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The Abandoned Mines Reclamation Council was created by the
General Assembly in 1974 to designate and prioritize abandoned mined lands which
were to be acquired and reclaimed by the Department of Mines and Minerals. Mined
lands were defined as those lands surface mined or affected by underground coal
mining. Acquisitions were to be made by purchase, exchange, or gift. Both
federal and state funds could be applied to purchases. Priorities were based on
the severity of pollution dangers, the abilities of private owners to alleviate
these problems, the potential economic and recreational values of land sites,
and immediate threats to public safety. Once acquired and reclaimed, sites could
be turned over to local taxing authorities. The council is composed of the
directors of the Departments of Mines and Minerals, Conservation, Agriculture,
Business and Economic Development, and Local Governmental Affairs; the
Environmental Protection Agency; and the Illinois Institute for Environmental
Quality. The Lieutenant Governor serves as the council's chairman (P.A. 78-1293,
pp. 1446-1450).
315.001
ADMINISTRATIVE FILES. 1954-1964;
1985-1986. 2 cu. ft. No index.
Files include study reports, analyses of air and soil
samples, Department of Mines and Minerals inspection reports, coal mine
operators' annual reports, photographs and slides, maps, and related memoranda
and correspondence. Subjects include the hazards of abandoned mines, water and
air pollution, shaft collapses, shaft filling and covering, gas leakages, gob
pile fires, mine subsidence, exploratory drilling, federal funding, sludge
materials, soil reclamation techniques, and private and public development of
reclaimed mining areas.
315.002
COUNCIL MINUTES. August 7,
1975-October 11, 1983. 1.5 cu. ft. No index.
Minutes concern council organization and operations, federal
funding, reclamation site selection, cost estimates, project status reports, and
post-construction evaluation reports. Also included are proposed budgets,
membership listings, reclamation plans and blueprints, escrow agreements, and
related memoranda and correspondence.
These records are available at the Illinois State Archives,
Office of the Secretary of State.
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