Environmental aspects of coal production in the Applachian Region. Progress report, June 1, 1979-May 31, 1980. [New River Basin, Tennessee]

Technical Report · Tue Apr 15 04:00:00 EST 1980

OSTI ID:5513876

Minear, R A; Overton, D E; Vaughn, G L; Tschantz, B A

The overall project focus is on damage agent flow resulting from strip mining. Attention has focused on (1) field work related to quantifying sediment yield from control plots that have been reclaimed back to contour including surface runoff water quality; (2) continued measurement of water quality in six primary watersheds, 5 mined and 1 control, to follow the long term behavior of changes in water quality that results from mining activity; (3) continued measurement of biological changes that result from mining activity, the time required for recovery and the nature of recovery, i.e., changes in post mining community structure; and (4) application of simulation models for stream hydrographs, sediment detention basins and hydrologic assessments. Although field study plots had a uniform heavy grass and conformed to current state and federal reclamation standards, suspended sediment concentrations leaving the site consistently exceeded federal and state allowable concentration during all storms. Water quality changes that occur very soon after mining commences in a watershed, that is elevated calcium, magnesium, iron, manganese and sulfate, do not return to premining levels even after 5 years. Mining disturbance produces long term water quality changes in dissolved constituents, even in alkaline systems, which may have an economic impact on downstream water users. The major impact of strip mining on water quality is the continued production of suspended sediment in drainage streams. Significant biological changes occur in watershed streams after surface mining is initiated and are strongly related to suspended sediment. Recovery is observed and seems related to type of mining practiced and condition of tributary stream. A mathematical model for simulating stormwater response and pollutant yield in strip mined watersheds was developed.

• Research Organization: Tennessee Univ., Knoxville (USA)
• OSTI ID: 5513876
• Report Number(s): ORO-4946-5
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT
010900* -- Coal
Lignite
& Peat-- Environmental Aspects
012000 -- Coal
Lignite
& Peat-- Mining
510500 -- Environment
Terrestrial-- Site Resource & Use Studies-- (-1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
APPALACHIA
BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS
BIOLOGICAL RECOVERY
COAL MINING
DATA
DATA FORMS
ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS
ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
EROSION
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
GRAPHS
HYDROLOGY
INFORMATION
LAND RECLAMATION
LAWS
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
MINING
MINING LAWS
NORTH AMERICA
NUMERICAL DATA
RECOVERY
SEDIMENTS
STREAMS
SURFACE MINING
SURFACE MINING ACTS
SURFACE WATERS
TABLES
USA
WATER QUALITY
WATERSHEDS