Antelope mine wins reclamation award

Cloud Peak Energy’s Antelope mine, near Douglas, Wyoming, has received the 2013 State of Wyoming Reclamation Award from the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality. The award was presented at the Wyoming Mining Association’s Annual Safety and Reclamation Banquet in Sheridan, Wyoming.

Sustainable control of cheatgrass

This reclamation award was received for the sustainable control of cheatgrass, an undesirable introduced species that readily invades disturbed landscapes in reclamation and native rangeland. Through innovative husbandry practices and custom seeding techniques, the Antelope mine has effectively restored over 400 acres of cheatgrass-dominated lands to native cool and warm season plant communities that achieve the post-mining land use goal of providing for livestock grazing and wildlife use.

This technology is applicable to both reclaimed and native lands.

Adapted from press release by Jonathan Rowland.

Read the article online at: https://www.oilfieldtechnology.com/drilling-and-production/03072013/antelope_coal_mine_wins_wyoming_reclamation_award_2483/