ClimateAugust 29, 2026

unreclaimed

un-ri-KLAYMD

Definition

Not restored or returned to a natural or usable state after having been disturbed or degraded by industrial activity.

Etymology

Derived from the prefix 'un-' meaning 'not' and the verb 'reclaim,' which comes from the Old French 'reclamer,' meaning 'to call back' or 'to claim again.'

In the news

The word describes the hundreds of abandoned coal waste piles across Pennsylvania that remain in a polluted, degraded state and require costly environmental cleanup efforts.

While Renewables Languish, Pennsylvania Pays Millions to Coal Waste Companies

Read the full article ↗

Inside Climate News

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