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Two Wyoming mines recognized for reclamation efforts

The Interstate Mining Compact Commission is recognizing two Wyoming mines for their reclamation efforts. The IMCC represents environmental protection interests and awards one non-coal and one coal project each year. The M-I SWACO Bentonite Mine in Big Horn County won the non-coal award and the Bridger Coal Mine received honorable mention in the coal category.

Department of Environmental Quality spokesman, Keith Guille, says the IMCC only gives two awards each year and it’s significant that Wyoming was recognized for both.

“One of the biggest challenges in Wyoming when you’re reclaiming is certainly that we live in a dry climate with little moisture. So it proves difficult reclaiming these lands and regrowing vegetation. That’s pretty significant when they’re able to reclaim these lands above and beyond how they found them,” says Guille.

The bentonite mine’s application for the award said the company was exploring innovative approaches to address the control of invasive species, re-assessing the company’s reclamation procedures, and fostering relationships with regulatory agencies. The company says they went beyond state and federal mining and reclamation requirements.   

Irina Zhorov is a reporter for Wyoming Public Radio. She earned her BA from the University of Pennsylvania and an MFA from the University of Wyoming. In between, she worked as a photographer and writer for Philadelphia-area and national publications. Her professional interests revolve around environmental and energy reporting and she's reported on mining issues from Wyoming, Mexico, and Bolivia. She's been supported by the Dick and Lynn Cheney Grant for International Study, the Eleanor K. Kambouris Grant, and the Social Justice Research Center Research Grant for her work on Bolivian mining and Uzbek alpinism. Her work has appeared on Voice of America, National Native News, and in Indian Country Today, among other publications.
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