Long-Term Collaborative Partnerships for Reclamation of Abandoned Mined Lands

The Coal Combustion Products program at Ohio State has been working for more than 20 years now to advance the beneficial use of coal combustion residues in applications that are environmentally protective, commercially competitive, and technically sound. The program has been supported for more than two decades by a coalition of state and federal agencies, utilities, trade organization, and other stakeholders from across the nation. In the last decade, the program has focused on the use of coal combustion residues to reclaim and bring to productive use abandoned mined lands which would not reclaimed if it were not for the availability of coal combustion by-products. This presentation will bring forth speakers from Ohio State, ODNR – Division of Mineral Resources Management, AEP, and Ohio Mineland Partnership to focus on how collaborative field research can advance the science as well as make a significant impact on the environmental benefits of reclamation using coal combustion residues along with tree reclamation to sequester CO2 – unlike current grassland methods of reclamation. Panelists will include: Dr. Tarunjit Singh Butalia, research associate professor, Ohio State; Lanny Erdos, chief, Division of Mineral Resources Management, ODNR; Pedro Amaya, head of civil engineering, American Electric Power; and Bob First, president, Ohio Mineland Partnership.