Usibelli Coal Mine, Environmental Stewardship Award
By Lisa Cassino Usibelli Coal Mine has a long
history of pioneering the industry's best practices in reclaiming and restoring previously mined lands to their natural habitat. In 1971, six years before it was federally required and thirteen years before the law was implemented in Alaska, Usibelli began its land reclamation program. Why? Because for nearly 80 years, the Usibelli family, a fourthgeneration coal mining family, has always believed in using sustainable practices to be the best examples of environmental stewardship and excellent community neighbors. Today, the beautifully restored landscape at Usibelli is a source of pride for all. Usibelli's reclamation program encompasses a rigorous process that includes backfilling, regrading, seeding, fertilizing, and planting native trees and shrubs. By 1973, 1,600 acres of former mine land was seeded; by 1977, that number grew to 2,300 acres; and today, that number includes more than 5,500 acres of reclaimed land. The early research on land reclamation conducted by Usibelli in the early 70s was also utilized to aid the restoration efforts associated with constructing the Trans Alaska Pipeline System. Over the years, the mine's land reclamation program has grown in innovation and sophistication, allowing the company to monitor and respond to changes in vegetation, landscape, and weather to ensure the program's success. Additionally, the coal mine has partnered with botanists at the University of Alaska Fairbanks and scientists within the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to create suitable seed mixes and planting techniques. The coal mine has worked with
Photo by Lee Leschper Rick Sivils, reclamation mining engineer at Usibelli Coal Mine, receives the 2022 environmental stewardship award for the mine.
state and federal agencies for many years to develop reclamation standards and permit conditions that are protective, reasonable, and achievable. These permits span eight state and federal agencies responsible for more than 70 active permits required to mine coal in Alaska. Alaska's coal mining laws require companies to post a bond to ensure mined land will be reclaimed through a three-phase bonding process by which operators must abide. Phase I includes backfilling and re-grading to approximate original contour; Phase II includes seeding and planting native trees and shrubs. While achieving Phase I (backfilling and re-grading) may occur within the first year of mining, Phase II (establishing a vegetative mat and planting trees and shrubs) can take several years. Therefore,
Phase III can only be achieved after completing Phases I and II successfully and a minimum of ten years after completing Phase II. Currently, within the State of Alaska, only two mining areas have been approved for Phase III bond release – and both are located at Usibelli Coal Mine. The Gold Run Pass mine received this designation in 2011. In the fall of 2021, the mine celebrated another reclamation milestone when the Poker Flats mine also received its Phase III bond release. Regarding the 2021 Phase III bond release approval, Russ Kirkham, an Alaska Department of Natural Resources senior geologist and member of the agency's reclamation inspection team, said Usibelli Coal Mine had worked diligently with DNR and University of Alaska officials to design an effective approach revegetating the land and returning
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The Alaska Miner
Winter 2023
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