ABSTRACT
Several hundred wetlands have been constructed in the coal-bearing states of Maryland, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Ohio to minimize impacts from acid mine drainage. Windsor Coal Company’s Beech Bottom Mine is one of the oldest continuously operating mines in West Virginia. It began production in 1899, and American Electric Power (AEP) purchased an interest in the property in 1918. AEP Service Corporation’s Fuel Supply Department is actively involved in the overall reclamation plan for its abandoned Simco No. 4 mine, in which the wetland is an important component. Based upon the success of the Simco No. 4 Wetland, AEP Fuel Supply decided to build a wetland at Windsor Coal Company. The wetland minimizes a refuse pile seep at the Schoolhouse Hollow Refuse Area as well as enhances the area wildlife and environmental quality. AEP Fuel Supply considers wetlands a valuable natural tool in their reclamation programs.
