Injection of alkaline ashes into underground coal mines for acid mine drainage abatement

Conference · Tue Dec 31 04:00:00 EST 1996

OSTI ID:588899

Aljoe, W W

The injection of fly ash, scrubber sludge, fluidized-bed combustion (FBC) ash, and other alkaline waste materials into abandoned underground coal mines for acid mine drainage (AMD) abatement has obvious conceptual appeal. This report describes three ongoing projects -- one each in West Virginia, Maryland, and Ohio -- where field demonstrations of the technique are being pursued in cooperative efforts among State and Federal agencies and/or private companies. The West Virginia site produces AMD that is causing the State to incur very high treatment costs and operational problems, especially in the storage and disposal of metal hydroxide sludges that result from treatment. In an attempt to achieve a more cost-effective long-term remediation scheme, the State is working with local coal companies and power generators on a plan to fill part or all of the mine voids with slurries of fly ash and/or FBC ash. At the Maryland site, the goal is to demonstrate the feasibility of completely filling a very small underground mine with an FEC ash slurry. The information gained here will determine whether large-scale AMD remediation can be achieved if deep mine disposal of ash is incorporated into the design of a new FBC power plant. In Ohio, it is believed that sealing and complete flooding of a relatively small mine will be able to curtail its AMD production. In order to accelerate the flooding process and insure that alkaline conditions will prevail in the mine, a waste slurry of calcium hydroxide from a nearby source will be injected into the mine voids in conjunction with mine sealing.

• OSTI ID: 588899
• Report Number(s): CONF-9605286--
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT
ACID MINE DRAINAGE
COAL MINES
COST
FLY ASH
HYDROLOGY
WASTE PRODUCT UTILIZATION