Performance standards and monitoring requirements of surface coal mine reclamation success in mountainous jurisdictions of western North America: a review

The regulatory performance standards and monitoring requirements that are used to evaluate reclamation success in nine western North America jurisdictions were reviewed. Ecosystem-based reclamation monitoring, a crucial part of regulatory enforcement and adaptive environmental management, was lacking in most jurisdictions. Reclamation practices and regulatory control in each jurisdiction would be improved greatly by effective long-term monitoring. A set of performance standards (including productivity, land use capability and functional dynamics) is proposed which better integrates with a phased bond release process. As well, a long-term hierarchical (population, community, ecosystem, landscape) monitoring programme is proposed.