Abandoned Mine Land Reclamation Projects Gallery

MALAKOFF ABANDONED LIGNITE MINE

Located in Henderson County
Mined prior to 1950

Before

Project Scope

• One large 20 feet deep by 125 feet wide slump
• Four smaller 10-4 feet deep by 38-17 feet wide slumps
• Located in close proximity to residential areas
• Eliminate safety hazards posed by slumps which were deep and steep, and were obscured and abrupt when encountered

Reclamation Accomplishments

• Collapsed unconsolidated materials around openings
• Backfilled with clay material and compacted
• Top soil placed over compacted fill
• Performed operations to re-establish vegetation

After

Contracted Cost - $59,900
Funded by the federal Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement through a production fee levied on active coal mining operations in Texas.

STOELTJE ABANDONED URANIUM MINE

Located in Karnes County
Mined prior to 1976

Before

Project Scope

• 77 acres
• 25 acre pit, highwalls (pit walls) average 40 feet in height above water level
• 3,400 linear feet of highwall
• Pit water depth 120 feet
• 52 acres naturally occurring radioactive and acidic spoil material
• Spoil ridges up to 65 feet in height

Reclamation Accomplishments

• Eliminated dangerous highwalls
• 14% maximum graded slopes
• Burial of 650,000 cubic yards of naturally occurring radioactive and acidic spoil materials
• Eliminated the hazardous water body
• Completed grading with 1,770,734 cubic yards of clean spoil material
• Reduced maximum gamma radiation levels to 26 mR/hr and average readings of 11 mR/hr  

After

Contracted Cost - $5,359,865
Funded by the federal Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement through a production fee levied on active coal mining operations in Texas.

ADOBE WALLS/TERLINGUA/STUDY BUTTE ABANDONED MINES

Located in Brewster and Presidio Counties
Mined prior to 1974

Before

After

Before

Project Scope

• Several main shaft openings and other associated smaller subsidence features
• Steep, loose spoil piles in proximity to mine shafts
• Eliminate safety hazards to frequent visitors from nearby off-road trails
• Repair previous AML closures damaged from weather and vandalism

Reclamation Accomplishments

• Closed eight openings with on site spoil material
• Repaired two previous AML closures that had been damaged
• Installed cable net over Study Butte shaft
• Filled in several subsidence features adjacent to mine shafts

After

Contracted Cost - $73,542
Funded by the federal Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement through a production fee levied on active coal mining operations in Texas.

ALCOA AREA F ABANDONED LIGNITE MINE

Located in Milam County
Mined prior to 1963

Before

Project Scope

• 122 acres
• 16 acre pit
• Pit water depth 50 feet
• Spoil ridges 73 feet high
• Within 100 feet of a county road

Reclamation Accomplishments

• 5 - 14% slopes
• Pumped 110 million gallons of pit water
• 1,658,000 cubic yards of earthwork
• Lime treatment of naturally occurring acidic spoil - 5,870 tons

After

Contracted Cost - $2,560,600
(Does not include cost incurred by Alcoa, Inc. to grade 28 acres of the project area.)
Funded by the federal Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement through a production fee levied on active coal mining operations in Texas.

WEDDINGTON NORTH ABANDONED URANIUM MINE

Located in Karnes County
Mined prior to 1976

Before

Project Scope

• 64 acres
• 20 acre pit, highwalls (pit walls) 30 - 80 feet
• Pit water depth 45 feet
• 13.7 acres of naturally occurring radioactive and acidic spoil material

Reclamation Accomplishments

• 5 - 14% slopes
• Pumped 42 million gallons of pit water
• Buried 48,167 cubic yards of naturally occurring radioactive and acidic spoil in pit bottom
• 302,179 cubic yards of earthwork

After

Contracted Cost - $1,616,571
Funded by the federal Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement through a production fee levied on active coal mining operations in Texas.

MABEL NEW-SUPERIOR ABANDONED URANIUM MINE

Located in Live Oak County
Mined prior to 1961

Before

During Reclamation

After

Project Scope

• 85 acres
• 3 pits(12.7 acres) – averaging 35 feet deep
• 11,337 linear feet pit highwalls (pit walls)
• Multiple spoil piles (72.3 acres) containing naturally occurring radioactive materials

Reclamation Accomplishments

• 5 – 10% slopes
• Buried naturally occurring radioactive and acidic spoil in pit bottom
• 330,000 cubic yards of earthwork
• Recipient of the federal Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement’s 2009 Mid-Continent Regional Award for Abandoned Mine Land Reclamation

Contracted Cost - $2,296,131
Funded by the federal Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement through a production fee levied on active coal mining operations in Texas.

BROWN ABANDONED URANIUM MINE

Located in Karnes County
Mined prior to 1974

Before

Project Scope

• 15 acre pit
• Pit water depth 65 feet
• 3,200 linear feet of highwall (pit walls), 73 feet high
• 33 acres of abandoned spoil
• Within 200 feet of a county road

Reclamation Accomplishments

• 14% maximum graded slopes
• Pumped 110 million gallons of pit water
• Burial of 500,000 cubic yards of naturally occurring radioactive and acidic spoil materials
• Completed grading with an additional 1,320,000 cubic yards of clean spoil material

Contracted Cost - $3,930,856
Funded by the federal Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement through a production fee levied on active coal mining operations in Texas.