CMM Environmental Reclamation Standards 5

Question 1

Under SMCRA's permit application requirements, what must a baseline 'premining hydrologic information' study document?

Accepted Answer

Existing surface and groundwater quality, quantity, and flow regimes before disturbance

Answer

Premining hydrologic information must document existing surface water and groundwater quality, quantity, and seasonal flow patterns to establish a baseline for impact evaluation and reclamation planning.

Question 2

What is the primary environmental concern with 'highwalls' left after surface coal mining, and how does SMCRA address them?

Accepted Answer

Highwalls represent unreclaimed slopes and safety hazards; SMCRA generally requires their elimination through backfilling

Answer

SMCRA generally requires that highwalls be eliminated by backfilling excavated spoil material to restore the approximate original contour and eliminate unstable, unreclaimed slopes.

Question 3

A mineral manager evaluating reclamation success must understand that 'ground cover' measurements differ from 'vegetative cover' measurements because:

Accepted Answer

Ground cover includes all surface materials (litter, rock, plants), while vegetative cover refers specifically to living plant cover

Answer

Ground cover includes all materials covering the soil surface (living plants, litter, rocks, and mulch), while vegetative cover refers specifically to the percentage covered by living plants.

Question 4

Under 30 CFR Part 817 (underground mining), what reclamation requirement applies to subsidence-affected surface structures?

Accepted Answer

Operators must promptly repair or compensate for subsidence damage to structures and water supplies

Answer

SMCRA requires operators to promptly repair or compensate for subsidence damage to non-commercial buildings and occupied residential structures, and to replace or restore damaged water supplies.

Question 5

What reclamation requirement applies specifically to coal mine refuse (gob) piles or slurry impoundments?

Accepted Answer

They must be compacted, contoured, revegetated, and stabilized to prevent erosion and AMD

Answer

Coal refuse disposal areas must be reclaimed by grading to stable configurations, covering with topsoil or approved substitute, and revegetating to control erosion and prevent AMD formation.

(CMM) Certified Mineral Manager Practice Test

(CMM) Certified Mineral Manager Practice Test

CMM Environmental Reclamation Standards 5