Manual for Backfilling and Grading of Surface Coal Mining Areas

摘要

The reclamation of surface mined areas satisfies two important objectives. First, reclaimed lands reduce the environmental degradation of the disturbed property as well as the surrounding area by controlling erosion and subsequent sedimentation and by abating hydrologic contamination from exposed toxic materials. Second, reclamation restores the disturbed area to a productive land use. This use could be agricultural, industrial, residential, recreational, or simply the restoration of the land's aesthetic value. Backfilling and grading represent two essential elements in the process of disturbed land reclamation. If these two functions are not properly executed, the success of the entire reclamation operation can be jeopardized. The manual provides assistance in defining backfilling and grading requirements and the options available to efficiently satisfy those requirements.