OFR-151(4)-83 Development Of A Procedure For Land Use Potential Evaluation For Surface-Mined Land - Appendix III: Western U.S. Surface Mine Case Study

The recognition that surface mining need not be viewed as a permanent dedication of the land but rather as a temporary non-renewable use in a series of land uses has caused greater emphasis on the re-use of surface-mined lands. In an effort to develop a procedure for evaluating postmining land use potentials, specific mines in various regions of the U.S. have been studied to determine the extent of current mined-land planning and to discover characteristics that are regional in nature. As part of this investigation, the Indian Head Mine, which is located in Mercer County, North Dakota, has been studied. The Indian Head Mine is presently operated by The North American Coal Corporation -Western Division and has been in operation since 1917 under various ownership. The status of current reclamation and postmining land use planning was reviewed. In addition, the relationship between mine planning and public planning in an area impacted by energy development was investigated. Finally, key factors affecting site potential realization for western surface mines have been identified.