Jurisdiction: Abandoned Mine Lands
2004 Completed Projects Archive
Snake Road
A grouting project was completed beneath Snake Road, a paved road that connects Burlington and Des Lacs in Ward County. The following are some pictures that illustrate activities at the site:
- batch plant (49kb pdf)
- drilling (88kb pdf)
- more drilling (43kb pdf)
- an injection pipe shot into the air (56kb pdf)
- drilling with mud pit (82kb pdf)
- laser level to detect ground movement (50kb pdf)
- batch plant control center (53kb pdf)
Belfield AML Project
The Belfield AML Site is comprised of 14 acres of uraniferous lignite surface mine located in Billings County, Section 15, T141N, R100W, approximately fourteen miles northwest of Belfield, North Dakota. The area was mined in the 1960's.
The Belfield AML site was characterized by a series of highwalls and adjoining spoil piles. The highwalls in places approached vertical elevation drops in excess of 30 feet. Higher than normal radiation levels resulting from the uranium causes an additional hazard associated with this site. This mine constituted a dangerous situation to ranchers, hunters and trappers that frequent the site and people servicing the adjacent active oil well. Snow cover during fall and winter presented an inherent danger on and around the highwalls.
- a post-reclamation shot (221kb pdf)
- a pre-reclamation shot (236kb pdf)
- the use of a polyethylene liner to segregate radioactive material at one of the sites reclaimed under this project (635kb pdf)
Columbus (6) AML Project
The Columbus Phase 6 AML Project Site is located approximately 4 miles south of Columbus, North Dakota. The project site is within the SE1/4 of Section 19, T162N, R93W, in Burke County. This project site contains 30 acres of an approximately 1280 acres surface mine. The project entailed the elimination of 1000 feet of dangerous highwall left at the old Truax–Traer surface coal mine. Reclamation work on this site started on August 17, 2004. Project Manager and Engineer for the project was Mark Knell. The contractor, Orrin A. Holen Construction Inc., moved approximately 104,000 cubic yards of soil material to eliminate the hazardous highwalls from a 30 acre area. The contractor utilized a fleet of construction equipment, which included scrapers and dozers. Approximately 1000 cubic yards of a coal slack type soil amendment was respread on the disturbed areas. This material was then mixed into the spoil material to loosen the soil prior to seeding operations. Topsoil material was also salvaged prior to spoil dirt work operations. On October 15, 2004 the dirt work at the Columbus Phase 6 project was completed. The project area was bladed and cleaned-up on October 26-27, 2004. The project inspector was Larry Reisenauer. The project was completed for $162,556.00.
- a pre-reclamation shot (233kb pdf)
- post-reclamation (238kb pdf)
