The legacy of surface mining: Remediation,restoration, reclamation and rehabilitation |
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| Affiliation: | 1. Ecohydrology Research Group, Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences and Water Institute, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, N2 L 3G1, Canada;2. Institute of Environmental Biology, Utrecht University, P.O. Box 80084, 3508 TB Utrecht, The Netherlands, The Netherlands;1. School of Veterinary and Life Sciences, Murdoch University, Murdoch, 6150, Western Australia, Australia;2. Calmy Planning and Design Pty Ltd, Waterford, 6152, Western Australia, Australia;3. Global Pasture Consultants, Narrogin, 6312, Western Australia, Australia;1. Centre for Mined Land Rehabilitation, Sir James Foots Building (47A), Level5, University of Queensland, QLD 4072, Australia;2. Rock Engineering Research Team, Institute of Mine Reclamation Technology, Cheonan, Republic of Korea;1. Sustainable Minerals Institute, Centre for Mined Land Rehabilitation, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia;2. Centre for Environment, University of Tasmania, Private Bag 141, Hobart, Tasmania 7001, Australia;3. Bluebird Consultants, Australia;1. Sustainable Minerals Institute, University of Queensland, St Lucia, Qld 4067, Australia;2. CQUniversity, Rockhampton, Qld 4702, Australia;3. School of Environmental and Geographical Sciences, University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus, Semenyih, Selangor, 43500, Malaysia;1. Centre for Environmental Studies, University of Pretoria, P.O. Box 1456, Kloof 3640, South Africa;2. Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, University of Pretoria, Private bag X20, Hatfield, Pretoria 0028, South Africa;3. Centre for Water in the Minerals Industry, Sustainable Minerals Institute, University of Queensland, St Lucia, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia;4. School of Environmental and Geographical Sciences, University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus, Semenyih, Selangor 43500, Malaysia;5. Centre for Mined Land Rehabilitation, Sustainable Minerals Institute, University of Queensland, St Lucia, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia;6. University of Queensland Business School, University of Queensland, St Lucia, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia |
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| 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. |
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| Keywords: | Surface mining Remediation Reclamation Restoration Rehabilitation Resource extraction |
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