Uslbelli Coal Mine achieves key milestone in land and habitat restoration at mine near Healy

Usibelli Coal Mine has achieved a historic reclamation milestone at its surface mine near Healy, in Interior Alaska.

The company has been approved by the State of Alaska for “Phase III” bond release in its Poker Flats mining area.

Usibelli attained Phase III bond release for 367 acres by successfully showing diversity of vegetation coverage for the entire area.

What this means is that a bond posted by the company to ensure compliance with reclamation standards has been returned to Usibelli following certification by the state that the acreage has been restored to natural habitat.

“Before it began mining coal in the Poker Flats area near Healy nearly 40 years ago, Usibelli Coal Mine promised one day to restore the land to near pre-mining conditions, and backed its promise with bond worth about $2.5 million,” said Corri Feige, Commissioner of the state Department of Natural Resources.

“This year, the DNR declared that Usibelli has kept its promise by completing the last of a rigorous reclamation process, and will receive back about $411,000 of the remaining portion of its reclamation bond for the land that was reclaimed,” Feige said.

Usibelli operates a surface coal mine at Healy where heavy equipment removes overburden and coal, with the mined area then refilled and revegetated.

“Usibelli’s Poker Flats mining area is only the second area in Alaska to be approved for Phase III bond release. The first area was within Usibelli’s Gold Run Pass mine back in 2011,” said Joe Usibelli Jr., President of Usibelli Coal Mine.

Gold Run Pass is a separate mining area where the company previously mined coal. The company is now extracting coal at “Jumbo Dome,” a third nearby mining area.Alaska’s coal mining laws require a three phase bonding process by which operators must abide. Phase I includes backfilling areas that have been excavated for mining and re-grading the area to approximately its original contour.

Phase II includes seeding and planting of native trees and shrubs. While achieving Phase I (backfilling and re-grading) may occur within the first year of mining, Phase II (establishing a vegetative mat and planting trees and shrubs) can take several years.

Phase III can only be achieved after successful completion of Phases I and II and a minimum of ten years after completing Phase II so that the restoration of vegetation is demonstrated.

Russ Kirkham, a senior DNR geologist and member of the agency’s reclamation inspection team, said Usibelli has worked diligently with DNR and University of Alaska officials to design an effective approach revegetating the land and returning it to nature after mining coal.

Usibellli began reclaiming previously mined land years ago, even before it was required by the state or federal governments. The family has lived in Healy since the 1930s and are avid environmental stewards, Usibelli said..

“My siblings and I grew up in Healy, at the coal mine. My grandfather, Emil, and my father Joe, taught us that restoring Alaska to the way we found it – wild and beautiful, is a foundation to the work we do,” Usibelli said.

The primary reclamation goal of the reclamation program is to restore wildlife habitat. Animals that frequent the area are bear, moose, caribou, lynx, wolves, snowshoe hare and coyote. According to state and federal law, coal mine operators must restore mined land to its approximate original contour and companies are required to post a bond to ensure that the mined land will be reclaimed.

“Achieving Phase III bond release by the State of Alaska takes decades,” said Rich Sivils, Usibelli’s Reclamation Engineer.

“The regulators at DNR are dedicated and thorough in their responsibilities to ensure operators are following laws and regulations,” he said.

Usibelli’s voluntary reclamation set a standard for the Alaska industry in recent years, but federal and state agencies have also tightened rules.

Larger companies involved in metals mining are also reclaiming mines area, such as reclamation by Kinross Gold of “True North,” a gold deposit near the Fort Knox gold mine near Fairbanks.

Kinross and previous owners of Fort Knox also restored streams near the Fort Knox Mine that were damaged by early placer mining.

Mining reclamation in the Lower 48 states, where mines operated under older laws and regulations, has been a source of criticism for the industry. In Alaska, early placer gold mining practices damaged streams in certain areas.

“In successfully achieving Phase III bond release, Usibelli has demonstrated the fundamental strength of our state’s mineral development system,” Feige said.

“We can develop our land to produce resources to meet the state’s energy and economic needs, then restore the land to provide healthy habitat for people and wildlife, in perpetuity. This Alaska company continues to set a great standard for responsible mining, and they deserve congratulations on achieving this important milestone.”

Usibelli Coal Mine is Alaska’s only operating coal mine and is at Healy, about miles north of the entrance to of Denali National Park.

Started in 1943 by Emil Usibelli, Usibelli Coal Mine is still family owned and operated. The mine operates year-around and supplies about one mlllion tons coal annually to six Interior Alaska coal-fired power plants. Usibellli employs about 100, with most employees living in or near Healy.