Caring for the Environment
At Black Warrior Minerals, we strive to preserve the long-term safety, health and vitality of our natural environment as responsible operators and stewards of our lands and resources. We operate to the highest environmental standards, to protect, manage and mitigate potential impact from our activities.
Water:
Water is our greatest natural resource and Black Warrior is committed to protecting, maintaining and enhancing our water resources. We have a number of proactive measures in place to minimize potential impacts on water quantity and quality from operations.
Water is used in coal processing and to contain dust from mining activities on our site. We also use the best available tools for continuous monitoring, reporting and water analysis, to improve our operational management of this vital resource.
- Our water use is permitted through the Alabama Department of Environment Management (ADEM). Monthly samples are filed and reported quarterly to ADEM. https://adem.alabama.gov/default.cnt
- Alabama Surface Mining Commission (ASMC) takes monthly discharge samples as an additional oversight. https://surface-mining.alabama.gov/
- We work with local, independent engineers and the US Corp of Engineers to monitor our operations and address any potential issues.
- We have 25-acres in an environmental easement that have been rehabilitated with ponds and nut bearing trees.
- We use multiple diversion ditches to direct all permitted water to our sediment basins. This ensures all water with suspended solids is prevented from entering nearby streams or rivers.
Reclamation:
- Reclamation (returning the land we mine to its original vegetated state) is an integral part of our ongoing operations. As part of this, we undergo a rigorous three-phase process governed by Alabama Surface Mining Commission (ASMC) before reclaimed lands can be released from reclamation bonds. This guarantees the viability of the land for future environmental growth.
- Reclamation activities are overseen and regulated by the ASMC.
- All mined areas at Black Warrior are rehabilitated by grading and planting.
- Grass and trees are planted on reclaimed land to provide stability to the landscape and vegetation for future habitats.
- Multiple diversion ditches are installed to provide durability for the planted vegetation and direct water into sediment basins.
Fish and Wildlife:
Protecting and enhancing the natural environment around our operations, including the fish and wildlife that habitat in the area is a core part of our operations. We conduct extensive monitoring and reporting of local and endangered species.
- Wildlife experts monitor and report on fish in all streams on site
- Endangered bat habitats are identified, and protected to ensure they are not disturbed
- Archaeological studies are also completed to ensure any Native American or early American historical findings remain undisturbed
Alabama Surface Mining Commission is our primary regulatory authority.
To learn more about ASMC, visit https://surface-mining.alabama.gov
