Reclamation Performance Standards Used at Upland Range Sites and in Urban Settings in Butte and Anaconda, Montana

This paper describes tools developed to evaluate land reclamation efforts at mining-related sites in Montana. Land reclamation is a vital component of remedial response actions at historic mining and smelting sites throughout the west. In Montana, data-predicated decision tools have been developed to assist agency personnel in evaluating the success of vegetated, coversoiled caps installed over waste materials at diverse sites: upland range sites, historic mine sites in remote mountainous terrain, and reclaimed urban areas. These post-remedial action performance tools enable evaluators to determine whether remedial actions have satisfied the agency-established risk reduction goals. The tools are also being used to monitor vegetation condition and cap stability over the long term so that effective maintenance can be performed. Evaluators assign points to plant community and soil erosion attributes of the remediated areas and compare the total site score to a threshold value, thus evaluating compliance and trends.