Detritus processing is inhibited in streams receiving acidic mine drainage (AMD) because low pH and toxic concentrations of metals reduce microbial activity and densities of macroinvertebrates.  Remediation can elevate pH and reduce metals concentrations in AMD streams, eventually leading to biological recovery.  Whether this biological recovery results in return of ecosystem functions is largely unknown.  We measured decomposition, microbial respiration, and shredder densities of white oak and sugar maple leaf packs from an AMD-impacted stream, an AMD-remediated stream, and an unimpacted reference stream in northern Pennsylvania.  Decomposition rates of maple and oak were similar in unimpacted and remediated streams (maple=0.01 /d, oak=0.005 /d) but were 3x slower for maple and 2x slower for oak leaves in the AMD-impacted stream.  Microbial respiration rates varied over time but were generally similar in reference and remediated streams but lower in the AMD-impacted stream.  Furthermore, the only macroinvertebrates found in the AMD-impacted stream were chironomids, dytiscid larvae, and one larval phryganeid, while leaf packs from reference and remediated streams contained diverse assemblages of macroinvertebrates, including several species of shredders.  Remediation from mine drainage restored leaf processing rates, which suggests other ecosystem processes, including nutrient retention, might recover from AMD following treatment.