Potential of coal strip-mine spoils as aquifers in the Powder River Basin

Book · Thu Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1976

OSTI ID:6019086

Rahn, P H

The Tongue River Formation contains most of the strippable coal deposits in the Powder River Basin. Flat lying low sulfur coal beds up to 200 ft. thick are typically overlain by semiconsolidated shale and sandstone. Typical overburden to coal thickness ratios in working mines are 2:1. The overburden is generally dragline or scraper-dumped into the excavated pit. Pump tests were conducted to determine the aquifer characteristics of the mine spoils of two coal strip mines in western Sheridan County, Wyoming. Six other coal strip mines were studied using field infiltration and laboratory permeability apparatus to determine hydrologic characteristics. Data from 44 sites indicate that the permeability is primarily related to density, which in turn is due to method of emplacement and composition. Spoils emplaced by dragline show higher laboratory permeability than those emplaced by scraper or truck. This is presumably due to greater compaction caused by machinery moving over the surface of the spoils. Local stratigraphy, however, has a great influence on the hydrologic characteristics of the spoils. Chemical analyses of 32 water samples show a significant difference of the quality of ground water in spoils compared to natural ground water from wells in the Tongue River Formation. The possibility of utilizing the abandoned spoils as ground water storage areas is feasible due to the moderately high permeability. However, the poor quality of the ground water that would be pumped out of the spoils would appear to limit its usefulness.

• OSTI ID: 6019086
• Report Number(s): NP-23777
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

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54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
ALKALINE EARTH METALS
CALCIUM
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION
COAL MINING
DATA
DATA FORMS
DENSITY
ELEMENTS
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
GROUND WATER
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
HYDROLOGY
INFORMATION
LAND RECLAMATION
MAGNESIUM
METALS
MINING
NORTH AMERICA
NUMERICAL DATA
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PERMEABILITY
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
ROCKY MOUNTAIN REGION
SPOIL BANKS
SULFATES
SULFUR COMPOUNDS
SURFACE MINING
TABLES
USA
WATER
WYOMING