Amerikohl Mining, Inc.
leads the mining industry with its reclamation efforts.
Mine reclamation involves restoring the surface to its pre-mining condition or better. This is achieved by backfilling the ground to Approximate Original Contour (AOC) and fertilizing, seeding and mulching the areas to establish lush vegetation. The land uses most commonly encountered are farmland, pastureland and forestland. All of these land uses have been restored many times by Amerikohl. In fact, Amerikohl has planted approximately 1.6 million trees in the past 10 years and reclaimed over 32,000 acres of farmland.
Amerikohl came to the forefront by partnering with the government and with various surety companies to resolve business failures that left massive clean up problems for the people of Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Maryland and Ohio. In March 1993, one of the Commonwealth’s largest coal producers (Adobe Mining Co.) went out of business, leaving behind 11,000 scarred areas in five western Pennsylvania counties. Seventy-eight sites in all required backfilling, seeding, water clean up and tree planting. This represented a potential multi-million dollar cost to taxpayers. However, John Stilley, president, owner and founder of Amerikohl Mining, Inc., formed an innovative partnership with the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection and three independent insurance companies to reclaim these sites at no cost to the taxpayers.
In 1995, another of the Commonwealth’s largest coal producers (Benjamin Mining, Inc.) went out of business. They left behind 9,700 scarred acres across central Pennsylvania. Once again, Amerikohl became partners with the Department of Environmental Protection and several insurance companies to begin the clean up and reclamation of these sites; some 65 sites in all.
To date, all sites have been significantly restored to their original use as either farm, pasture or forestland. Additionally, eight separate passive water treatment systems were built. These treatment systems significantly improved water discharges to the streams of the Commonwealth.
The U.S. Department of Surface Mining is responsible for regulating the environmental impacts of coal production. On October 10, 2000, this agency presented Amerikohl with a national award for Excellence in Surface Mining Reclamation. The award recognized Amerikohl’s mining and reclamation of the Leon Mine in Laurelville, Pennsylvania, a partially mined site that was discharging acidic water and large amounts of metals. Today, the site has been reclaimed into a pasture and forest area, which the owner can develop into home sites after the bonds are released. Amerikohl took a bad situation and turned it into an example of exemplary land reclamation.
Amerikohl has gained a well deserved reputation as a good citizen by the countless charities we have supported over the years, as well as the hundreds of kids we have helped through college with tuition aid. Our core philosophy is to work hard, keep America strong and energy independent, while demonstrating environmental stewardship by example, and helping those less fortunate by sharing the success this great country has afforded us with the freedoms and opportunities we enjoy.