Be good to the land, it'll return the favor. It's a simple idea that Basin Electric has fiercely defended throughout its history.

Basin Electric was the first utility in the nation to require that strip-mined land be returned to rolling countryside. That requirement was written into Basin Electric's first coal contract long before rules and regulations on mined land 回收 were enacted.

Our concern for the environment has been a guiding principle for many years. In the Statement of Ideals and Objectives adopted in 1967, Basin Electric's members held that "a clean and healthy environment which we all need and enjoy must be maintained and that the energy industry must do all that is feasible to minimize the negative impacts on the environment."

在60年代中期, Basin Electric proposed model laws to the 北达科他 Legislature to protect the 空气, 水和陆地. We advocated legislation requiring mined land 回收 and prohibiting dumping fly ash and other industrial wastes into the rivers. 今天, Basin Electric continues its tradition of commitment to a clean environment and the communities impacted by energy production.

Basin Electric owns 达科他气化公司, and these values follow throughout the cooperative family.

Partnering with living things for 回收

Commitment to the environment can be shown in a variety of ways. Following are a few ways Basin Electric keeps nature in mind in its 回收 practices.

The 回收 process includes resurfacing spoil piles, 播种土地, 为野生动物维护湿地.

自由矿复垦

Basin Electric has always kept nature in mind. One place where that can be seen firsthand is at the 我的自由.

The 我的自由 minimizes disturbance to land, 植被, 水, 空气, 自然栖息地, 以及周边社区. They partner with customers to responsibly permit, mine, and reclaim the land. Affected lands are restored to agricultural use and wildlife habitat, using the latest conservation techniques at a productivity level that meets or exceeds that which existed prior to mining. 我的自由 employees incorporate the highest degree of environmental standards to achieve excellence in land 回收, often beyond what is required by state and federal environmental laws.

• Approximately 700 acres of land are mined and reclaimed each year.
• 当地农民和牧场主使用超过16种,000 acres of reclaimed land by grazing cattle on grasslands and raising cash crops on cropland.
• / 4,000 acres of mined land has been removed from the permit area through the bond release process, proving our reclaimed land meets or exceeds pre-mine productivity.

忙碌的蜜蜂

Backer Bees is one of three beekeepers who keep their bees at the Glenharold Mine, a reclaimed coal mine that used to supply coal to Leland Olds Station, Basin Electric's first coal-based power plant located near Stanton, 北达科他. Dusty Backer, owner of Backer Bees, keeps 1,800-2,500 hives in 北达科他.

“这里有各种各样的花. Alfalfa, clover, canola, sunflowers, a lot of wildflowers," Backer says. "This area is one of the best in the nation to raise bees, a really healthy place to raise bees. Anywhere within a 30-mile radius of this spot (Glenharold Mine) is awesome bee country."

绿叶蔬菜

The 北达科他 pr空气ie is known for a couple of things: there are hardly any trees, 而且风很大. 这两个事实在这个故事中相遇了. Per 北达科他 Public Service Commission policy, replacement trees and shrubs must be replaced on a two-for-one-basis when performing 回收 on a project with Public Service Commission oversight.

令人毛骨悚然的小爬虫

我们大多数人都看不见, millions of little helpers are doing damage control on reclaimed coal mine land. Beetles are spread at the Glenharold Mine to control the noxious weed, leafy spurge.