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During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, demand for minerals to supply rapid growth in manufacturing and building rose at an incredible rate. To accommodate this demand, surface miners stripped billions of tons of minerals from the earth. In the process, the land was also stripped of vegetation and topsoil and its ability to support plant and animal life. This program looks at the great strides science has taken to reclaim this land, or restore its life-giving and life-sustaining qualities; and new insights which are helping today's mining companies meet ever greater demands for our vital mineral resources while avoiding the ecological mistakes of the past.
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