ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses a weakness in the pending federal legislation in regard to alternative uses of reclaimed land in Virginia. The proposed federal regulations would make complete back-filling necessary in all cases in Virginia and other states; the land would have to be restored to its original contour. The actual process of recontouring the land to its before-stripping form not only increases the cost of mining but precludes, in some instances, many post-mining land uses. Reclamation procedures are related to the method of surface mining employed. The pending federal legislation, directed toward controlling the mining and reclamation methods employed by the surface mining industry, would supersede Virginia law in all instances where the federal regulations were more stringent than the state’s law and regulations. The highest potential for commercial or industrial uses would be in close proximity to the urban areas in the region and on strip-mined sites close to interstates and other major access routes.
