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The legacy of surface mining: Remediation, restoration, reclamation and rehabilitation

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  • Lima, Ana T.
  • Mitchell, Kristen
  • O’Connell, David W.
  • Verhoeven, Jos
  • Van Cappellen, Philippe

Abstract

Surface mining is a global phenomenon. When dealing with the land disturbances caused by surface mining operations, the terms remediation, reclamation, restoration and rehabilitation (R4) are commonly used interchangeably or otherwise vaguely defined. Expectations associated with these terms may differ significantly from one stakeholder to another, however. Regulators, industry, environmental practitioners, local communities and the general public therefore stand to benefit from a precise terminology based on agreed-upon end-goals. The latter range from the avoidance of exposure to pollutants (remediation) to the full recovery of the original ecosystem (restoration). Although frequently claimed as the end-goal, restoration may often not be unachievable, because of altered hydrology, habitat fragmentation, contamination, climate change, prohibitive costs and other environmental and socio-economic boundary conditions. Mostly, the definitions of reclamation and rehabilitation may overlap in their definitions and approaches. Here we attempt the creation of a road-map that can clearly translate end-goals for each of the R4 terms. According to the definitions encountered and exposed here, reclamation, which aims to recover key ecosystem services and biogeochemical functions within a replacement ecosystem or rehabilitation, which implies a repurposing of the landscape, may be the best approaches to deal with surface mining legacies.

Suggested Citation

  • Lima, Ana T. & Mitchell, Kristen & O’Connell, David W. & Verhoeven, Jos & Van Cappellen, Philippe, 2016. "The legacy of surface mining: Remediation, restoration, reclamation and rehabilitation," Environmental Science & Policy, Elsevier, vol. 66(C), pages 227-233.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:enscpo:v:66:y:2016:i:c:p:227-233
    DOI: 10.1016/j.envsci.2016.07.011
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    Cited by:

    1. Katarzyna Midor & Witold Biały & Joanna Rogala-Rojek & Piotr Matusiak, 2021. "The Process of Designing the Post-Mining Land Reclamation Investment Using Process Maps. Case Study," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(17), pages 1-10, August.
    2. Sonja Kivinen, 2017. "Sustainable Post-Mining Land Use: Are Closed Metal Mines Abandoned or Re-Used Space?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(10), pages 1-18, September.
    3. Francis Pavloudakis & Christos Roumpos & Evangelos Karlopoulos & Nikolaos Koukouzas, 2020. "Sustainable Rehabilitation of Surface Coal Mining Areas: The Case of Greek Lignite Mines," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(15), pages 1-23, August.
    4. Bohuslava Gregorová & Pavel Hronček & Dana Tometzová & Mário Molokáč & Vladimír Čech, 2020. "Transforming Brownfields as Tourism Destinations and Their Sustainability on the Example of Slovakia," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(24), pages 1-28, December.
    5. Xi Wei & Wei Song & Ya Shao & Xiangwen Cai, 2022. "Progress of Ecological Restoration Research Based on Bibliometric Analysis," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(1), pages 1-21, December.
    6. Drew A. Scott & Kathryn D. Eckhoff & Nicola Lorenz & Richard Dick & Rebecca M. Swab, 2021. "Diversity Is Not Everything," Land, MDPI, vol. 10(10), pages 1-20, October.
    7. Beatriz Calzada Olvera, 2022. "Innovation in mining: what are the challenges and opportunities along the value chain for Latin American suppliers?," Mineral Economics, Springer;Raw Materials Group (RMG);Luleå University of Technology, vol. 35(1), pages 35-51, March.
    8. Sonja Kivinen & Kaarina Vartiainen & Timo Kumpula, 2018. "People and Post-Mining Environments: PPGIS Mapping of Landscape Values, Knowledge Needs, and Future Perspectives in Northern Finland," Land, MDPI, vol. 7(4), pages 1-23, December.
    9. Zhen Li & Songlin Wu & Shiwen Zhang & Chaojia Nie & Yong Li & Yuanfang Huang, 2020. "Optimization of Land Reuse Structure in Coal Mining Subsided Areas Considering Regional Economic Development: A Case Study in Pei County, China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(8), pages 1-16, April.
    10. Izabela Jonek-Kowalska & Marian Turek, 2017. "Dependence of Total Production Costs on Production and Infrastructure Parameters in the Polish Hard Coal Mining Industry," Energies, MDPI, vol. 10(10), pages 1-22, September.
    11. Manasrah, Abdallah D. & Nassar, Nashaat N., 2020. "Oxy-cracking technique for producing non-combustion products from residual feedstocks and cleaning up wastewater," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 280(C).
    12. Marko Spasić & Luboš Borůvka & Oldřich Vacek & Ondřej Drábek & Václav Tejnecký, 2021. "Pedogenesis problems on reclaimed coal mining sites," Soil and Water Research, Czech Academy of Agricultural Sciences, vol. 16(3), pages 137-150.
    13. Huping Hou & Chen Wang & Zhongyi Ding & Shaoliang Zhang & Yongjun Yang & Jing Ma & Fu Chen & Jinrong Li, 2018. "Variation in the Soil Microbial Community of Reclaimed Land over Different Reclamation Periods," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(7), pages 1-17, July.
    14. Nathalie Barbosa Reis Monteiro & Ana Keuly Luz Bezerra & José Machado Moita Neto & Elaine Aparecida da Silva, 2021. "Mining Law: In Search of Sustainable Mining," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(2), pages 1-16, January.
    15. Wen Song & Wei Song & Haihong Gu & Fuping Li, 2020. "Progress in the Remote Sensing Monitoring of the Ecological Environment in Mining Areas," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(6), pages 1-17, March.
    16. Massaro, L. & Calvimontes, J. & Ferreira, L.C. & de Theije, M., 2022. "Balancing economic development and environmental responsibility: Perceptions from communities of garimpeiros in the Brazilian Amazon," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 79(C).
    17. Xueyi Yu & Chi Mu & Dongdong Zhang, 2020. "Assessment of Land Reclamation Benefits in Mining Areas Using Fuzzy Comprehensive Evaluation," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(5), pages 1-20, March.
    18. Svobodova, Kamila & Yellishetty, Mohan & Vojar, Jiri, 2019. "Coal mining in Australia: Understanding stakeholder knowledge of mining and mine rehabilitation," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 126(C), pages 421-430.
    19. Jiawei Qi & Yichen Zhang & Jiquan Zhang & Chenyang Wu & Yanan Chen & Zhongshuai Cheng, 2023. "Study on the Restoration of Ecological Environments in Mining Area Based on GIS Technology," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(7), pages 1-17, April.
    20. Wenbo Li & Dongyan Wang & Shuhan Liu & Yuanli Zhu & Zhuoran Yan, 2020. "Reclamation of Cultivated Land Reserves in Northeast China: Indigenous Ecological Insecurity Underlying National Food Security," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(4), pages 1-16, February.
    21. Ioana Andreea Petrean & Valer Micle & Marin Șenilă, 2023. "Investigation of Sterile Mining Dumps Resulting from Ore Exploitation and Processing in Maramures County, Romania," Land, MDPI, vol. 12(2), pages 1-21, February.

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