One of the many prerequisites to obtaining a permit to mine a certain area is that the company must outline how it plans to leave the land once mining is complete.
These plans usually fall under one of two categories: restoration or some form of use for economic or community development.
In West Virginia and across Appalachia, any type of major development re- quires the natural landscape be altered. The mountainous terrain provides little land naturally suited to development.
The natural landscape of West Virginia can be characterized usually as a narrow valley floor --between 100 and 1000 feet wide -- surrounded by steep mountainsides that are often a 50-degree slope or more.
What this means is that any development is naturally limited by the land- scape.
Overcoming this limiting factor is an expensive undertaking. Moving the amount of earth necessary to build a road, a shopping center, a school or an industrial park requires an investment of hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of dollars before construction of the facility or the road even begins.
On the next page is a partial list of facilities either located on former mine lands or in the process of construction. The sites run the gamut of develop- ment, including everything from golf courses to hospitals, from schools to industrial parks and from prisons to residential areas. The businesses and facilities located on these sites provide literally thousands of good, quality jobs. These are jobs that would likely not have existed without the land provided at low, if any, cost by the coal industry.
Some critics of surface mining claim that little of the land used for surface mines is potentially developable. However, a look at any of the land use plans of coalfield counties shows this claim is simply not valid.
For example, according to the Logan County Land Use Plan, approximately 65 percent of the surface mine sites in the county are within five miles of a four-lane highway. These sites are also close to air transportation and are within a day’s drive of most of the East Coast.
These sites have the potential to be very attractive to economic development, but the post-mine land use also includes residential, educational and recre- ational uses. As is shown in the list on the next page, there are many examples of residential, educational and recreational development on these sites.
In West Virginia, the little hollows along which most people live often flood, wiping away lives and life’s work in just minutes. Like industrial and com- mercial development, the people of West Virginia build their homes along these little hollows because there are no other good options. Building a home on a
50 degree slope is nearly impossible and building on the mountaintop requires providing your own access and utilities.
Former mine lands can be configured for residential development. At Bright Mountain in Nicholas County, a former mine site provides home sites for more than 100 homes. In Weirton, almost 80 percent of the community is on former mine land. In Eastern Kentucky, entire towns are relocating to former mine lands in order to escape the constant flooding.
The calculation is a simple one -- West Virginia needs to diversity its economy. In order to do that, the state needs readily developable lands. Surface mining provides that developable land. Therefore surface mine lands fulfill a need the state has to provide good quality, high paying jobs today and in the future.
For those sites where developable land is not needed for some specific future purpose, the company must reconstruct the area similar to its original appearance.
This is a rigorously engineered and highly technical project, but one that the industry takes great pride in as mining employees live and work in the same area as the former mine site.
In many cases, the mountain is reconstructed and streams, ponds and wetlands are created. A variety of grasses and millions of trees are planted on these sites.
Anyone who has ever visited a coal mining
Who We Are
The Friends o
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It’s frequently noted that every coal mining when an underground mine ends production, crewesigihmt jmobesdsiaotmeelywhmeoreveinitnheanedconomy.
We are ... West Virgi
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begin the process of cleaning up old equipment, rebuilding mountainsides and
restore the aesthetic and environmental quality of the area.
For former surface mines that means resculpting the mine site and restoring
coal. Friends of Coal is based on the simple pre the original appearance. of people who understand and appreciate the v
The same is true of former underground mine sites. The accesses are sealed and the site restored to its former condition. its people. It is a grassroots movement involvin thousands of West Virginians who consider coa
Water quality is monitored throughout the minibnegthperolicfeebslsooadndofsthtepstatatek’senectonomy. treat any streams and preserve the biology. These people have always been around.
Once restoration is begun, this process enters acnoheewsipvehafosreceascawpealbll,ewoiftdhelmoonngs-trating just ho
term treatment facilities put in place to make sure there is no environmental
involved with the coal industry. harm to the area or downstream waters. Friends of Coal also was born out of a des
to correct the impression that coal’s time has
One of the common complaints about former surface mine lands is that large
passed in West Virginia.
and/or hardwood trees cannot grow due to some perceTivhedFlriaecnkdsofoftoCpoasloLial.dies Auxiliary is liter
organization. Formed three years ago, the Auxil
As has been shown in other portions of this publication, this is not true. In
the region. It has created a coal-oriented curric fact, properly prepared, former surface mine landscahroeovl seyrsytegmo,ocdofnodructhtedgcrhoawrityhdrives, mana
of such trees and are even being used to restore the American Chestnut tree to its former native range. reached out to the sick and infirm in local hospit
As for topsoil. most if not all the original topsoil from a surface site is
removed, segregated and kept in storage for use in restoring the area.
percentage of the state’s coal reserves have be One of the preferred reclamation uses today, orneemtahinaitnhgamsinbeaebnlestrreosnegrvleys amount to about 5
encouraged by governmental agencies and environmental groups, is leaving the land in a condition that will attract and enhance usage by fish and wildlife. The Appalachian region has seen a resurgence of wildlife on and around
former mine sites, as they provide open spaces and sources of food and water.
in Kentucky and wild horses have been seen in Logan County, West Virginia. As a practical matter, this could not have occurred other than on reclaimed mine sites.
The mining industry is committed to environmental stewardship and takes its job seriously.
Many governmental and environmental groups, such as the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection, Ducks Unlimited and the Wild Turkey Federation, annually review and nominate coal company reclamation projects for special recognition.
These are highly coveted awards and something for which everyone in the industry strives.
101398 Coal Facts.indd 4
Process CyanProcess MagentaProcess YellowProcess Black It was on reclaimed land where over 150 mountain elk were released recently
Virginia would have no hesitation in believing th
other state and industry are as closely identified
of the coal industry to the Mountain State and
But they have never before been organized into
many West Virginians are directly and indirectly
several key events throughout the summer festi
We are proud of our Ladies and the hard work t families.
In the 140-year history of the state’s coal i
Once mining is completed in a particular section of a surface mine or even
