The Missouri Department of Natural Resources has awarded a $609,942 contract to a St. Louis company for the reclamation of approximately 35 acres of abandoned coal mine land near Millersburg. Pangea Group won the contract to reclaim surface-mined lands that were left unreclaimed before the 1950s.
The reclamation site is on private property, about two miles east of Millersburg, near state Route F. DNR said it poses a safety hazard to the landowner and area residents.
The project's plans include backfilling an unstable highwall, leveling and grading multiple mounds and embankments, and backfilling three polluted acid water impoundments.
A DNR news release said the reclamation is expected to improve water quality in Millers Creek, by reducing the amount of acid-forming sediments that erode into the stream. Additionally, the creek's water quality should improve because several acid water impoundments that discharge low-pH water into the creek after heavy rains or snow melts will be eliminated.