Coal Valley mine wins reclamation award

In Canada, Luscar’s Coal Valley mine has received the 2005 Alberta Chamber of Resources Reclamation Award. Reclamation of the mine involved the construction and development of Lovett and Silkstone Lakes, re-sloping and levelling of the shoreline and bottom configurations, with additional topsoil replacement and vegetative seeding. A fisheries habitat was incorporated into the planning, and rainbow trouts have been stocked successfully at these lakes since 1995. A trail system was also set up for hikers. Luscar, in conjunction with Alberta Environment, annually provides stocked rainbow trouts for public fishing, and Luscar maintains a parking area and foot access trail to the lakes for the enjoyment of visitors and fishermen.

As an example of resource management, coal operations has continued its initiative to provide “seed stock” from a big horn sheep herd residing in the reclaimed area of the Gregg River mine to various areas in Alberta, Montana and Idaho where the indigenous herd is failing. By going beyond just reclaiming the land, Luscar helps to assure the sustainability of the big horn sheep and other wildlife inhabitants of mining areas.

In 2005, the reclamation process continued on significant portions of previously disturbed land, planting 578,000 trees on over 200 ha of lands designated as commercial forest or wildlife habitat. A further 764 ha of reclaimed areas were seeded and designated as grassland for wildlife habitat or agricultural purposes.