Editing Mine reclamation (section)

{{Short description|Restoration of land after mineral extraction}}
{{Globalize|1=article|2=United States, Germany|date=October 2021}}
{{multiple image
| footer    = A surface coal mine in Britain before and during the reclamation process
| width     = 200

| image1    = Opencast Coal Mine Near Plains - geograph.org.uk - 146152.jpg
| alt1      = A large pit of coal
| caption1 = in 2006

| image2    = Opencast near Plains - geograph.org.uk - 896802.jpg
| alt2      = A seeded field
|caption2 = in 2008
}}

'''Mine reclamation''' is the process of [[land modification|modifying land]] that has been [[mining|mined]] to restore it to an ecologically functional or economically usable state.  Although the process of mine reclamation occurs once mining is complete, the planning of mine reclamation activities may occur prior to a mine being permitted or started.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Weyer |first1=Vanessa D. |last2=de Waal |first2=Alta |last3=Lechner |first3=Alex M. |last4=Unger |first4=Corinne J. |last5=O'Connor |first5=Tim G. |last6=Baumgartl |first6=Thomas |last7=Schulze |first7=Roland |last8=Truter |first8=Wayne F. |date=2019-01-24 |title=Quantifying rehabilitation risks for surface-strip coal mines using a soil compaction Bayesian network in South Africa and Australia: To demonstrate the R2AIN Framework |url=https://setac.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/ieam.4128 |journal=Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management |volume=15 |issue=2 |pages=190–208 |doi=10.1002/ieam.4128|pmid=30677215 |bibcode=2019IEAM...15..190W |hdl=2263/70645 |s2cid=59251358 |hdl-access=free }}</ref>  Mine reclamation creates useful landscapes that meet a variety of goals, ranging from the restoration of productive [[ecosystem]]s to the creation of industrial and municipal resources. In the United States, mine reclamation is a regular part of modern mining practices.<ref>[[Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977]]</ref> Modern mine reclamation reduces the [[Environmental impact of mining|environmental effects of mining]].

Many abandoned mine sites have no reclamation works undertaken. The majority of mines throughout history have no stringent regulations applied.<ref name="mar">{{cite encyclopedia |title=Mine Area Remediation |encyclopedia=Encyclopedia of Ecology |year=2008 |last1=Otte |first1=M L |last2=Jacob |first2=D L |pages=2397–2402 |publisher=Academic Press |doi=10.1016/B978-008045405-4.00073-2 |isbn=978-0-08-045405-4 |url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/B9780080454054000732 |access-date=30 November 2023 |url-access=subscription }}</ref>  As a practice, mine reclamation began at the start of the 20th century.  Returning the [[landscape]] to its original state is not possible in all cases. In most cases the physical and chemical stabilization of mine [[waste]] is the limit of mine remediation.<ref name="mar"/>