Strip-mining techniques to minimize environmental damage in the upper Missouri River Basin states. [Eastern Montana, western North Dakota, northeastern Wyoming]

Technical Report · Wed Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1975

OSTI ID:5001414

Persse, F H

To meet escalating energy requirements, substantial increases in production from the strippable coal and lignite deposits in eastern Montana, western North Dakota, and northeastern Wyoming already have occurred, and further expansions are expected at least until the year 2000. Such production, attributable largely to rising demand for low-sulfur coal, must be accomplished with a minimum of adverse effects on the environment. Information on geology, climate, and current land use in the Upper Missouri River basin is presented in the Bureau of Mines review as a guideline to what operators may expect during the after mining. Proven methods of protecting the air and water from pollution and of restoring mined land for other uses are described, and untried methods of land reclamation, some with equipment yet to be manufactured, are discussed as possible means of maintaining aesthetic values in the basin. Costs incurred to protect the environment are part of the production cost and thus are borne by the ultimate consumer. Unit production costs are less for the thick coal and lignite deposits of the basin than for the thinner but higher Btu coal deposits of the Eastern and Midwestern United States. Precise comparisons of environmental protection costs between mines in such disparate areas cannot be made, because of differences in physical conditions, accounting procedures, and other variables. (auth)

• Research Organization: Bureau of Mines, Washington, D.C. (USA)
• OSTI ID: 5001414
• Report Number(s): BM-IC-8685
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT
012000 -- Coal
Lignite
& Peat-- Mining
29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY
290300 -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Environment
Health
& Safety
294001* -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Coal
500200 -- Environment
Atmospheric-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989)
510200 -- Environment
Terrestrial-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989)
520200 -- Environment
Aquatic-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
AIR POLLUTION
BIBLIOGRAPHIES
CLIMATES
COAL MINING
CONTROL
COST
DOCUMENT TYPES
ENERGY DEMAND
ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS
EQUIPMENT
FORECASTING
GEOLOGY
LAND USE
MANAGEMENT
MINING
MONTANA
NORTH AMERICA
NORTH DAKOTA
POLLUTION
ROCKY MOUNTAIN REGION
SURFACE MINING
USA
WASTE DISPOSAL
WASTE MANAGEMENT
WATER POLLUTION
WYOMING