The Missouri Department of Natural Resources has awarded a $609,942 contract to a St. Louis company for the reclamation of approximately 35 acres of abandoned coal mine land near Millersburg.
Pangea Group won the contract to reclaim surface-mined lands that were left unreclaimed before the 1950s.
The reclamation site is on private property, about two miles east of Millersburg, near state Route F.
DNR said it poses a safety hazard to the landowner and area residents.
The project's plans include backfilling an unstable highwall, leveling and grading multiple mounds and embankments, and backfilling three polluted acid water impoundments.
A DNR news release said the reclamation is expected to improve water quality in Millers Creek, by reducing the amount of acid-forming sediments that erode into the stream.
Additionally, the creek's water quality should improve because several acid water impoundments that discharge low-pH water into the creek after heavy rains or snow melts will be eliminated.
The project is expected to be completed by Oct. 1.
Money for the project comes from a surcharge on each ton of coal that is mined in the United States.
The 1977 federal Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act requires the U.S. Interior department's Office of Surface Mining to collect the money, then disburse it to state and tribal abandoned mine land programs.