Mahaska Mining Heritage And Reclamation Topic At Russell Wildlife
Visitors to Russel Wildlife this past week learned about how former mining locations are being reclaimed.
Oskaloosa, Iowa – The history of coal mining in Mahaska County is one that has slowly faded into history.
Few local residents remain who remember those days, but the effects of the mining industry are being felt to this day throughout the county.
Today, the Mines and Minerals Bureau division of the Iowa Department of Agriculture works to reclaim lands decimated by strip mining, and to mitigate the damage done when the ground opens up above lost mines.
Around the county, many residents are familiar with the sight of former mining activities. Inactive drag lines, piles of muck and the orange acidic waters left to stagnate and pollute the local streams and ponds.
This past week at Russell Wildlife area, guests from the Mines and Minerals Bureau talked about the history of mining in the county, and how they are now working to improve those areas, such as the Westercamp AML Area that is south of Beacon. The project was over 90 acres and required two contracts to complete the reclamation because of the size.
According to the Mines and Minerals Bureau, Iowa has more than 12,000 acres of abandoned coal sites. These sites were mined prior to 1977 and are eligible to be reclaimed under Title IV of the Federal Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act (Public Law 95-87).
Mines and Minerals Bureau staff explained that abandoned coal sites may include processing facilities, waste banks, and hoisting shafts from old underground mines. Most are former surface mines where the material lying above the coal was removed to extract the coal, without any provision for reclamation following mining. There are some 230 Iowa sites, located mostly in the southeastern part of the state.
The Division receives funding annually to reclaim eligible sites selected from this inventory. Criteria for ranking sites is based on environmental problems, as well as potential hazards to public health, safety, and general welfare. The inventory is continually updated to add more site-specific information and to reflect the elimination of problem areas as a result of project completions.
Nearly 30 people attended the event at Russell Wildlife Center this past week. If you want to learn more about how mines are being cleaned up and reclaimed, you can visit the Mines and Minerals Bureau at the website HERE.
