THE DEVELOPMENT OF A NATIONAL PROGRAM TO ABATE ACID MINE DRAINAGE THROUGH THE REMINING OF ABANDONED MINE LANDS

Acid mine drainage (AMD) pollution from abandoned mine lands has long been recognized as one of the most serious causes of water pollution in the Appalachians. With reclamation to current-day standards and the use of appropriate best management practices (BMPs), remining can be an effective method for improving water quality. Passage of the Rahall amendment to the Clean Water Act and experience with remining in Pennsylvania and other states lead to EPA's development of a nationwide water quality rule for remining operations. EPA studied the effectiveness of BMPs in abating AMD and developed methods for establishing baseline pollution loads and evaluating postmining water quality. The nationwide rule encourages remining by establishing standardized permitting requirements and encourages pollution abatement through the implementation of effective BMPs.