Summary #
Soil amendments — including biosolids and CFB combustion ash — are used to improve soil conditions on reclaimed mine lands. This page covers the two main categories of amendments used in AML reclamation: biosolids (treated sewage sludge) for nutrient enrichment and vegetation establishment, and coal combustion ash for pH adjustment and AMD abatement.
Coproducts and Beneficial Use at Mine Sites
Biosolids #
Biosolids – EPA
Mine Reclamation – Water quality research on mined lands reclaimed using biosolids
USING BIOSOLIDS FOR RECLAMATION/REMEDIATION OF DISTURBED SOILS By: Sally Brown and Chuck Henry University of Washington
Agronomy Fact Sheets Environmental Soil Issues Department of Crop and Soil Sciences – Cooperative Extension
Acid Mine Drainage: Innovative Treatment Technologies Prepared by Christine Costello, National Network of Environmental Management Studies Fellow for U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. See section on Biosolids
CFB Combustion Ash #
Fossil Fuels Combustion page on EPA website. Contains many links.
COAL ASH AND DREDGE SEDIMENT IN MINE RECLAMATION PA DEP fact Sheet
Water Quality Effects of Beneficial CCBs Use at Coal Mines Paul F. Ziemkiewicz and D.C. Black, National Mine Land Reclamation Center, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia
The Use of FBC Flyash for Alkaline Addition at Surface Coal Mines Joe Schueck et al
Beneficial Use of Coal Ash in Anthracite and Bituminous Mine Reclamation and Mine Drainage Pollution Abatement in Pennsylvania by Barry E. Scheetz, Pennsylvania State University; Michael J. Menghini, Roger J. Hornberger, Thomas D. Owen, Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection – District Mining Operations; Joseph Schueck, Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection – Bureau of Mining and Reclamation
U.S. EPA Site Visit Report Coal Combustion Waste Minefill Management Practices – Pennsylvania – Draft Final March 19, 2003
GUIDELINES AVAILABLE FOR THE USE OF COAL ASH PA DEP Update
Coal Ash Generators Given Statewide Certification For Beneficial Use PA – DEP UPDATE MARCH 5, 1999
Brief overview of beneficial uses of combustion ash and legal authority to use it
PENNSYLVANIA’S REGULATORY REQUIREMENTS FOR USE OF COAL COMBUSTION ASH AT COAL MINING OPERATIONS by Nevin Strock Chief Surface Mine Permit Section Bureau of Mining and Reclamation Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection
Coal Fly Ash Report by the Joint Legislative Air and Water Pollution Control and Conservation Committee
Minefill Practices for Power Plant Wastes by Charles H. Norris, Geo-Hydro, Inc.
Related Pages #
- CFB Reactor Power Plants — Source of combustion ash
- Coal Refuse Piles — Sites requiring amendment
- Remining — Often combined with amendment and revegetation
Source and Last Reviewed #
Source: AMR Clearinghouse (amrclearinghouse.org). Migrated to AML-Connect. Last Reviewed: 2026-03-13.
[Admin note: Some external links in this article may be outdated. Verify before relying on them. Flag dead links for removal or replacement.]
Tags: amd, practitioner, planning
