Coal mining organisations are responsible for rejuvenating the ecosystems they impact. Jane Marsh explores case studies which demonstrate how workforces can restore balance to the natural world.
Coal still provides energy to countless people worldwide. As long as this continues, miners and their organisations can follow these recommendations to establish new precedents for restoring habitats and making land stable again. Eventually, the actions could make ecosystems flourish again with native wildlife.
Preventing illegal mining
The Bornean province in Indonesia was once covered in thick forests, but surface mining and floods have drastically impacted the landscape. Pit mines have undermined the land’s ability to absorb heavy rainwater, which has exacerbated the scale of floods in the area. Many of these sites were illegally excavated, with minimal law enforcement preventing this activity.
In 2021, the government spent one-fifth of its annual budget on disaster recovery in response to floods. Since then, they have compelled mining operations to rehabilitate the areas and mitigate future floods.
Nations must eliminate unregulated mining worldwide. Its persistence could delay land recovery and encourage more destruction during natural disasters. More regulation could make it easier to oversee active operations and ensure sites are cleaned appropriately.
Creating energy
The landscape of Lusatia in eastern Germany was forever changed by mining. Massive craters wounded the land, and one opencast mine flooded with water in 2019, creating an artificial lake.
Now, the city plans to make the lake a home for a 35 MW heat pump that could cover 40% of the district’s grid needs. The initiative shows how restoring the land can lead to even more climate action.
The project is a shining example of how miners could embrace and learn about novel energy sources in the future. They could work alongside the grounds miners have established to restore habitats.
Stabilising with geoengineering
Land subsidence is a major concern with abandoned and active mines. Collaborating with geoengineers is the best way to strengthen the land. For example, launched soil nails could stabilise loose grounds, like clay and sand. They are able to achieve this because of their 20% or greater shear capacities. The reinforcement is necessary to prevent cave-ins while the region undergoes continued remediation.
Closing and cleaning abandoned mines
The Appalachian range is one of the most famous victims of mountaintop removal. Many ancient mountains have flattened, losing countless trees in the process. Surface mining is a problem in many of these states, too.
The forgotten mines from decades ago remain full of gob piles, causing landslides, drainage problems and pollutant spread. Clearing these sites can open more jobs in the industry. Here are some of the ways these projects give these sites a clean slate for further ecological restoration:
- Removing highwalls
- Eliminating embankments and spoils
- Rehabilitating waterways
- Cleaning up contaminated streams and land
- Treating acid mine drainage
These efforts compensate for the many years that laws did not require mines to clean up after digs or close shafts.
Making the most of mines
Mining causes inarguable harm to the planet, but every site has an opportunity to become a haven for wildlife again. These examples demonstrate the most impactful actions mining organisations can take to mitigate the damage they cause.
Read the article online at: https://www.worldcoal.com/coal/15042025/rehabilitating-former-coal-mines/