No matter what you’ve done today you’ve used crushed stone, sand, gravel. Did you wake up in a dorm, apartment, or house this morning? Then you were using these materials because they create the cement that sets the foundation of every building. Did you drive or bike on pavement? Or maybe take the dog for a walk? Then you were using crushed stone, sand, and gravel because they’re what make asphalt. These materials are collectively called aggregates, and they are the literal building blocks of the US infrastructure. And we mine a lot of aggregate. Last year alone 2.3 billion metric tons were extracted. That’s about 1/3 of the material lost when Mt. Saint Helens erupted. So every three years, we extract enough aggregates in the U.S. to rebuild Mt. Saint Helens. But it’s not just how much we extract, it’s how many individual mining sites we create to extract so much. There are tens of thousands of sites across the U.S. which equal millions of disturbed acres. Aggregate mining can destroys habitat, pollutes waterways, disrupts the flow of ground water, increases erosion- and even when these issues aren’t present, aggregate mining leaves land barren. Many sites are left like what you see here: Sites are typically sloped for safety purposes and undergo minimum reclamation (depending on their history and application of policy), which is dictated during permitting— years prior to mine closure. Many reclaimed pits, over time, fill with water depending on their location and and provide some habitat benefits. However, such pits frequently welcome populations of invasive species or, if reclamation is not required, are just left to their own devices. What I research is how we can repurpose these pits and bring them dynamic new life. And I’ve found that these sites hold a lot of potential. They can be refilled and turned into productive farmland: Restored into habitat for endangered species: Or re-imagined for development and recreation- from parks to fishing holes to amphitheaters: Projects like these let us have our cake and eat it too. Because we get the aggregate we need and the land is returned to something useful. But, I’ve also found that standout projects like these are not the norm- because most people are unaware of the potential these sites have. My research and work about enhancement reclamation is the first step in recognizing and promoting these sites for what they could be. Project: Pit Stop is the first database of restored sites like these in every US state. I’m documenting their location, history, geology, funding, and ultimate restoration outcomes. I envision that this database will increase awareness about the potential of aggregate pits and also be a resource for those interested in pursuing projects of their own. Aggregate pits hold so much untapped potential. And increasing education and awareness about exemplary projects, like those on this site and in my database, can help them become the norm for aggregate mines.
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