Cumulative potential hydrologic impacts of surface coal mining in the eastern Powder River structural basin, northeastern Wyoming

Book · Fri Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1988

OSTI ID:6672532

Martin, L J; Naftz, D L; Lowham, H W; Ranki, J G

There are 16 existing and six proposed surface coal mines in the eastern Powder River structural basin of northeastern Wyoming. Coal mining companies predict water level declines of 5 ft or more in the Wasatch aquifer to extend form about 1,000 to about 2,000 ft beyond the mine pits. About 3,000 wells are in the area of potential cumulative water level declines resulting from all anticipated mining. Of these 3,000 wells, about 1,200 are outside the areas of anticipated mining: about 1,000 wells supply water for domestic or livestock uses, and about 200 wells supply water for municipal, industrial, irrigation, and miscellaneous uses. The 1,800 remaining wells are used by coal mining companies. Future surface coal mining probably will result in postmining groundwater of similar quality to that currently present in the study area. By use of geochemical modeling techniques, the results of a hypothetical reaction path exercise indicate the potential for marked improvements in postmining water quality because of chemical reactions as postmining groundwater with a large dissolved solids concentration moves into a coal aquifer with relatively small dissolved solids concentrations. Results of the modeling exercise also indicate geochemical conditions that are most ideal for large decreases in dissolved solids concentrations in coal aquifers receiving recharge from a spoil aquifer. 118 refs., 52 figs., 33 tabs.

• OSTI ID: 6672532
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT
010900* -- Coal
Lignite
& Peat-- Environmental Aspects
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
540320 -- Environment
Aquatic-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (1990-)
AQUIFERS
COAL MINING
CONTAMINATION
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS
ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT
FEDERAL REGION VIII
GROUND WATER
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
MASS TRANSFER
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
MINING
MONTANA
NORTH AMERICA
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
POLLUTION
POWDER RIVER BASIN
USA
WATER
WATER POLLUTION
WYOMING