6k. Step Five: Reclamation – Grade spoils to approximate original contours

After the coal is mined, reclamation begins with grading spoils, or returning the land to its original contour. Before the subsoil and topsoil can be respread, the Public Service Commission (PSC) inspects and approves the grading. The PSC makes sure water flows into the same places it did before the company mined the area. For example, water must flow into the same lake or river it did previously.