clay, mental 

dates 

1970, as sources. gravel, marl, planning 

studies 

amended. peat, or sand. informof ecotion may nomic 

lie reeffects of 

quired. regulations. 

MINNESOTA X Mineland Recta- Department of Metallic mine- "Rules . Agency Act manillation Act Natural Re- rals. shall con- Wenn- dates 

of 1971, as sources. form with ties considamended. any State areas oration 

a nd local not of ecoland-use re- nomic 

planning claim- effects of 

program." able regulaunder Hons. 

present 

technology. 

1 

MISSISSIPPI NOTE: Local governmental land-use controls and permit 

MISSOURI X (1) Reclama- Department of Act (1) coal Act (1) traGott of Min- Natural Re- and barite; versatile for 

lag Lands sources. Act (2) clay, farming; Act 

and (2) The limestone, (21 traversLand Reels- sand, and able for inmotion Act. gravel. tended uses 

and strike-off 

top of spoil 

ridges to 

width of 

•-2() ft 

(forest and 

14 pasture). 

activities may be applicable to mining and reclamation. 

Act (1), With 4 ft of Appropriate Exceptions X X X 

slope of earth sup- to type of allowed 

Act 

face will portive of end use to 

be 25 % . 

t

vr

o

g

n

et a - declared. 

i 

sulidiviMons and 

fl

A

ve

oc

i 

o

l

t

(

d

11

(

i f2e)!

plains. 

15 
TAnt.E "I.—Matrix of information on Stale surface mincdarea reclamation programa, December 1975—Continued 

2 3 4 5 8 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 15 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 

Special Provisions 

1 

Stage of program development 

Rules TechState Act(s) and Meal 

regu- guidelotions lines 

Rules Control 

Mineral or vary water 

commodity by How 

covered mining and 

method quality 

Conserve 

and Itacklill and 

replace grade 

topsoil 

Reduce Bury or 

highwsll neutralize 

or pitwall toxic wastes 

Revegetate 

for beneficial use 

Requirements for land-use planning 

Other rules Resources Alternative End use Role of 

or remarks information uses will be will be local public 

required considered declared planning 

Minerals Excluprotected stall of 

from arms 

from nonmining 

develop- consideratiOn for ment mining 

State law Reclama tion Main act loarequired and standards set 

Title of Administering 

Act (s) agency ties) 

Long-range 

or regional 

mine 

planning 

Substitute 

lands 

allowed 

Financial 

or evomdmic 

analyses 

required 

MONTANA 

NEBRASKA 

NEVADA 

NEW HAMPSHIRE 

NEW JERSEY 

X X X (1) Montana Department of Act (1) Coal Act ( I ) spe- X Act (I) grade Slope of Act (1) Suitable, Effluent En viron- X "Intended Pro- Recta ma- 

(Partial.) Strip & Un- State Lands. and ura- citic cri- to H2O % . face will backfill Derma- standards mental mining Whited. Lion costs 

derground mina ; Act teria. I be ,'-20%. with 8 ft rent, di- conform areas, and recta- requested 

Mine Recta- (2) Benton- 0.g.. lilt of over- verse and with cri- geology, mat ion iii applimotion Act, ite, clay, range of burden. primarily feria of soils. plans" cant. 

and (2) Open phosphate 0.0 to t).0. native State minerals, are deCut Mining rock, scoria, species. Dept. of topog. veloped 

Act, and and sand and Environ- raphy to apply 

(3) Montana gravel : Act 1 mental (USGS), to life of 

Hard-Rock (3) other Sciences. vegeta- operaMining Rec- minerals. Don. Lion. 

lamation Act. water resources 

(use plan 

& monitoring system). and 

wildlife. 

NOTE: Local governmental land-use controls and permi activities may be applicable to mining and reclamation. 

NOTE: Local governmental land-use controls and permi activities may be applicable to mining and reclamation. 

NOTE: Local governmental land-use controls and permi activities may be applicable to mining and reclamation. 

NOTE: Local governmental land-use controls and permi activities may be applicable to mining and reclamation. 

NEW Al EXI('O X X New Mexico Bureau of Mines Coal 

Coal Sur- and Mineral 

I item!' ining Resources. 

Act. 

X Topography 

will be 

"gently undulating or. 

consistent 

with proposed end 

use. 

X '1*0 serve Clime te. 

selected land use. 

end use. 

topography, 

vegetaDon• 

water resources, 

and 

wildlife. 

X X Consultation required 

with soil 

and water 

conservation 

districts. 

NEW YORK X New York State Department of All minerals X X X To he safe, X X Mining from Land use. X Local minMined Land Environ- and mined stable and State- minerals, ing laws 

Reclamation mental Con- topsoil. commit!. owned topog- and landLaw. servotion. ble with submarine raptly use consurround- lands is (USGS), trots. 

tug ter- covered and water stricter 

rain. by an- resources. than tide 

other Act preact. rail (but 

locals 

must 

enforce). 

X X Land use. 

(with ap- minerals 

propriate vegetalocal or lion. and 

State wildlife. 

agency 

approval.) 

Slope of 

face will 

be =5-35%. 

X Remedy any Geology, 

impair- land-use 

ment to preference, 

domestic minerals, 

or live- soils, 

stock topogwater raphy, 

supply. vegetalion, and 

water 

resources. 

X X X Act (1) 

soils (test 

borings) 

and 

topography. 

Act (2) 

soils (test 

borings 

or prior 

operation). 

Suitable to With 3 ft of X 

serve end- over- (Exempuse objec- burden. Lions: 

tive. soils, with 

poor texture, toxicity. and 

nutrient 

deficiency). 

NORTH CAROLINA X The Mining Act Department of All minerals 

of 1971. Natural and 

Economic 

Resources. 

NORTH DAKOTA X X North Dakota Public Service Coal 

Century Commission. 

('ode : Recta ma. 

tion of StripMined Land. 

OHIO X X (1) Strip Mine Department of Act ( 1 I Coal. 

Law. and (2) Natural It, Act 121 All 

Su (lace Mine sou rces. other mineLaw. rats. 

X Mining Lands Department of All minerals 

Reclamation Mines. 

Act. 

X NI in! mizing 

cart h slides 

unit consistent with future land 

use. 

X Replace all Approximate 

available original 

plant contour. or 

growth serve al:- 

material, proved end 

up to 5 use. 

ft thickness. 

X X A pproxima to 

(or other origina I 

pla tit- con toil r. or 

growth serve An. 

mate- proved end 

rials.) use. 

Topography 

will be traversable for 

approved end 

use. Slope of 

box cut overburden will 

be 

X 

X X Act con- "Extended Agency may 

veys Mining request 

author- Plans" estimate 

ity to cover of costs 

delete 10-yr of rec.- 

certain period. lamation. 

lands 

from 

surface 

mining. 

X X Act (1) Act (2) Act (1) 

con- plan applicant 

veys covers provides 

author- 10-yr estimated 

ity to period. cost of 

delete reclaMacertain lion. 

lands 

from 

surface 

mining. 

X 

16 

17 
Stage of program development 

State Act (s) 

Rules Techand nical 

regu- guidetat ions lines 

NOTE: Local governmental land-use controls and permit,

ctivities may be applicable to mining and reclamation. 

X Minimizing 

slides and 

consistent 

with future 

land use. 

X X Visual 

(with ap- screening 

propriate may be 

local or required. 

state 

agency 

approval.) 

Land use, 

topograptly 

l'SGS), 

vegetafathom 

and 

wildlife. 

X Use stra- Approximate 

him best original 

for plant contour. 

growth. 

X X Establish Principles Hydrologic Determine 

diverse stated on effeets, capacity 

self- lakes. land cap- of land 

regener water alit lit y. for 

a t ive eover rights. and land use, alternative 

suitable ground minerals. lases. 

for a p- water: soils. 

proved 4-yr re- topogend use. sponsIbil- raptly. 

lty for veget avegeta- tion. 

Don. water resourees, 

and 

wildlife. 

X X Program is Land use, Explore 

X X X (Priority to imple- soils. eapaltil- 

(where 5011- 'twitted vegeta- Ries of 

"practical"). noxious th rough t1011. 111111 DIM] to 

1 

native 

plants.) 

orders water re- support a 

that sources. variety of 

recognize uses. 

individual 

site and 

mine conditions. 

TABLE I.—Matrix of information on State surface mined-rea reclamation programs, December 1975—Continued 

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 

Special Provisions 

22 23 24 

State law Reclamation—Main actioniequired and standards set 

Requirenwnts for land-use planning 

Exclu- 'Minerals sion of protected areas 

from front non mining consider._ 

develop- lion for !tient mining 

Long-range Substitute 

or regional lands 

mine allowed 

planning 

Finanelal 

or economic 

analyses 

required 

Resources Alternative End use Role of 

informat ion 11500 will he will be local public 

required considered declared planning 

Title of 

Act (s) 

Administering 

agency ties) 

Rules Control 

Mineral or vary water 

commodity by flow 

covered mining and 

method quality 

Conserve 

and 

replace 

topsoil 

Backfill and 

grade Reduce Bury or 

highwall neutralize 

or pitwall toxic wastes 

RevegCtate 

for beneficial use 

Other rules 

or remarks 

TENNESSEE 

SOUTH DAKOTA 

Eliminate With 4 ft Where ap- Standards 

hi chwall of coin- proved. differ by 

with corn- paeted perms- mineral : 

Wet° material nent eon I, 

backlit!. or permit- growth phosphate, 

sloped to neat serving sand and 

bench water purpose at gravel. 

---.25°. body- least as clays, 

useful as shale, and 

pre-min- barite. 

lag. 

eliminate 

highwall. 

With S ft 

of I opsoil 

or suitable overburden. 

To create 

self,regenera t ive 

growth 

without 

Irrigation. 

X Visual 

screening. If 

0e01101111-

catty practicable ; 

st reambank restoration. 

NOXIOUS Land use. 

weeds soil. Mill111118t he emits, 

controlled. topography. 

wildlife. 

vegetation. 

anti water 

resources. 

Land use. 

minerals. , 

soils. 

topography 

(t'SGS). 

and water 

resources. 

VERMONT Appliention Land cap. 

for per- ability 

mit is and land 

viewed use. 

for conformity 

with State 

plan Or 

planning 

principles. 

X 

X 

propriate 

As appropriate .s approfor planned 

subsequent for

priate 

beneficial planned 

use. subsequent 

ido 

Varies with X ('lean Fisheries, X X 

existing St reams geology. 

condi- Ls w also land use. 

Dons. directly minerals, 

applicable. and 

water 

resources. 

X X "A eltieve con- Rope will 

tour most be <14°. 

beneficial to 

the proposed 

land use." 

X X Oregon Mined Department of All minerals __ 

La nd Recta- Geology and 

mation Act, Mineral 

as amended. Industries. 

X X Surface Mining Department of All minerals __ 

Conservation Environand lteclanm- mental Redon Act, sources. 

as amended. 

X X Approximate 

(12 in. of original consoil, con- tour; terditions race ; or, 

permit- serve apting, or proved end 

all avail- use. 

able topsoil. 

South Carolina Land Resources All minerals __ 

Mining Act. Conservation 

Commission. 

X X Surface Mtn- Department of All minerals 

lug Land Agriculture. 

Reclamation 

Act, as 

amended. 

X X X The Tennessee Department of All minerals Contour Detailed Surface Min- Conservation. except (Bruen- mining standards hag Act. Mon stone, rules are in 

limestone, apply effect. 

and marble. on 

slopes 

>15° 

area 

mining 

on 

slopes 

<15' 

guar

ries 

are a 

special 

case. 

X Texas Surface Railroad Coal, lignite, 

Mining and Commission and uranium. 

Reclamation of Texas. 

Act. 

X X Mined Land Department of All minerals 

Reclamation Natural (including 

Act of 1975. Resources. oil-shale and 

bituminous 

sands). 

X Vermont's Land District En- All minerals 

Use and vironmental 

Development Commissions 

Law. and the Environmental 

Board. 

X Department 

may 

approve 

local governmental 

permit tlug or 

reviewing 

in lieu of 

State. 

 Applicant 

provides 

detailed 

estimate 

of reclamation. 

 Applicant 

provides 

detailed 

estimate 

Or reclamation 

costs. 

X 

X Notified and Agency Applicant Agency 

comment Nth 11111st e0111111etS 

Is re- deehlre anticipate economic 

corded. "areas effects of st tidies 

un- reclaim- relating 

suit- lion over to itetil 

able life of (221. 

for mine. 

miningIll criteria). 

X Notified and 

comments 

taken 

under advisement. 

X Action must X 

accord (Lund 

wit I local developplans. merit 

permita.) 

OREGON 

PENNSYLVANIA 

RHODE ISLAND 

SOUTH CAROLINA 

TEXAS 

UTAH 

X Contour: Fill 

benches prohibited on 

slopes >28°. 

Area : 

Approxinitite 

original land 

surface. 

X Local soil 

and slitter 

conservation districts review end 

comment. 

X Incompatibility with 

loyal Milli 

WOOS can 

be basis 

for rejection 

of mining 

request by 

Agency. 

X 
TABLE 1.—Matrix of information on State surf ace mined- area reclamation programs, December 1975—Continued 

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 16 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 

Special Provisions 

ExelnState law Reclamation— -Main action. required and standards set 

Minerals 

Stage of program development 

:don of Financial 

Rules Control protected areas 

Long-range Subst It ate 

or economic 

Rules Tech- Mineral or vary water Conserve Requirements for land...use planning from or regional lands 

Title of Administering and liackiill and from 

analyses 

mine allowed 

State Act (s) and nical Act (s) ammey ties) commodity by flow replace grade Ream, Bury or Revegetate Resources Alternative End use Role of nonmining consider„- required 

re u- guide- covered mining Rod other rules -treetop' thio for planning 

highwatl neutralize for belie- information US,: will be will be local public 

tattoos lines method quality topsoil or pitwall toxic wastes Mal use or remarks required considered declared planning meta mining 

VIRGINIA X X X (1) 43.1-11)5, Department of Act (1) coal. Quarries X "• . retain re-With 4 ft X Standards Environand (2) Title Conservation Act (2) All are a spoil On duce . .. of mate- for access mental 

42.1—ISO, and other special bench inso- to the 1.10.1 suit- roads impact 

chap. 16. Economic minerals. case— far as maximum able for across study 

Devolpment. cope- feasible..." extent plant highwall ; (implied), 

chilly practic- growth. special land use, 

in able." prepare- minerals, 

back- [ion of topogfilling, soils in raptly 

erosion- (USES), 

prone and water 

areas. resources. 

X X Local soil 

and water 

conservation districts 

advise. 

WASHINGTON X X Surface-Mined Department of All minerals _Quarries X Conform to 

Land Natural are a surrounding 

Reclamation Resources. special land area. 

Act. case. 

Grade of With 2 ft 

wall In of clean 

uncon- till. 

solidated, 

; 

wall slope 

in rock, 

X Require- Land Use. 

meats of minerals. 

other topogagencies raptly, 

relate to and water 

water resources. 

rights, 

flood 

plains. and 

tish and 

wildlife. 

X Applicant 

must 

show 

legality of 

action 

with regard to 

local 

zoning. 

WEST VIRGINIA X X X Article 6, Chap. Department of All minerals _Grading Standards X X X X 

20. Code of Natural and set forth 

Fill benches With 4 ft Detailed Other de- Land use. 

West Vir- Resources. back- in 

denied on o

a

f

ble

ma

fo

te

r

- 

Hal suitstandards, tailed re- minerals, 

quirements soils. 

ginia, as 

grades 

exist for 

amended. rtitittlieTs' g 1/ ;;;:tit7baogoek plant raptly. 

vary 

Ixourrf ace 

b'lck and foffil r 

Mining. 

>totiniir%m:incoe:i

iareas will be 

by stream 

and water 

area 

suitable for 

growth. 

crossings. 

resources. 

Mining 

farm 

machinery. 

or 

contour 

mining. 

WISCONSIN X Metallic 

t

lli

ie

c

c

y

a 

ln

. 

et 

site re- land use. 

- Department of Mallic X X X X X 

Natural minerals, 

Screening of Geology, Mining. rec- Act man- Agency may Applicant 

big 

may be 

mutton Act. Resources. attired. 

lamation. dates a require 

required 

soils and cointo show 

costs 

prehenslve program 

long-term 

1 r

e

t

,

i

i

i

,

p

i 

 r

v

e

e

- 

data. 

plan shall t

a

i

g

is

i

zurt

i

(

to

s

3p

u

).

1

.

:1111- 

raphy.

plan. 

water 

tcoon 

local

forni 

State.

tI

f

le preand 

i. 

zoning. 

resources. 

elusion 

WYOMING X X Wyoming En- Department of All minerals __Rules X Use most Approximate Stabilize ; X X Protect soil Geology. Must County invironmental Environ- Vary suitable original con- slope; stockpile land use. be ,.... VOlVeMellt 

Quality Act mental by plant tour; ter- minimize from soils, highest In adminof 1973. Quality. soft growth race; or effect on winds. topog- provi- istration 

rock materials. serve ap- landscape. Delay raptly ous of act. 

mining proved end mining for I l'SGS I . use of 

or use. arche- vegeta- site 

hard ologleal or tion. (es ()crock paleontol- water re- dared 

milling. ogical sources by 

surveys. (use & Agenrights). cY). 

and Wild - 

life. 

Inn. 

 Socioeconomic 

analyses 

man be 

needed by 

Agency to 

Set use. 
TABLE 2.—Hypothetical example of State and local controls and permits required for 

a surface minel 

Time period/activity 

Zoning 

and 

related 

local 

landuse 

controls 

State 

reclamation 

COntrols 

Water, 

air, 

and 

noise 

pollution 

COntrols 

Other controls, 

as named 

Pre-mining (years 0-4): 

Existing land use X 

Prospecting the area 

Mineral and economic evaluations 

Acquisition of rights 

Surveying & design of mine 

Natural resources studies 

Reclamation planning 

End land-use planning X 

Costs analyses X 

Obtaining mine permit' X 

Constructing roads and buildings' X 

Obtaining utilities X 

Drainage and erosion control' 

Fencing and screening 2 X 

Environmental monitoring 2 

Joint mining and reclamation 

(years 4 to 30): 

Removal and segregation of soils 2 X 

Disposal of debris 2 X 

Drilling and biasing 2 X 

Extracting and hauling minerals' X 

Filling and grading 2 X 

Reducing pitwalls or highwalls 2 X 

Burying toxic materials 2 X 

Revegetation 

Post-mining (4 to 36): 

Vegetation survival studies 2 

Pest and weed control 2 X 

Land capability studies X 

Divesting ownership or rights X 

Water quality performance X 

Decommissioning mine (dismantling. X 

demolishing. etc). 

Established end use X 

Recovery of bonds X X xxxxxxxx 

X x xx xx xx 

X 

State water rights. 

X 

Local soil & water 

conservation. 

Sanitary land fills. 

State permit. 

State severance taxes. 

X 

X State and local environmental controls. 

X Waste discharge 

permits. 

X X State location of development (e.g., as in 

Maine). 

State utilities regulation. 

X X State water board. 

X State fish and game. 

X 

X State agriculture. 

X State agriculture. 

X State agriculture. 

Official acceptance of 

lakes and roads. 

X X State agriculture. 

X State mine abandonment laws. 

Does not include controls pertaining to mine safety. 

A process that tends to be maintained or repeated, as necessary. throughout much of tlw 

of the mine. 

22 
FIGURE 12.—Equipment used to drill laterally into a coalbed exposed in contour mining. Holes shown to the right 

of auger bits will be plugged, and the mined area will be covered with earth materials suitable for plant 

growth. (Photograph by West Virginia Department of Natural Resources, Division of Reclamation.) 

Column and heading Synonymous phrases Column and heading Synonymous phrases 

(11) Backfill and Seed, plant, and establish 

grade Smooth and shape spoil. desired plant species. 

Fill pit and contour. 

Terrace backfill. COLUMNS 16-19, REQUIREMENTS FOR LANDStrike-off spoil. USE PLANNING 

Column headings 16, 17, and 18 refer primarily 

(12) Reduce highwall to mandates requiring the applicant to investigate, 

or pitwall Smooth pitwalls. to 'analyze, to report, and to declare. Information 

Backfill highwall. is used to indicate a requirement for analytical 

Knockdown cutface. information, rather than uninterpreted inventory 

(13) Bury or neutralize data. Resource refers to a natural resources subtoxic wastes Cover mineral seam with ject (for example, a study such as geology, or an 

clean fill, activity such as land use). The term "Alternative 

Isolate and seal off toxic Uses" takes the meaning commonly applied in 

wastes. land-use planning. The applicant is admonished 

to consider several possible long-term uses of the 

(14) Revegetate for land to be reclaimed. This requirement differs 

beneficial use Establish permanent and from the practice common to some mined-area 

diverse plant growth. reclamation programs in which a list of acceptable 

on spoils. end uses is presented to an applicant who then 

23 
FIGURE 13.—Dredge mining for gold near Yuba City, California. (Photograph by Ward Sharrer, Sacramento Bee.) 

may elect to propose an alternative to the uses on 

the given list. End Use Will Be Declared is a selfexplanatory term. In certain States, end use may 

also be called subsequent land use, beneficial land 

use, ultimate land use, and even after use. Role of 

Local Public Planning means the roles set forth, 

in the Act or regulations, for local units of government in the integrated process of mining, reclamation, and land use. It is important to note that 

this is a role that seems to be cast in the Act, 

whereas the actual role played by local public 

planning bodies in mined-area reclamation and 

related land use may be otherwise. 

COLUMNS 20-22, SPECIAL PROVISIONS 

The heading for column 20, Minerals Protected 

. . . , shows the existence in the law of provisions 

that are, in effect, the other side of the coin of 

reclamation. This column provides a place to note 

programs that address not the reclamation of 

mined lands for multiple use but, instead, the protection of valuable mineral deposits from other 

land uses (for example, residential development) 

that tend to preclude mining. Exclusion of Areas 

from Consideration for Mining refers to a program provision that enables a State to deny any 

milling in certain carefully predetermined areas. 

Such a provision, it should be noted, is not to be 

confused with routine administrative denials of 

mining applications for inadequacies of information, infeasibility, or similar reasons. For example, the West Virginia agency has broad powers 

to deny applications. Long-Range . . . refers to 

an authorized time frame for reclamation and 

related planning that exceeds the usual 1-4 year 

periods now required by most State rules and 

regulations. Regional . . . refers to the geographic 

expansion of the planning boundaries from one 

mine site to two mines or more that are contiguous or in the same mining area. 

24 
Mining Reclamation Long-term 

land use 

Monitoring 

Land-use 

Plan 

Baseline Mining 

Data Plan 

A 

Reclamation 

Plan 

FIGURE 14.—Sketch of the concept of integrated mining, reclamation, and land-use planning. 

COLUMN 23, SUBSTITUTE LANDS, AND COLUMN 

24, FINANCIAL OR ECONOMIC ANALYSES 

These headings treat miscellaneous categories. 

Planners should know that some States allow 

mine operators to reclaim selected lands, such as 

previously mined (orphan land) areas, in lieu of 

or as a substitute for reclamation at the active 

mine site. Financial refers to the requirement that 

the applicant estimate the costs of reclamation for 

the subsequent use of the regulatory agency in 

determining the size of the surety (performance) 

bond and the like. Economic, in column 24, refers 

to a statutory mandate requiring the regulatory 

agency to study and report on the effect of proposed rules and regulations on social and economic factors. 

THE STATE PROGRAMS: COMMON 

THREADS, DIFFERENCES, AND TRENDS 

The following analysis of the State mined-area 

programs is based on table 1, supplemental information accessible primarily in the various State 

statutes, rules and regulations, and guidelines. 

Several strong commonalities, many differences, 

and a few obvious trends characterize the State 

programs as a whole. 

STAGES OF DEVELOPMENT 

Mined-area programs tend to go through a 

process of becoming more sophisticated with time. 

For example, in 1975 California passed new legislation that is bereft of many specific requirements. 

A similar situation prevails in other States which 

have not yet had sufficient time to promulgate 

rules and regulations, for example New York and 

Wisconsin. In contrast, a few of the States (e.g., 

West Virginia) have experienced many years of 

legislation and administration of a reclamation 

program, and the programs have become technically sophisticated. 

Michigan is an example of a, State in which the 

promulgation stage of program development has 

been delayed by legislative amendments (from 

1971 to 1975). 

The wording of the legislation of some States 

suggests that the promulgation of rules and regulations is permissible, not mandatory. Evidently, 

all States can issue orders and conduct certain 

licensing activities without rules and regulations. 

Nevertheless, in many States, there is a trend toward specificity in stating what is expected of the 

mine operator regarding the land during and 

after mining. States that have been involved in 

reclamation a comparatively long time have developed detailed standards that lay out mandatory steps and manuals that set forth recommended practice, or the state-of-the-art. Noteworthy manuals have been prepared by Iowa (undated), Kentucky (undated), Maryland (1975), 

and West Virginia (1975). 

THE PERMIT PROCESS 

The process of examining a mine operator's credentials and plans, and requiring a surety bond 

25 
before a permit is given, has a common thread in 

all States. There are significant differences, however, in time aspects, in size of bonds, and particularly in the information requirements for 

licensing. 

All State mined-area programs require that the 

applicant submit to the administering agency a 

notarized professional report that shows how and 

when the mining operation and accompanying 

reclamation will occur. The documents submitted 

are called "Master Plan for Extraction" in Colorado, "Mined Land Use Plan" in Georgia, "Mine 

and Rehabilitation Plan" in Iowa, or a number of 

similar terms. The number and designation of the 

permits that are issued may vary, also, but the 

effects are the same : an applicant is licensed to 

mine and to reclaim according to an agreed upon 

plan of scheduled, specifically located activities 

subject to inspection and periodic relicensing. 

The following States require separate prospecting permits and related reclamation plans : Alabama, California, South Dakota, Texas, and 

Virginia. 

MINING METHOD 

Mining methods seem to be determined largely 

by economic, financial, and natural factors. Nevertheless, State mined-area reclamation programs 

are said by Skelly and Loy, Engineers and Consultants (1975) to have a significant impact on 

the mining method selected by the mine operator. 

Several States (e.g., Kentucky) set forth clearly 

the reclamation rules pertaining to different mining methods employed because of different natural 

factors in a given State. Many States are not so 

explicit in the printed rules and regulations, preferring instead to establish appropriate measures 

in the orders issued to an individual mine operator. A number of States have had little experience with surface mine regulation. In such States 

it is likely that reclamation rules and mining 

methods will reach a sort of "mutual accommodation" as actual experiences unfold. 

OVERRIDING OBJECTIVES 

As indicated in table 1, State mined-area programs are not equivalent in terms of stage of development. But all the programs seem to be directed toward two interrelated objectives : (1) 

conversion of mined lands to planned productive 

use, and (2) minimization of deleterious effects 

stemming from the mine site. A review of rules 

and regulations and discussions with State reclamationists suggest that flexibility is sought in 

carrying out the reclamation program—but not 

at the expense of the objectives. 

In practice, meeting the productive use objective might cause a land slope in Illinois "to violate" the basic grade and backfill standards—because planned use of the site for estate-type residences would be enhanced by leaving a steep slope 

and a mine cut filled with water. To hold rigidly 

to the restoration of land to the original contour 

(a common standard) could preclude, for example, the development of recreation and residential lakes in the flat lands of Kansas and 

Indiana. In practice, in specific instances, other 

common standards such as "restoral of native 

vegetation" and "replacement of topsoil" have 

proven to be inadvisable and have been replaced 

or amended by standards aimed at serving better 

the productive use objective. 

The minimization of deleterious offsite effects 

is an underlying provision of State programs 

which, in the older programs, predates pollution 

control laws. State Reclamation Acts declare that 

the site will not be a source of siltation, of acidmine drainage, of noise pollution and will not 

constitute an eyesore. Hence, the adoption of rules 

requiring control of water flow and quality, neutralizing of toxic materials, erosion control, visual 

screening, and the explicit statement in State rules 

and regulations that State water quality criteria 

will be addressed and discharge standards will be 

met by the mine operator. 

THE DOCTRINE OF REASONABLENESS 

Inspection of the State laws and rules shows 

that the doctrine of being reasonable underlies 

most of the State mined-area programs. For example, in Idaho, the State-licensed mine operator 

must conserve and replace topsoil to the extent 

"reasonably available." 6 In Oregon visual screening with vegetation will be pursued "if economically practicable." 7 

This doctrine of reasonableness tends to dissuade the State from asking for the physically 

impossible and from placing too heavy an economic burden on the mineral industries. 

6Idaho Title 47, Chapter 15, Section 47-1509(7). 

7Oregon Statutes 517.790, Subsection (2) (f). 

26 
FLEXIBLE INTERPRETATION OF STATE LAWS 

In an analysis of surface mining and reclamation in 11 Midwestern States, Carter and others 

(1974) have shown that it is often the interpretation of the law rather than the law itself that dictates reclamation procedures. That study shows 

that although the reclamation requirements and 

the landscapes of adjoining States of Illinois and 

Indiana are similar, very different land-use patterns have emerged on reclaimed lands : 86 percent of Illinois permit lands 8were reclaimed for 

row crops and pasture, whereas 90 percent of 

Indiana permit lands were reclaimed for forest 

and range. 

In revegetation, flexibility in interpretation of 

laws is being applied to the problems of revegetation of mined lands in arid climates. Much is yet 

to be learned about the time required for establishing plant growth and suitable species. Consequently, State standards applied to arid lands tend, 

presently, to be skeletal and may remain so until 

experience has demonstrated attainable conditions. In contrast, Iowa requires that revegetation 

be accomplished 24 months after the completion 

of mining, and Iowa provides detailed guidelines 

on the planting of desired species. 

ATTENTION CALLED TO OTHER LAWS 

A common characteristic of the State minedarea programs is the State's admonition to the 

mine operator applicant that other State and 

local licensing and permitting requirements are 

not necessarily satisfied in the approved reclamation program—that State waste discharge permits, State water rights, sanitary landfill requirements, local zoning permits, and the like must also 

be obtained. Several State mined-area programs 

require evidence of compliance with other applicable governmental requirements. With respect to 

land use, the long-term trend is clearly toward 

integrated mined-area licensing and local permitting (table 2). 

THE PLANNING PROCESS 

As used herein, the term "planning" refers to 

successive steps that, disregarding complexities, 

usually proceed as follows : (1) statement of objectives, (2) gathering of information and determination of factors critical to attainment of the 

objectives, (3) consideration and evaluation of 

8 "Permit" lands are lands for which a State reclamation permit has been granted. 

alternative means of meeting the objectives, and 

(4) selection and design of future actions—in 

amount, type, time, and place. 

In general, all State mined-area regulatory 

agencies require the mine operator applicant to 

engage in a planning process. As manifest in State 

mined-area programs, the particular detail of the 

process that is actually applied varies from State 

to State. 

Approaches to declaring the end-use or land-use 

objective vary by State and by age of program. 

Recent State legislation seems expansive in terms 

of requiring the mine operator applicant to look 

at "potential uses," as in California, or at "multiple land use," as in Illinois. Pre-1970 acts and 

regulations tend to accent attainment of the objectives of stabilizing slopes, preventing water 

pollution, and removing eyesores, by any reasonable method for any possible beneficial end use. 

Present State programs tend to offer the applicant a "shopping list" of several potential land 

uses from which a specific end use will be chosen. 

Several States allow the applicant to propose a 

use that is not on the official list. 

An analysis of recent State legislation and related rules indicates a trend toward stiffer requirements for information to support end-use choices, 

the evaluation of potential consequences, and the 

design and implementation of the mine-reclamation plan. The following phrases from State legislation suggest a need for high-quality analytical 

information : 

[The application requirements . . . include . . .] 

"the anticipated hydrologic consequences of the mining operation" 9 

"the capacity of the land to support its anticipated 

use following reclamation, including . . . the capacity 

of the reclaimed land to support alternatives uses" 10 

". . . current surface values and its [the land's] capabilities to support a variety of uses or proposed 

uses," 11 

The general subject coverage of State information requirements is shown in column 16 of table 

1. A comparison of columns 16, 17, and 18 suggests that a positive correlation exists between a 

State's requiring detailed baseline information 

consideration of alternative uses, and declaration 

of an end use. 

9 Texas Senate Bill 55, (1975), sec. 8 (3) (5). 

"Texas Senate Bill 55, (1975), sec. 10(2) (3). 

11 Utah Rule M-3 (2) (a). 

27 
The planning phase of mined area programs 

appears to be changing in two important respects. 

Time frames are being extended from the customary yearly licensing target to 5 years for contiguous mined areas (Kansas) , to 10 years in "extended mining plans" (North Dakota) , and even 

to the life of the mine (Montana) . Also, State 

mined-area programs are being related increasingly to other planning programs, especially programs involving local government. 

Roles for local planning bodies range from 

rather benign review activities to active participation in the licensing process. In the latter instance, 

private land-use objectives are scaled presumably 

against the declared public policy and adopted 

plans that pertain to the area. (See especially 

entries for California, Colorado, Illinois, Kentucky, Minnesota, South Dakota, and Wisconsin 

in column 19, table 1.) Provisions illustrative of 

a possible trend are quoted as follows : 

"No permit shall be issued . . . [where] surface 

mining would be incompatible with Federal, State, 

or local plans for land development . . ." 

". . . the mining and reclamation plan and the comprehensive plan [shall] conform with all applicable 

zoning ordinances . . ." 

It is important to note that the Wisconsin Act 

is rather skeletal and not yet filled out with rules 

and regulations that amplify the comprehensive 

planning requirement to be placed upon the applicant mine operator. It is one thing to require coordination with, or conformity with, comprehensive planning, but quite another to require comprehensive planning by an applicant. 

CONCLUSIONS 

"The Utah legislature finds that : Reclamation requirements must be adapted to the diversity of 

topographic, chemical, climatic, biologic, geologic, 

economic, and social conditions in the areas where 

mining takes place." 

1. State mined-area reclamation laws address a 

progression of private actions or initiatives which vary according to time, place, 

technology, and economic conditions. 

These laws function as "constraints" 

which affect the activities that occur before, during, and after mining. 

12South Dakota Century Code, Chapter 45-6A, as amended 

(1975). 

13Wisconsin, Chapter 318, sec. 144.85 (3)(d), Laws of 1973. 

14 From sec. 2(3), H.B. No. 323. 1975. This bill became the 

Mined Land Reclamation Act of 1975 (Utah). 

2. Surface mining—the principal means of providing the present needs of the United 

States for sand and gravel, clay, stone, 

phosphate, iron ore, copper ore, and coal 

—involves diverse methods of mining. 

The specific method applied at a given 

site is dependent on the site's physical 

characteristics and, increasingly, on reclamation requirements. 

3. Techniques of reclamation are generally well 

advanced, but the presence of physical 

and temporal constraints still makes difficult the reclamation of certain types of 

mines. Mining and reclamation in arid 

and semiarid climates pose special problems of great complexity. 

4. As of December 1975, mined-area reclamation programs which affect surface mining, associated reclamation, and subsequent land use of mined sites have been 

enacted by 38 States. 

5. Most of the State mined-area programs have 

arisen since 1970, a fact which reflects : 

(1) A. response to the "environmental 

movement," (2) increased competition 

for land use, and (3) increased surface 

mining activity as the "energy crisis" 

unfolded. 

6. Differences in the details of State mined-area 

programs are common, as individual 

States face their own peculiar natural, 

economic, political, and social conditions. 

7. Commonalities arise among many State reclamation programs, as similar conditions 

are recognized and as the accumulating 

mass of State experience is understood 

and adapted by new States coming on 

line. 

8. Mined-area reclamation programs can be very 

sophisticated in terms of the regulatory 

approaches and the particular requirements placed on the mine operator applicant. As a general rule, in any given 

State, reclamation requirements are becoming progressively more comprehensive in coverage and more detailed in 

terms of definition through standards 

and guidelines. 

9. There is a trend in the new State programs 

toward an integration of land use and 

28 
mine planning, and toward requiring 

longer time frames and a more comprehensive approach to reclamation planning. State mined-area programs and advances in technology have already effected an integration of mine planning 

and reclamation planning. 

10. All State mined-area reclamation laws recognize the possible role for local government in such activities as zoning ; several 

of the mined-area programs require evidence of compliance with local planning 

controls. A few mined-area programs 

place local governments directly in the 

decisionmaking process with regard to 

the issuance of mining permits. 

11. A great deal of high-quality information on 

natural resources is needed now and will 

continue to be required on a regular basis. 

Natural science monitoring is required if 

State mined-area reclamation mandates 

are to be adhered to and if the concept 

of integrated land use and mining for 

long-term beneficial use, private and public, is to be realized. 

12. To serve the States, other interested units of 

government, and private parties, an efficient information system is needed for 

the recording and reporting of the status 

and content of State mined-area reclamation programs. 

REFERENCES CITED 

Angster, G. L., Hill, J. C., McBride, A. W., Paton, R. A., 

and Pope, H. H., 1970, Reclamation suggestions in 

planning for crushed stone quarry operations to 

facilitate the integration of abandoned quarry sites 

into the urban fabric : Durham, N.C., Nello T. Teer 

Co., 43 p. 

Bisselle, A., Binder, A., Holberger, R., Morrow, L., 

Pagano, R., Parker, D., Sasfy, S., and Strieter. R., 

1975, An approach to environmental assessment with 

application to western coal development : McLean, 

Va., MITRE Corporation Rept. [No.] 6988, p. IV-22-

IV-23, prepared for Resource and Land Investigations (RALI) Program. 

Bituminous Coal Research, Inc., 1974, Glossary of surface 

mining and reclamation technology : Washington, 

D.C., National Coal Association, 25 p. 

Carter, R. P., LaFevers, J. R., Corke, E. J., Kennedy, 

A. S., and Zellmer, S. D., 1974, Surface mined 

land in the Midwest (U.S.)—a regional perspective 

for reclamation planning : Argonne National Laboratory report to U.S. Bureau of Mines, 678 p. 

Grant, M. J., 1973, Rhode Island's ocean sands—management guidelines for sand and gravel extraction in 

State waters : Kingston, University of Rhode Island, 

The Coastal Resources Center, Marine Technology 

Rept. 10, 51 p. 

Iowa Land Rehabilitation Board, [undated], Recommendations for establishment of vegetation on surface mined areas : Des Moines, Iowa, Department of 

Soil Conservation, Division of Mines and Minerals, 

20 p. 

Kentucky Department for Natural Resources and Environmental Protection, [undated], Engineer's handbook on strip mining in Eastern Kentucky : Frankfort, Kentucky, Division of Reclamation, 60 p. 

Maryland Land Reclamation Committee, 1975, Guidelines 

manual for surface coal mine operators (revised) : 

Maryland Dept. of Energy and Coastal Zone Administration, Bureau of Mines, 31 p., appendices. 

Matter, F. S., Clark, K. N., Hann, J. A., Schuman, S., and 

Blanchard, B. J., 1974, A balanced approach to 

resource extraction and creative land development : 

Tucson, University of Arizona, Colleges of Agriculture and Mines, 85 p. 

Paone, James, Moring, J. L., Giorgetti, Leo, 1974, Land 

utilization and reclamation in the mining industry, 

1930-71: Washington, D.C., U.S. Bureau of Mines, 

IC 8642, 61 p. 

Skelly and Loy, Engineers and Consultants, 1975, Economic engineering analysis of U.S. surface coal 

mines and effective land reclamation : Washington, 

D.C., U.S. Bureau of Mines Contract Rept. SO 

241049, 595 p. 

West Virginia Department of Natural Resources, 1975, 

Drainage handbook for surface mining (revised) : 

Charleston, W. Va., Division of Reclamation, 75 p., 

appendices. 

Zube, E. H., 1963, Taconite and the landscape, Lake 

Superior South Shore Area : Madison, Wisconsin 

Department of Resource Development, 47 p. 

29 
A DIRECTORY TO STATE SOURCES OF INFORMATION ON SURFACE 

MINED-AREA RECLAMATION PROGRAMS, 1975 

State Agency Individual Location 

Alabama Strip-mining Section H. T. Williams, Chief 

Division of Safety and of Safety and 

Inspection Inspection 

Department of 

Industrial Relations 

1816 8th Ave., North 

Birmingham, AL 

35203 

205-251-1181 

Alaska Division of Lands 

Department of 

Natural Resources 

Arizona Arizona State Land 

Department 

Arkansas Department of 

Pollution Control 

and Ecology 

California Bureau of Mines and 

Geology 

Department of 

Conservation 

Michael Smith, 

Director, and 

Pedro Denton, 

Minerals Officer 

Andrew L. Bettwy, 

Commissioner 

S. Ladd Davies, 

Director 

Milton Bonner, 

Geologist 

Robert Streitz, 

Advanced Planning 

Officer 

323 E. Fourth Ave. 

Anchorage, AK 99501 

907-279-5577 

1624 W. Adams St. 

Phoenix, AZ 85007 

602-271-4621 

8001 National Drive 

Little Rock, AR 72209 

501-371-1701 

1416 Ninth St. 

Room 1341 

Sacramento, CA 95841 

916-445-0514 

Colorado 

Connecticut 

Delaware 

Florida 

Georgia 

Reclamation Section 

Department of 

Natural Resources 

The Natural 

Resources Center 

Department of 

Environmental 

Protection 

Division of 

Environmental 

Control 

Department of 

Natural Resources 

and Environmental 

Control 

Bureau of Geology 

Division of 

Resource 

Management 

Department of 

Natural Resources 

Land Reclamation 

Section 

Division of 

Environmental 

Protection 

Department of 

Natural Resources 

Director c/o Division of Mines 

1845 Sherman St. 

Denver, CO 80203 

303-892-3401 

Hugo Thomas, 165 Capitol Ave. 

Director Room 561 

Hartford, CN 06115 

203-566-3540 

N. C. Vasuki, Director Dover, DL 19901 

302-678-4764 

Charles Hendry, Chief 903 W. Tennessee St. 

Steve Windham, Tallahassee, FL 32304 

Deputy Chief 904-488-4191 or 3636 

Sanford Darby, Chief P.O. Box 4845 

Macon, GA 31208 

912-744-3346 

Hawaii 

Idaho 

Department of Land 

and Natural 

Resources 

Division of Earth 

Resources 

Department of Lands 

Christopher Cobb, 

Chairman and 

Member, Board of 

Land and Natural 

Resources 

30 

P.O. Box 621 

Honolulu, HI 96809 

808-548-6550 

Terry Maley, Director, Statehouse, Room 120 

Norman Day, Boise, ID 83720 

Supervisor, Conser- 208-384-3280 

vation Section 
A DIRECTORY TO STATE SOURCES OF INFORMATION ON SURFACE 

MINED-AREA RECLAMATION PROGRAMS, 1975—Continued 

Indiana 

Iowa 

Kansas 

Kentucky 

Louisiana 

Maine 

Maryland 

Massachusetts 

Michigan 

Minnesota 

Mississippi 

Missouri 

Agency 

Division of Land 

Reclamation 

Department of Mines 

and Minerals 

Division of 

Reclamation 

Department of 

Natural Resources 

Division of Mines and 

Minerals 

Department of Soil 

Conservation 

Mined-Land 

Conservation and 

Reclamation Board. 

State Corporation 

Commission 

Division of 

Reclamation 

Department for 

Natural Resources 

and Environmental 

Protection 

Department of 

Conservation 

Bureau of Land 

Quality Control 

Department of 

Environmental 

Protection 

State Bureau of Mines 

Maryland Energy and 

Coastal Zone 

Administration 

Geological Survey 

Division 

Department of 

Natural Resources 

Division of Minerals 

Department of 

Natural Resources 

Mississippi Geological, 

Economic and 

Topographical 

Survey 

Office of Land 

Reclamation 

Department of 

Natural Resources 

Richard McNabb, 

Director 

Marvin B. Ross, 

Mine Inspector 

G. T. Van Bebber, 

Chairman, 

and 

Charels F. Bredahl, 

Member 

Kenneth Ratliff, 

Director 

Ray Sutton, 

Commissioner 

Henry Warren, 

Director 

Harry Buckley, 

Director 

R. Thomas Segall, 

Geologist in Charge 

Elwood Rafn, Director 

Paul Pojar (Staff) 

William H. Moore, 

Director 

Robert Neuenschwander, Director 

31 

613 State Office Bldg. 

100 N. Senate Ave. 

Indianapolis, IN 46204 

317-633-6217 

Grimes State Office 

Building 

Des Moines, IA 50319 

515-281-5774 

Fourth Floor 

State Office Bldg. 

Topeka, KS 66612 

913-296-3325 or 3600 

5th Floor, Capitol 

Plaza Tower 

Frankfort, KY 40601 

502-564-6940 

P.O. Box 44275 

Capitol Station 

Baton Rouge, LA 

70804 

504-389-5161 

State House 

Augusta, ME 04330 

207-289-2111 

City Building 

Westernport, MD 

21562 

301-359-3057 

100 Nashua Street 

Room 805 

Boston, MA 02114 

617-727-6398 

Stevens T. Mason 

Bldg. 

Lansing, MI 48926 

517-373-1256 

Centennial Office Bldg. 

St. Paul, MN 55155 

612-296-4810 

P.O. Box 4915 

Jackson, MS 39216 

601-354-7011 

P.O. Box 1368 

Jefferson City, MO 

65101 

314-751-2357 

State 

Illinois 

Individual Location 

Eugene Filer, State Office Bldg. 

Supervisor, Room 704 

and Springfield, IL 62706 

217-782-4970 

Charles Medvick, 618-993-5450 

Resource Planner 

Department of Public Joseph Sinnott, 

Works State Geologist 
A DIRECTORY TO STATE SOURCES OF INFORMATION ON SURFACE 

MINED-AREA RECLAMATION PROGRAMS, 1975—Continued 

State 

Montana 

Nebraska 

Agency 

Division of 

Reclamation 

Department of State 

Lands 

Office of State 

Planning and 

Programming 

Individual 

C. C. McCall, 

Administrator 

W. Don Nelson, 

Director 

Location 

Capitol Station 

Helena, MT 59601 

406-587-2074 

P.O. Box 94601 

Lincoln, NE 68509 

402471-2414 

Nevada Nevada Bureau of William Dubois, 

Mines and Geology Inspector of Mines University of Nevada 

Reno, NV 89507 

702-885-5243 

New Hampshire Department of Forests 

and Lands 

New Jersey 

New Mexico 

New York 

North Carolina 

North Dakota 

Ohio 

Oklahoma 

Oregon 

Pennsylvania 

Bureau of Geology 

and Topography 

Division of Natural 

Resources 

Bureau of Mines and 

Mineral Resources 

Bureau of Minerals 

Department of 

Environmental 

Conservation 

Land Quality Section 

Division of Environmental Management 

Department of 

Natural and 

Economic Resources 

Division of 

Reclamation 

Public Service 

Commission 

Division of 

Reclamation 

Department of 

Natural Resources 

Department of Mines 

Mined Land Reclamation Office 

Department of 

Geology and Mineral 

Industries 

Bureau of Surface 

Mine Reclamation 

Department of 

Environmental 

Resources 

Sargent Goodhue, 

Chief of Forest 

Management, 

and 

Glenn Stewart, State 

Geologist 

Dr. Kemble Widmer, 

State Geologist 

Frank E. Kottlowski, 

Director 

Richard Arieda, 

Assistant Director 

Craig McKenzie, Chief 

Ed Englerth, Chief, 

and 

Allen D. Klein 

Ken Faulk, Chief 

(Acting) 

Ward Padgett, Chief 

Mines Inspector 

Standley Ausmus, 

Administrator, 

and 

Tom Ehmett 

William Guckert, 

Director 

Ralph V. Zampogna, 

Geologist 

32 

Statehouse Annex 

P.O. Box 856 

Concord, NH 03301 

603-271-3456 

James Hall 

University of New 

Hampshire 

Durham, NH 03824 

603-862-1216 

John Fitch Plaza 

P.O. Box 1889, 

Room 709 

Trenton, NJ 08625 

609-292-2576 

Campus Station 

Socorro, NM 87801 

505-835-5420 

50 Wolf Road 

Albany, NY 12233 

518-457-7480 

P.O. Box 27687 

Raleigh, NC 27611 

919-829-4740 

Capitol Bldg. 

Bismark, ND 58501 

701-224-2410 

Fountain Square 

Columbus, OH 43224 

614-466-4850 

253 Capitol Bldg. 

Oklahoma City, OK 

73105 

405-521-3859 

P.O. Box 1028 

Albany, OR 97321 

503-928-5386 

P.O. Box 2063 

Harrisburg, PA 17120 

717-787-5103 
A DIRECTORY TO STATE SOURCES OF INFORMATION ON SURFACE 

MINED-AREA RECLAMATION PROGRAMS, 1975—Continued 

State 

Rhode Island 

South Carolina 

South Dakota 

Tennessee 

Texas 

Utah 

Vermont 

Virginia 

Washington 

West Virginia 

Wisconsin 

Wyoming 

Agency 

Statewide Planning 

Program 

Department of Mining 

and Reclamation 

Land Resources 

Conservation 

Commission 

Division of 

Conservation 

Department of 

Agriculture 

Division of Surafce 

Mining and Land 

Reclamation 

Department of 

Conservation 

Division of Surface 

Mining and 

Reclamation 

Railroad Commission 

of Texas 

Division of Oil and 

Gas Conservation 

Department of 

Natural Resources 

Agency of Environmental Conservation 

Division of Mined 

Land Reclamation. 

Department of 

Conservation and 

Economic 

Development 

Division of Geology 

and Earth 

Resources 

Department of 

Natural Resources 

Division of 

Reclamation 

Department of 

Natural Resources 

Bureau of Water 

Regulation and 

Zoning 

Department of 

Natural Resources 

Division of Land 

Quality 

Department of 

Environmental 

Quality 

Individual 

Daniel W. Varin, 

Director 

Murray Wood, 

Director, 

and 

Jack S. Whisnant, 

Geologist 

Al Griffiths, Director 

Chase Delony, 

Director, 

and 

George Laughlin 

Roy D. Payne, 

Director, 

and 

J. Randel Hill 

Cleon B. Feight, 

Director, 

and 

Ron Daniels, Mined 

Land Coordinator 

Martin L. Johnson, 

The Secretary, 

and 

Edward Koenemann, 

Director, Division 

of Planning 

Grant Hollett, 

Reclamation 

Specialist, 

and 

William D. Roller, 

Director 

Donald Ford, 

Geologist 

Benjamin G. Greene, 

Chief 

Walt Ackerman, 

Administrator 

Location 

265 Melrose St. 

Providence, RI 02907 

401-277-2656 

P.O. Box 11708 

Columbia, SC 29211 

803-758-2823 

Joe Foss Bldg. 

Room 110 

Pierre, SD 57501 

605-224-3258 

2611 W. End Ave. 

Nashville, TN 37203 

615-741-1046 

Capitol Station 

P.O. Drawer 12967 

Austin, TX 78711 

512-475-4639 or 6520 

1588 W. N. Temple 

Salt Lake City, UT 

84116 

801-533-5771 

State Office Bldg. 

Montpelier, VT 05602 

802-826-3357 

Drawer U 

Big Stone Gap, VA 

24219 

703-523-2925 

Public Lands Bldg. 

Olympia, WA 98504 

206-753-6183 

State Office Bldg. 

No. 3 

Room 322 

Charleston, WV 

25305 

304-345-3267 

State Office Bldg. W 

Cheyenne, WY 82002 

307-777-7756 

Floyd Stautz, Director Box 450 

Madison, WI 53701 

608-266-8034 

33 * U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE: 1976 0-211- 317/103 

Imhoff and others—GUIDE TO STATE PROGRAMS FOR THE RECLAMATION OF SURFACE MINED AREAS—Geological Su