Abstract
Mine reclamation bonds are used in countries with mineral mining to ensure that reclamation of the mined area is completed. The United States, Canada, and Australia are countries with established mine reclamation bond programs, with the United States coal system having been in place since 1977. China implemented a bonding system in 1998 and by 2013 all 31 provinces had established a system. An effective bonding system must be conditioned on fair and enforceable nationwide reclamation standard, stimulate companies to conduct reclamation by forming economic incentives rather than penalties that become a liability, and allow for full public participation. Based on these principles, this paper compares seven important factors for a successful reclamation bonding system: laws and regulations, administrative authority, bond types, bond size, calculation method, bond release, and public participation. The results show variation in policies and procedures for bonding among countries. Using principles and policies primarily from the United States, China should establish a national reclamation bonding system with legislation that forms a national authority to oversee and enforce reclamation standards and bond requirements. In addition, China can expand bond financial types and strategies, set the size of reclamation bonds at the level of a third-party reclamation cost, and set unified standards for calculation. Phased bond release should be established with specific reclamation criteria for each phase of release. Finally, bonding regulations should clearly identify opportunities for full public participation in the process.
Highlights
Mining produces materials that are essential to human needs, but the mining process disturbs the environment, including the ecosystem and organisms, land surface, and hydrologic balance (Zipper et al 2011)
Before the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act in the United States, some states had their own laws governing surface mining, but these state laws varied widely, enabling mining operations to relocate to states where regulations were less strict
If the mine permit applicant cannot submit the bond according to the provisions in the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act, supervised by the OSMRE, the company will not be granted a mine permit anywhere in the country
Summary
Mining produces materials that are essential to human needs, but the mining process disturbs the environment, including the ecosystem and organisms, land surface, and hydrologic balance (Zipper et al 2011). In the United States alone, from 1930 to 2000, coal mining altered 2.5 million ha of natural landscape, most of that land originally being forested landscapes (MacDonald et al 2015). In Canada, coal is mined primarily in the three western Provinces of British Columbia, Alberta and Saskatchewan with estimates of 200000 ha of land being disturbed (Fedkenheuer and Macyk 2000). According to the Queensland Resources Council, there will be as much as 120000 ha of land disturbed from mining by 2020 in central Queensland, Australia (Slezak and Robertson 2016). Estimates for land surface impacts from subsidence are as high as 1 million ha (Hu 2009)
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callMore From: International Journal of Coal Science & Technology
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
