1991-06-10_REPORT - M1977378 - Laserfiche WebLink

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OHS. ONC Reclamation of Acid-forming Materials in the Western United States— Good News at Last Thomas A. Colbert We President IMS Inc. Denver,Colorado Permanent reclamation of tailing and acid forming mine wastes in the western United States has been largely a losing proposition. There have been few if any successes without actual burial of wastes with soil,overburden,waste rock or other material more amenable to reclamation. Rather than major breakthroughs, development of new techniques has been slow and steady. Revegetation of acid forming wastes with little or no soil cover is now probably feasible. Three key elements include the use of adapted plant species which are now becoming commercially available,lime and selective bactericide for controlling acid,and organic amendments such as manure or sewage sludge. Benefits of this type of reclamation often include reduced mobility of toxic metals and improvements in water quality. With a stringent regulatory regime for mine wastes impending under Strawman II,the importance of good,economical reclamation techniques will become critical to successful and profitable western mining operations. Ecological Setting of High Elevafion Sites Ecologists have long recognized that plant species tend to exist in fairly predictable distribution patterns. Conditions of climate and soils create selective pressure favoring certain species over others in any particular area. Species adapted to an area are recognized as a"plant community." The landscape of the intermountain west is characterized by—among other things— rapidly changing topography. Distinct plant communities occur in different topographic zones. Distributions of such familiar plant communities as sagebrush, pinyon-juniper,scrub oak,mixed conifer,and alpine tundra are to a large extent a reflection of changes in elevation Reclamation specialists use their knowledge of