This is a text-only version of the document "OSMRE Coal Mining Summary for Georgia, 1997". To see the original version of the document click here.

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Georgia
Production tonnage 1978-1997
U.S. Total Georgia coal production

Lowest coal production over 20-year period
Coal is found in the northeast corner of Georgia, in Dade, Chattanooga, Walker, and Floyd Counties. Five seams, which underlie all of Lookout, Sand, and Pigeon Mountains, have produced most of the coal mined in the state. Abandoned mines, some associated with Confederate coal mining during the Civil War, are located in this coal field. Analysis of Georgia coal reserves show that they are typically low sulfur (less than one percent), low-to-medium volatile, bituminous deposits. Although there is currently no active coal mining in the state, there was some surface and underground mining during the late 1970’s and early 1980’s. In 1983 the State of Georgia relinquished primacy to the Office of Surface Mining. Since that time permits have been issued and mining and reclamation operations inspected by the Office of Surface Mining Knoxville Field Office. Since 1977, no abandoned mine emergency abatement projects have been needed in Georgia. However, over $3 million has been spent on high-priority health and safety problems. The most costly projects have been 4 large highwall reclamation projects and $1.3 million spent to eliminate the degradation of drinking water that was being severely impacted by sediment and acid-laden water coming from three abandoned mine sites. In addition, 85 portals and 8 vertical shafts have been sealed to prevent possible injury or death. All abandoned mine land reclamation in Georgia is completed by the Office of Surface Mining. The 1992 inventory of abandoned mine land sites in Georgia identified 13 high-priority problem areas in need of reclamation at an estimated cost of $512,000, and 4 Priority 3 sites that were in need of reclamation. During the past five years the Office of Surface Mining has completed reclamation on projects approximately equal to the cost of Georgia’s remaining inventory of high priority problems.

3.5

12
3.0

coal production10
10
2.5

1978 Amount Percent U.S. Total Amount

1997
Millions of dollars

Percent U.S. Total

1978-1997 Rank

2.0

8

6

Tons Produced Surface Underground Lignite Total

1.5

58,558 0 0 58,558

0.02% 0% 0% 0.01%

0 0 0 0

0% 0% 0% 0%

27 18 0 29

1.0

0.5

4

2

Number of Producing Mines 4 Surface (bituminous coal) 0 Underground 0 Lignite (surface) 4 Total Mine Production Average
Interim Program Permanent Program

0.1% 0% 0% 0.06%

0 0 0 0

0% 0% 0% 0%

27 19 0 29 Amount paid into the AML Fund11 $ 148,422 Amount received for reclamation12 $ 0 (Federal Program State) State share balance in the Fund13 $ 0 (Federal Program State) Federal abandoned mine projects14 $ 3,365,320 RAMP abandoned mine projects15 $0
0.0

14,639 0 0 4

20.6% 0% 0% 0.07

0 0 0 0

0% 0% 0% 0%

0

Number of new permits 1978-1997

>1,000,000 tons 300,000-1,000,000 tons <300,000 tons

30

Active mining and reclamation16
1978 Number of New Permits Surface Mining Underground Mining Other Acreage Permitted Surface Mining Underground Mining Other Acreage of Bond Release Interim Prog. (final) Phase 1 Phase 2 Phase 3 Inspections Complete Partial Oversight Citations Issued NOV’s CO’s 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 Total

11 0 0

0 0 0

4 0 0

0 0 0

1 0 0

7 0 0

0 0 0

0 0 0

0 0 0

0 0 0

0 0 0

0 0 0

0 0 0

0 0 0

0 0 0

0 0 0

0 0 0

0 0 0

0 0 0

0 0 0

13 0 0

NA 0 0

0 0 0

NA 0 0

0 0 0

166 0 0

144 0 0

0 0 0

0 0 0

0 0 0

0 0 0

0 0 0

0 0 0

0 0 0

0 0 0

0 0 0

0 0 0

0 0 0

0 0 0

0 0 0

0 0 0

310 0 0

0 0 0 0

0 0 0 0

0 0 0 0

0 0 0 0

0 0 0 0

0 303 0 0

0 0 0 0

0 0 0 0

0 0 0 0

0 0 303 0

0 0 0 0

0 0 0 0

0 0 0 0

0 0 0 0

0 0 0 0

0 0 0 0

0 0 0 0

0 0 0 0

0 0 0 303

0 0 0 0

0 303 303 303

17 0 0

14 0 0

32 0 0

21 8 0

56 21 0

13 2 0

NA NA 0

36 21 0

NA NA 0

NA NA 0

NA NA 0

NA NA 0

NA NA 0

NA NA 0

NA NA 0

NA NA 0

58 16 0

2 9 0

12 12 0

4 1 0

265 90 0

2 1

2 0

16 6

4 6

5 1

0 0

NA NA

4 2

0 0

0 0

0 0

0 0

0 0

0 0

0 0

0 0

0 0

0 0

0 0

0 0

33 16

Abandoned coal mine reclamation 1977-199717
OSM Emergency Reclaimed Problems State Emergency Non-Emergency Remaining Problems Number Estimated Cost Priority 1 & 2 (Protection of Public Health, Safety, and General Welfare) and Emergency Projects 0 0 0 Clogged Streams (miles) 0 0 0 Clogged Stream Lands (acres) 0 0 6,200.0 Highwalls (feet) 0 0 3.0 Impoundments (count) 0 0 2.5 Piles & Embankments (acres) 0 0 0 Slides (acres) 0 0 0 Gases (count) 0 0 0 Equipment & Facilities (count) 0 0 0 Water Bodies (count) 0 0 0 Industrial Waste (acres) 0 0 85.0 Portals (count) 0 0 0 Polluted Water: Agriculture & Industrial (count) 0 0 1.0 Polluted Water: Human Consumption (count) 0 0 0.1 Subsidence (acres) 0.1 0 0 Surface Burning (acres) 0 0 0 Underground Mine Fires (acres) 0 0 8.0 Vertical Openings (count) 0 0 0 Total Priority 3 (Environmental Restoration) Bench (acres) Industrial Waste (acres) Equipment & Facilities (count) Gob (acres) Highwall (feet) Haul Road (acres) Mine Opening (count) Pit (acres) Spoil Area (acres) Slurry (acres) Slump (acres) Water (gallons/minute) Total
0 0 1,450.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 33.0 0 0 0 0 0 3.0 0 $0 0 325,000 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 162,000 0 0 0 0 0 25,000 $ 512,000

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

3.0 0 0 2.5 400.0 2.0 0 3.0 7.0 0 0 0 0

4.0 0 0 4.0 300.0 0 0 2.0 13.0 0 0 2.0 0

$ 8,000 0 0 8,000 50,000 0 0 12,000 50,000 0 0 10,000 $ 138,000

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