Reclamation of land disturbed during surface mining of coal in the plains region of Alberta has become an important issue in the last decade. This corresponds to the increasing concerns over environmental protection and land use in the plains region. To secure public and government acceptance of surface coal mining, which is largely related to electrical power generation, industry is well aware that successful land reclamation is essential.
In line with the theme of this Conference to highlight reclamation progress, the objective of this paper is to put into perspective current land reclamation practices and successes of these programs. To this end, specific reference is made to the Diplomat Mine operated by Luscar Ltd.'s subsidiary Forestburg Collieries Ltd. near Forestburg, Alberta.