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OFFICE OF SURFACE MINING RECLAMATION AND ENFORCEMENT

priority 3 problem types

Problem Type

Symbol

Measured As

Bench

BE

Acres

Industrial/Residential Waste

DP

Acres

Equipment/Facilities

EF

Count

GOB Piles

GO

Acres

Highwall

H

Feet

Haul Road

HR

Acres

Mine Openings

MO

Count

Other

O

 

Pits

PI

Acres

Spoil Area

SA

Acres

Slurry

SL

Acres

Slump

SP

Acres

Water Problems

WA

Gal./Minute



BE Bench

A ledge that forms a single level operation along which mineral or waste materials are excavated. A solid bench is that portion of a bench formed on a solid unexcavated material. A fill bench is that portion of a bench usually consisting of unconsolidated spoil material extending outward from the solid bench.
Those problems related to saturated ground caused by mine drainage water adversely impacting domestic water supply, human health condition or the structural integrity of an occupied dwelling shall not be assigned to the CS or CSL keyword. Rather, problems associated with domestic water supply or human health condition can be considered as a Polluted Water Human Consumption (PWHC); problems associated with structural integrity can be considered as a Dangerous Slide (DS).

DP Industrial or Residential Waste Dumps

An area used to dispose of any kind of industrial or residential waste not related to mining or processing.

EF Equipment and Facilities

Any equipment or buildings used to mine, process or transport coal or mineral ores.

GO Gob

The refuse or waste removed from an underground mine. This includes mine waste, rock, pyrites, slate or other unmarketable materials which are separated during the cleaning process.

H Highwall

The face of exposed overburden or the face or bank on the uphill side of a contour strip mine excavation The vertical wall consisting or the deposit being mined and the overlying rock and soil strata of the mining site.

HR Haul Road

A road built to carry loaded trucks from mine heads. A road from pit to loading dock, tipple, ramp or preparation plant, used for transporting mined material by truck.

MO Mine Opening

Any surface entrance or opening related to an underground mine excavation.

O Other

An area causing an environmental impact that does not fit one of the other Priority 3 definitions.

PI Pit, Open Pit, Strip Pit

The last uncovered cut adjacent to the highwall. In surface mining the working area may be known as strip pit. Mine workings or excavations open to the surface are also termed pit.

SA Spoil, Spoil Bank

The overburden material removed in gaining access to the coal seam or mineral deposit.

SL Slurry

Fine particle-size material from coal or mineral processing stored in a pond. Solid must be separated from the water in order to have clear effluent for reuse or discharge.

SP Slump

Any surface expression resulting from the caving in of underground mine voids.

WA Water

Water leaving the AML Problem Area and causing environmental impacts because of its pH (acidity), sediment load, or other pollutants or because of its effect on other lands due to poor drainage conditions (e.g. agricultural flooding).

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