Acid Mine Drainage: Balancing Environmental Protection and Mining Realities

A major environmental concern leading to the enactment of the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 (SMCRA)' was the degradation of streams and waterways from discharges of acid mine drainage (AMD) resulting from coal mining operations. 2 Although SMCRA and its regulatory scheme contains specific provisions addressing the drainage of acidic water from mine sites, as do various other agencies' statutes and regulations, 3 AMD from active and abandoned mines remains a major environmental problem in the Appalachian region.The formation of acidic water during coal mining operations is pervasive and some believe impossible to prevent. 4 During the extraction process, the sulfide minerals are exposed to oxygen and the oxidation process leads to acid formation.5 Water, already prevalent in the mine area, provides a natural .Member, Sturgill & Hunt, Prestonsburg, Kentucky, practicing mineral, energy and environmental law...