ABSTRACT

The impacts of land reclamation following coal surface mining are threefold: environmental, economic, and legal. In response to the increased demand for surface-mined coal and to the nation’s growing environmental awareness, the federal government has sought to establish minimum standards for surface mine reclamation. According to Title V of the act, states that wish to assume jurisdiction over the regulation of surface coal-mining and reclamation operations must prepare a state regulatory program. The coal and electric power industries opposed the federal surface-mine legislation. Coal mining in Appalachia region often takes place on slopes exceeding twenty-five degrees where back-to-contour constraints could make surface mining completely uneconomic. Federal legislation to control surface mining can be construed as a response to the adverse environmental impacts of coal surface mining. The major midwestern coal fields–Illinois, Indiana, and western Kentucky–are dominated by surface mining on gently rolling terrain. The chapter also presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in this book.