Ever wonder what happens to abandoned coal mining land?
Well, thanks to the regulations of the Railroad Commission of Texas (RRC), many become restoration projects and the RRC gives an annual award to companies doing the best work in the pursuit of public safety and natural resources.
On August 25, 2015, the RRC announced the 2015 Reclamation Award recipient. The Texas Westmoreland Coal Company’s Jewett mine received the award for its reclamation work in the counties of Freestone, Leon and Limestone.
Commissioners recognized the company for its innovative, solar-powered water well that supplies a portable irrigation system used for re-vegetation of reclaimed acreage planted with trees and shrubs.
According to the RRC, nearly half of the mine’s 31,000 total acres are in various stages of reclamation, as required by Railroad Commission rules.
[Photo of reclaimed Jewett mine by Texas Westmoreland Coal Company]