When this machine finishes mowing the waterway it will mow the embankments of the sedimentation ponds. This will ensure the erosion resistance of the grass vegetation. This sedimentation pond is being cleaned out because accumulation of sediment reduced its effectiveness. This is a typical view of an active area mining and reclamation operation under the Surface Mining Law. Mining and reclamation under the Surface Mining Law 1.
Scrapers remove topsoil and redistribute it on the area being reclaimed.
Topsoil is stockpiled only when it is impractical to remove and redistribute it in one continuous operation. The topsoil removed from area 1 is being spread on the reclaimed land. Scrapers are removing subsoil. A drill rig bores blast holes in preparation for blasting the overburden. All blasting must be done between sunrise and sunset and a blasting schedule must be published in the local newspaper.