Revitalization and Reuse
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Considering the potential future uses of abandoned mine lands is an important part of EPA's commitment to finding innovative and effective approaches to reducing the potential threats that these contaminated lands pose to human health and the environment. EPA recognizes that land reuse often brings economic, environmental, and social benefits to communities, and also may serve as a catalyst for expediting environmental risk reduction. EPA's Abandoned Mine Lands Reuse and Revitalization web page includes links to reports, fact sheets and technical resources related to revitalization of mine lands.
- The Mine-Scarred Lands Initiative Tool Kit shares what was learned through the Federal Brownfields Partnership's Mine-Scarred Lands Initiative by working with six demonstration projects on hard rock and coal mining sites throughout the country. In addition to the experiences of the six projects, the toolkit includes links to other mine cleanup and reuse resources.
- Mine Site Cleanup for Brownfields Redevelopment: A Three-part Primer
summarizes the basic issues surrounding mine site cleanup for brownfields redevelopment, including innovative characterization and remediation approaches. The Primer includes detailed technical information about the characterization, remediation, and redevelopment of hard rock and coal mine sites. It is intended for those with an interest in, and knowledge of the technical aspects of redeveloping coal mine sites. - EPA developed fact sheets that describe reuse and revitalization of former mining sites:
- Wetland Banking at Former Mine Lands: An Ecological Solution with Economic Benefits
Describes the opportunities associated with reusing former mine lands to create wetland banks - Land Conservation and Former Mine Lands: Preserving Natural Land Resources, Planning for the Future
Explains to communities, mine land owners, potentially responsible parties, companies, and other interested groups how land conservation tools can be used as part of an integrated strategy to remediate and restore former mine lands. Describes available land conservation tools and their potential benefits and the opportunities and limitations associated with using different land conservation tools. - Water Quality Credits at Former Mine Lands: Improving America's Water Resources, Reclaiming
Lost Landscapes
Explains to communities, mine land owners, potentially responsible parties, companies, and other interested groups how water quality trading credits can be used as part of an integrated strategy to clean up and restore former mine lands. Also describes the opportunities and limitations associated with using water quality trading credits and provides resource and contact information. - Reuse Alternatives for the Cochiti Gravel Mine: Cochiti Pueblo, New Mexico (EPA 560-F-17-199)
Land revitalization success story describes technical assistance provided by the EPA Land Revitalization Team to the Cochito Pueblo to help develop reuse alternatives for a former gravel mine. The Team identified reuse alternatives for the mine based on feedback from tribal members, recognizing tribal concerns for safety, and taking into account unknown geotechnical conditions, restoration potential, and site location. - Brownfields Success Story: A Former Coal Mine Springs to Life - Weirton, West Virginia (EPA 560-F-17-222)
Brownfields success story describes the use of EPA Brownfield Assessment Grants to assess contamination at a business park located on a former coal mine. The assessments lead to the successful redevelopment of the property. - Brownfields Success Story: The Past Is Prologue for Taylor Colliery, Taylor Borough, Pennsylvania (EPA 560-F-17-224)
Brownfields success story highlights how EPA assessment and cleanup grants were used in the cleanup of soil contamination at an abandoned coal mine colliery, leading to the active reuse of the site through the construction of housing and office buildings. - RE-Powering America's Lands- EPA is encouraging renewable energy development on current and formerly contaminated land and mine sites when it is aligned with the community's vision for the site. This initiative identifies the renewable energy potential of these sites and provides other useful resources for communities, developers, industry, state and local governments or anyone interested in reusing these sites for renewable energy development. The site includes a variety of resources, including mapping tools and data for assessing the renewable energy potential for sites.
- Soil Amendments- Revitalization of a mining site may involve the addition of amendments to the contaminated soil. Soil amendments are materials added to soils in order to revitalize and make them suitable for sustaining plant life or development. Mining sites with contaminated or disturbed soils exhibit a variety of problems that often can be addressed effectively and directly through the use of soil amendments. Project managers could evaluate their effects in the subsurface, their potential for eventual transport to surface waters, and their possible subsequent adverse effects on plant and animal communities.
