The project will clean up approximately 92 acres of abandoned coal mine lands in Vernon County. The Ellis Coal project, located approximately two miles northwest of Bronaugh, was strip mined for coal from 1950 to 1959 and abandoned without reclamation by the coal company. The reclamation project will eliminate erosion, barren mine spoils and dangerous embankments.
Additional work includes filling three acidic pits and removing a dangerous highwall.
An abandoned dump will be cleaned up and trash hauled to a permitted landfill. Acidic coal waste will be removed, combined with agricultural limestone to reduce acidity and buried within the project area. A 2.2-acre wetland will be constructed to reduce wetland losses resulting from construction and to improve water quality. Wetlands treat acid mine drainage by removing dissolved metals and increasing alkalinity. In addition, two strip pits will be increased in size and depth to dilute acidity and allow more room for a diverse aquatic community.