Abandoned Mine Reclamation Glossary

An engineered treatment infrastructure that utilizes natural chemical and biological processes to remediate contaminated...

A mixture of fine tailings, binder (cement or slag), and minimal water that is pumped into mined voids to provide struct...

The hydrological evaluation of water infiltration speed through soil and rock layers at a reclaimed mine site, determini...

Laboratory or field procedures that measure the rate at which water infiltrates through soil or mine reclamation materia...

A financial instrument required by law to guarantee that mining companies will complete reclamation work according to ap...

Specific measurable criteria that reclaimed mine sites must achieve to demonstrate successful restoration and qualify fo...

The degradation and destabilization of permanently frozen ground in high-latitude and high-altitude abandoned mine sites...

A passive subsurface structure filled with reactive material that allows contaminated groundwater to flow through while...

The formal regulatory process of ending permit obligations after successful completion of mine reclamation requirements.

Ongoing maintenance and monitoring obligations that continue indefinitely after mine closure and reclamation completion.

A financial guarantee instrument established at mine closure to fund long-term environmental monitoring, treatment opera...

A financial mechanism established to ensure long-term maintenance and monitoring of reclaimed mine sites in perpetuity a...

Financial mechanisms established to support indefinite maintenance and monitoring of reclaimed mine sites, typically thr...

The legal and financial obligation extending indefinitely beyond mine closure requiring ongoing maintenance, monitoring,...

The long-term legal and financial responsibility for monitoring, maintaining, and managing a reclaimed mine site indefin...

A financial mechanism and legal arrangement establishing dedicated funds and institutional responsibility for long-term...

A dedicated financial mechanism that generates ongoing revenue through invested principal to support indefinite monitori...

Legal and financial responsibility for indefinite water treatment and monitoring of contaminated mine discharge after cl...

The long-term, ongoing assessment of environmental conditions at an abandoned mine site to ensure the effectiveness of r...

Long-term, self-sustaining water treatment systems designed to operate indefinitely without active maintenance or energy...

The long-term legal and financial responsibility for ongoing remediation activities, such as water treatment or air qual...

Quantitative evaluation of plant communities' ability to convert solar energy into chemical energy through photosynthesi...

The quantifiable potential of a reclaimed land surface to support photosynthetic vegetation and convert solar energy int...

The use of living plants to extract, sequester, or detoxify contaminants from soil and groundwater in reclaimed mine sit...