Environmental-control-technology survey of selected US strip-mining sites: water-quality impacts and overburden chemistry of Tennessee study sites
As part of a program to examine the ability of existing control technologies to meet federal guidelines for the quality of aqueous effluents from coal mines, an intensive study of water quality was conducted at two surface coal mines in Tennessee during 1976 and 1977. In general, water quality in receiving streams below each mine is poor due to previous mining and inherent conditions such as poor substrate, low-volume discharges, and naturally low pH. Effluents from both mines appear to contribute acidic water that contains dissolved, potentially toxic metals. At Mine TN-1, treatment of acid drainage by diversion through limestone-riprapped channels and an automatic NaOH feeder did not appear effective in controlling pH, iron, and manganese. Sedimentation ponds at TN-2 do not appear effective in controlling pH, iron, and manganese. However, total suspended solids appear to be adequately controlled by sedimentation ponds at both sites. There is a general lack of neutralizers in the overburden sequence. Overburden from the weathered zone should be segregated and subsequently replaced on the surface after reclamation. The remaining overburden is potentially acid-toxic and should be mixed with limestone and returned to the pit on a layer of crushed limestone. Efforts should be made to limit infiltration into spoils. Water control should be exercised in order to minimize infiltration of oxygen-bearing water into the mine-soil; this will reduce formation of acid seeps at the base of the spoil. At both sites, mining would not significantly increase the magnitude of downstream flooding. Increased impact on the receiving stream.
- Research Organization:
- Argonne National Lab., IL (USA)
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-31-109-ENG-38
- OSTI ID:
- 6024918
- Report Number(s):
- ANL/EES-TM-218; ON: DE83014211
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
COAL
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION
OVERBURDEN
SURFACE MINING
ACID MINE DRAINAGE
ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS
WASTE WATER
WATER QUALITY
RECOMMENDATIONS
COAL MINING
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
IRON
LAND RECLAMATION
LIMESTONE
LITHOLOGY
MANGANESE
PH VALUE
POLLUTION CONTROL
RUNOFF
SAMPLING
SPOIL BANKS
TENNESSEE
CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS
CARBONATE ROCKS
CONTROL
DATA
ELEMENTS
ENERGY SOURCES
ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT
FEDERAL REGION IV
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
INFORMATION
LIQUID WASTES
MASS TRANSFER
MATERIALS
METALS
MINING
NORTH AMERICA
NUMERICAL DATA
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
ROCKS
SEDIMENTARY ROCKS
TRANSITION ELEMENTS
USA
WASTES
WATER
012000* - Coal
Lignite
& Peat- Mining
010900 - Coal
Lignite
& Peat- Environmental Aspects