ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses Pennsylvania’s program for control of bituminous strip mining first–because the state’s program is considered a model and because bituminous is where the action is–12,000 acres stripped and 17,200 acres restored in 1971, as compared with 350 acres stripped for anthracite and 411 acres restored. It explores Pennsylvania’s program to control current strip-mining operations in order to protect the environment and explains the state’s program in currently operated underground mines. Many of the techniques used in Pennsylvania are directly applicable only where the topography is similar; different terrain means different problems. In Pennsylvania, most bituminous deposits are found in flat or gently rolling terrain; strip mining in this kind of landscape creates less damage than it does in mountainous areas where the slopes are steeper–and whatever damage is done is much easier to repair. Some strip-mined land, particularly that in central Pennsylvania in the Indiana-Cambria County area, has been developed into Christmas tree plantations.
