Wyoming hosts mining reclamation conference

Mining industry representatives and researchers are gathering in Laramie this week for the meeting of the American Society of Mining and Reclamation. The last time Wyoming hosted the American Society of Mining and Reclamation was in 2007. Peter Stahl, director of the Wyoming Reclamation and Restoration Center, says the fact that the industry gathering has returned to Wyoming so soon is a testament to the state’s role in the field of land reclamation. The week-long conference, which started this Saturday, includes presentations on wildlife impacts, reforestation, oil and gas site reclamation, water treatment, revegetation, and methods of evaluating reclamation success, as well as field trips to the Wamsutter gas field and to the Powder River Basin. Stahl says much of the current research is being carried out by graduate students, who will be presenting at the conference, as well. The meeting takes place at the Hilton Garden Inn in Laramie.