The Falkirk Mine, a subsidiary of North American Coal Corporation, provides lignite
coal for steam generation at the nearby Coal Creek
Generating Station. The mine
production is about 8 million tons per year. Falkirk uses two huge 105 cubic yard draglines
to remove overburden from the lignite veins. Coal is either trucked or sent by conveyor to the
dump station located north of Coal Creek Station.
The mine is operated as a strip mine, which means that all overburden is stripped from
the coal veins to allow mining. The overburden depths range from 25 feet to over 100 feet.
Stringent mining reclamation laws in North Dakota assure that the land will be carefully
reclaimed and eventually return to pre-mining productivity.
Falkirk Mine includes two major mining areas, the "East Mine", which is located
adjacent to US Highway 83 east and south of Underwood. From that location passersby
can watch the giant dragline "Old Ironsides" remove 105 cubic yards of overburden every
90 seconds.
A second and recently opened mine, the "East Riverdale Mine", is located southwest
of Underwood. Here the 105 Cubic Yard Dragline "Prairie Rose" removes overburden from
the lignite beds.
Lignite is transported from the mine through two methods. It is either trucked to the
dump site by giant trucks with a 110 ton capacity or via a huge four mile long conveyor
from the mine to processing facilities at Falkirk and eventually to Coal Creek Station. A
portion of the conveyor, encased in a large white tube, is visible as it crosses highway US
Highway 83 south of Underwood.
Falkirk Mining Company adheres to strict federal and state mining and reclamation laws
which see total reclamation of all mined lands. The mined lands all eventually will return
to either crop or grassland status. An exception is land adjacent to the city of Underwood
which was reclaimed and developed into a beautiful nine hole golf course to replace a
sand green course which fell victim to the mining process.
Falkirk Mining Company's headquarters are four miles south of Underwood. Drop-in
tours are available from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Central Daylight Time (CDT) May through
September. Tours at other times or for groups can be arranged by calling
(701) 442-5751 or (701) 258-2390.
For more
information, click here.
This page was last updated on Monday, February 07, 2005 03:24 PM.
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