CCC/216 ISBN 978-92-9029-536-5

February 2013

copyright © IEA Clean Coal Centre

Abstract

Coal mine sites can have significant effects on local environments. In addition to the physical

disruption of land forms and ecosystems, mining can also leave behind a legacy of secondary

detrimental effects due to leaching of acid and trace elements from discarded materials. This report

looks at the remediation of both deep mine and opencast mine sites, covering reclamation methods,

back-filling issues, drainage and restoration. Examples of national variations in the applicable

legislation and in the definition of rehabilitation are compared.

Ultimately, mine site rehabilitation should return sites to conditions where land forms, soils,

hydrology, and flora and fauna are self-sustaining and compatible with surrounding land uses. Case

studies are given to show what can be achieved and how some landscapes can actually be improved as

a result of mining activity.