Pennsylvania's approach to underground coal mine permitting and long-term mine pool management
Pennsylvania's underground coal mine permitting process has two goals: first, to ensure that the mining and reclamation plan is designed to minimize adverse environmental impacts; and second, to minimize interference with the applicant's recovery of coal. A successful review process includes the consistent evaluation of mine site hydrology through scrutiny of key indicators of mining-induced, adverse hydrologic consequences. This allows the regulatory agency to assess the potential for mining-related impacts as well as cumulative impacts throughout the proposed mine area and adjacent area. General trends have been identified regarding quality of underground mine drainage versus coal seam mined. However, the large number of factors controlling the final mine pool chemistry along with the lack of focused research have combined to stunt the development of reliable methodologies for the prediction of postmining water quality. Absent reliable predictive methodologies, mine layout has become the best demonstrated technology for pollution prevention. Strategies include: (1) promotion of postmining inundation by down-dip development with proper location of mine openings and sizing and location of barriers; (2) restriction of mining to zones within the groundwater system where flow is relatively lethargic and time of travel is great when compared to natural mine pool amelioration time frames; and (3) mining in zones remote from groundwater discharge areas and features which may serve to short-circuit mine water to nearby existing water-supply aquifers or to the surface. This paper discusses Pennsylvania's application process for underground bituminous coal mines. It briefly outlines Pennsylvania's statutory history relating to mine discharges, touches on some of the tools permit reviewers use to evaluate the hydrology of proposed underground mining sites, and discusses the key factors that permit reviewers consider in assessing potential postmining mine pool levels.
- Research Organization:
- Pennsylvania Dept. of Environmental Protection, PA (US)
- OSTI ID:
- 20082230
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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