Mining and Reclamation

We are Chaney Enterprises, a local, family-owned company founded in 1962. As the largest producer of sand and gravel in Maryland, we are also one of Southern Maryland’s largest employers. Our roots in the community are deep, enduring and built on trust. So is our commitment to preserving the beauty and health of the land—we recognize that the environment must be treated with respect and with an eye to the future. The company employs best industry practices in aggregate and concrete operations, land management, mining and reclamation while providing something we will all need as long as civilization exists.

sand and gravel mine site Over 1.7 million pounds of stone, sand and gravel are produced to satisfy the needs of just one American in their lifetime —and the only way to obtain these valuable materials is to mine them. ?

Our mining operation provides ingredients needed to produce the world’s most durable and environmentally friendly building material: concrete. To create our award-winning concrete, Chaney Enterprises employs the latest production and testing technology. We deliver this product with the newest fleet of mixer trucks in the Mid-Atlantic, which are maintained to the highest safety and operational standards. In order to eliminate dust in our operational areas, these mixers are always washed down prior to leaving our plants and our haul roads are sprayed daily. To increase the sustainability of our operations, Chaney Enterprises is also replacing fossil fuel oil with the renewable biofuel in our hot water boilers and ultimately in our off-road vehicles.  

How does Chaney Enterprises mine?

Before we develop a potential mining site, we educate and inform our community neighbors. Throughout the mining process, we consult with our neighbors, forming a team of engineers, Chaney Enterprises staff, and citizens.

Our mining process typically involves three simultaneous stages: preparing 10 acres, mining 10 acres, and reclaiming and restoring 10 acres in a process called “10-10-10”. This way we move through the site in a way that ensures that no more than 30 acres is disturbed at a time.

What happens to the material once it is mined?

Once the raw material, which is called bank run, is removed, it is trucked to our sand and gravel wash plant. A specialized machine washes and segregates the sand and gravel by size, using water from three self-sustaining ponds. The water from the first pond is cleaned using a mud press, the first of its kind to be operated on the East Coast. The water then travels to the next pond for additional cleaning by another specialized machine. Then, the water moves to the last pond, where it is then pulled to the wash plant and used again.

What happens to a mine site once Chaney Enterprises finishes mining it?former sand and gravel mine site

The site is reclaimed, meaning we restore the land to its original use, or to a condition supporting an approved alternative use that is always in accordance with state and local regulations. This ensures adequate land stability, drainage, vegetative cover and esthetics—all to provide the most benefits to the community.

Using the top layer of soil that is pulled back before the mining begins, we grade and contour the mined area. Then vegetation is planted. Some areas become wetlands, almost immediately serving as a habitat for plants and animals. Other mines sites have been reclaimed as farmland, green spaces, housing developments, recreational facilities and even an 18-hole golf course. Chaney Enterprises was honored with the Maryland Department of the Environment Reclamation Award and the Interstate Mining Compact Commission’s National Reclamation Award, and donates numerous acres of wetlands to state preservation programs.

 

Case Study: Mardis Mine Site becomes Renditions Golf Course and Southern Hills Community? 

Beginning in the 1950’s, Chaney Enterprises started mining a plot of land in Davidsonville, MD known as the Mardis Mine Site. The land provided plentiful aggregates for almost 50 years, until the reclamation process began in 1999. During the course of the 50 year mining history, 347 acres were mined for sand and gravel. The raw materials were processed at two onsite wash plants before being shipped to market. Because of the proximity to the Patuxent River, Chaney had to be especially sensitive to natural resources in the area. A berm was constructed along the edge of the permit area adjacent to the river and over the years developed natural growth patterns. As an environmentally conscience company, Chaney Enterprises preserved these patterns, preventing any disturbance in the sensitive areas. Several sediment traps and ponds were restored to encourage development of non-tidal wetlands and several of these water bearing areas were incorporated into the postmining land use. 

The site was reclaimed as a world-class replica golf course, known as Renditions Golf Course, designed by golf course architect Dave Edsall. Turning the previously mined site into a high-end golf course presented several challenges for Chaney Enterprises during the reclamation process, including dismantling the large wash ponds, a portion of which were turned into a storm water management facility. This was accomplished by combining the 25-feet deep soupy fine clays in the ponds with crushed cinder blocks from the dismantled maintenance building in order to stabilize the area. All other wash ponds, which had dried out over years of non-use, were capped with clean fill materials and the area was graded for use as a driving range. All remaining stockpiles of sand were utilized in grading the site to achieve the elevations for each golf hole. The only material brought onto the site to complete this reclamation was a specific grade of topsoil that was required by the United State Golf Association for tees and greens. 

In addition to the innovative use of on-site materials that might have been considered waste and the incorporation of existing sediment control features as part of the golf course design, Chaney also relocated several trees on the property rather than simply cutting them down. The golf course now provides an open space area and vegetated buffers for the Patuxent River, while providing and protecting a significant wooded wetland area. 

However, the reclamation story doesn’t end there! By the late 2010’s, Chaney Enterprises worked alongside Caruso Homes to build a premiere single-family home development located adjacent to Renditions Golf Course. The community features 24 new construction homes with large lot sizes and golf course views. The neighborhood features bright concrete roads and timeless concrete driveways all poured by Chaney Enterprises.