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The goal of the President's National Energy Plan to produce 1.25 billion tons of coal by 1985 may be achieved, but new legislation constraints and start-up delays may result in a production loss of 200-300 million tons. Well directed research to define the environmental consequence ofincreased coal production is underway, but it tends to be fragmented and ill coordinated. A national reclamation plan based on an achievable NEP must be developed that schedules, prioritizes, and coordinates research activities. Unless the results of these research activities can be transferred to industry and state and federal agencies, they are useless. The NEP emphasizes increased coal production in the East where historic water resource impacts of coal production have been substantial. Acid drainage during and after mining at both surface and underground mines has been a major surface water quality problem in the eastern and midwestern U.S., but while recent legislation and reclamation techniques have been instituted to mitigate the problem, their effectiveness has not yet been established. Groundwater passing through pyritic spoil materials and underground mines after completion of mining in the East and Midwest is known to cause serious localized impacts to groundwater quality. The effectiveness of reclamation techniques in controlling groundwater quality in mined areas is very doubtful and deserves considerable investigation. A major portion of the near-term increase in production will be in the western coal regions. Increased salinity ofsurface water as a result ofpumping and runofffrom surface mines will be a potentially important impact in some western watersheds. Groundwater in reclaimed spoils in the West will have higher total dissolved solids (salinity) than ambient groundwater quality. The potential of local or regional impacts to surface and groundwater resources needs additional investigation. Impacts of aquifer disturbance on agriculture and natural riparian and floodplain vegetation in western alluvial valleys is a topic of considerable concern. Much research is needed to determine the true extent of the problem and the reclamation potential of these areas. Mining in all coal regions will alter surface-subsurface hydrologic systems to some extent. The problems, such as aquifer disruption, excess surface water runoff, and watershed flooding potential are related to site-specifk topographic, geologic, and hydrogeologic conditions, and reclamation techniques. Erosion and sedinentation are potential problems at all mine sites. The extent of the problem will depend upon reclamation success. Surface mining will continue to play an important role in the East, Midwest, and West under the NEP. This increase in surface mining may include prime agriculture lands in the Midwest. Overburden analysis and selective spoil placement of unsuitable spoil materials is considered a necessity to successfully return lands to a level ofproduction equal to or better than premining levels. The provision in P.L. 95-87 to regrade to approximate original contour regulation presents problems for land restoration in both the East and the West. Topsoil segregation and replacement has been identified by numerous states as an important part of the reclamation plan to achieve postmining productive land use. Until recently, soil has been treated as a mineral, not an ecosystem. High salinity and clay in conjunction with low precipitation create moisture stress impeding vegetation establishment in the West. Final land use plans, designed to optimize diversity, are not being implemented within the various coal mining regions. Research is needed on erosion control, premine planning, postmining land use planning, proper handling of topsoil, nutrient cycling on disturbed lands, disposal of waste, management of reclaimed lands, and reclamation on arid lands. Atmospheric effluents from coal mine reclamation activities will fall primarily into two categories: (1) dust resulting from earthmoving activities or wind blowing across unstabilized areas, and (2) gaseous effluents (SO,, NO,, CO, and hydrocarbons) from internal combustion engines of reclamation equipment. The adverse health and environmental impacts of these effluents, if they occur, are likely to be very small and within acceptable linits.

Basis for a National Reclamation Plan by Special Committee to Study Health and Environmental Effects of Increased Coal Production