CMM Environmental Reclamation Standards 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the standard minimum liability period for revegetation success in areas of 26 inches or more annual precipitation under SMCRA?
- 2 years
- 3 years
- 5 years (Correct answer)
- 10 years
Correct answer: 5 years
SMCRA requires a minimum 5-year liability period for revegetation success in areas receiving 26 or more inches of average annual precipitation.
Question 2: Under 30 CFR Part 816, what is required regarding topsoil removal and storage during surface mining?
- Topsoil must be sold or disposed of off-site before mining
- Topsoil must be separately removed, segregated, and stockpiled for later redistribution (Correct answer)
- Topsoil can be mixed with overburden if it reduces operational costs
- Topsoil removal is only required in prime farmland areas
Correct answer: Topsoil must be separately removed, segregated, and stockpiled for later redistribution
Regulations require that topsoil be separately removed and stored to preserve its productivity for redistribution over regraded areas during final reclamation.
Question 3: What is 'acid mine drainage' (AMD) and what geochemical process causes it?
- Alkaline leachate caused by calcite dissolution in limestone mine areas
- Acidic water produced when sulfide minerals oxidize upon exposure to air and water (Correct answer)
- Saline discharge from evaporite formations disturbed by mining
- Neutral pH water with elevated heavy metal concentrations from ore processing
Correct answer: Acidic water produced when sulfide minerals oxidize upon exposure to air and water
AMD occurs when sulfide minerals like pyrite oxidize upon exposure to oxygen and water, producing sulfuric acid that can leach heavy metals from surrounding rock.
Question 4: Which reclamation technique is most effective for preventing acid mine drainage from waste rock piles?
- Deep ripping and aeration of the pile surface
- Encapsulation of acid-generating material with a low-permeability cover (Correct answer)
- Lime injection into the base of the waste pile
- Burning the surface vegetation to expose the waste rock
Correct answer: Encapsulation of acid-generating material with a low-permeability cover
Encapsulating acid-generating sulfide-bearing waste with a low-permeability cover limits oxygen and water infiltration, preventing the oxidation reactions that produce AMD.
Question 5: When reclaiming prime farmland under SMCRA, what must be demonstrated before bond release?
- That crop yields equal 90% of surrounding unaffected farmland
- That soil productivity equals or exceeds that of the pre-mining condition (Correct answer)
- That the land is returned to the same crop variety as before mining
- That irrigation systems are installed to compensate for reduced soil quality
Correct answer: That soil productivity equals or exceeds that of the pre-mining condition
SMCRA requires that reclaimed prime farmland achieve equivalent or greater soil productivity compared to pre-mining conditions before bonds can be released.
Question 6: A 'contemporaneous reclamation' requirement under SMCRA means that operators must:
- Complete all reclamation before the mining permit expires
- Reclaim mined areas as quickly as practicable as mining progresses (Correct answer)
- Reclaim land within two years of completing the entire mining operation
- Submit a reclamation plan update annually to OSMRE
Correct answer: Reclaim mined areas as quickly as practicable as mining progresses
Contemporaneous reclamation requires operators to reclaim disturbed areas as mining progresses, minimizing the total area disturbed at any one time.
Question 7: Which regulatory standard governs effluent limitations for water discharges from surface coal mining operations?
- Clean Water Act Section 404 nationwide permits
- 30 CFR Part 816 effluent limitation guidelines
- EPA effluent limitation guidelines for coal mining (40 CFR Part 434) (Correct answer)
- State stormwater NPDES general permits only
Correct answer: EPA effluent limitation guidelines for coal mining (40 CFR Part 434)
EPA's effluent limitation guidelines at 40 CFR Part 434 establish technology-based discharge limits for pH, total suspended solids, iron, and manganese from coal mining operations.
CMM Environmental Reclamation Standards 3
What is the standard minimum liability period for revegetation success in areas of 26 inches or more annual precipitation under SMCRA?