Ecological Recovery After Reclamation of Toxic Spoils Left by Coal Surface Mining. Phase 1: A Baseline Assessment of Environmental Conditions Prior to Application of Intensive Remedial Treatments

摘要

This study involves a selected watershed in which surface mining and unsuccessful reclamation efforts in the early 1970's resulted in adverse environmental impacts. Work on the east Tennessee problem mine seeks to correct reclamation deficiencies by applying land stabilization treatments and evaluating their effectiveness by measuring the degree of recovery of the affected terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. Conditions documented during the mining and reclamation, and those existing prior to start of restorative treatments are recorded in this report, to serve as baseline for measuring ecological recovery.