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Mine-scarred lands (MSL) are defined as lands, associated waters, and surrounding watersheds where extraction or processing of ores and minerals (including coal) has occurred (EPA, 2004). Mine-scared lands have become a persistent problem in many communities due to the economic and environmental challenges of cleaning up and reusing mine-scarred lands.

As an extension of the Brownfields Federal Partnership, the Mine-Scarred Lands Working Group, co-chaired by the U.S. EPA’s Office of Brownfields Cleanup and Redevelopment, and the U.S. Department of Interior's Office of Surface Mining was established to collaboratively address the challenges of mine-scarred lands cleanup and revitalization. The mission of the Working Group is to foster the cleanup and sustainable revitalization of mine-scarred lands and affected communities. Challenges of these sites include:

The MSL Working Group has recently identified six Demonstration Projects across the U.S. where the opportunity exists to collaborate with local stakeholders by providing technical assistance to clean up and reuse mine-scarred lands.  In the future, it is hoped that the lessons learned from these Demonstration Projects will serve as models for success in mine-scarred lands revitalization.  In fact, lessons learned by the MSL initiative can currently be viewed on the Mine-Scarred Lands Initiative Tool Kit, now available on the EPA website listed below.  The Tool Kit provides information on:

In addition to the MSL Working Group Demonstration Projects, another exciting approach to mine-scarred land reclamation has been initiated by the Harvard University Graduate School of Design.  The Project for Reclamation Excellence (P-REX), promotes design as a catalyst for reclaiming and reusing post-mined landscapes through research, education, and communication.