Regulations require that no surface coal mining operations be conducted within 100 feet of a public road right-of-way. (VIP 13) Compliance with the 100 foot regulation can be checked by using orthorectified satellite imagery and GIS technology. The figure below shows WorldView-1 imagery, and the public road along with a buffer of 100 feet outside of the right-of way. A 100 foot buffer can be generated beyond the road right-of-way. Visual inspection can determine if the mine operation is in compliance. The buffer concept may be used for any distance prohibition reclamation feature whether the feature being analyzed is a point, line, or polygon.
Public Road Distance Prohibition at McKinley Mine site.