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land reclamation.

-The process by which seriously disturbed land surfaces are stabilized against the hazards of wind and water erosion. Surface mining for coal is responsible for almost one-half of the total land area disturbed in the United States. The drastic disturbance of the overburden severely changes the chemical and physical properties of the resulting spoils. These altered properties often create a hostile environment for seed germination and subsequent plant growth. Unless vegetative cover is established almost immediately, the denuded areas are subject to both wind and water erosion that pollute surrounding streams with sediment.