Geohydrologic system and probable effects of mining in the Sand Creek-Hanks lignite area, western Williams County, North Dakota

Book · Mon Dec 31 23:00:00 EST 1984

OSTI ID:6912464

Armstrong, C A

Aquifers occur in sandstone beds in the Fox Hills Sandstone and the Hell Creek Formation of Cretaceous age in sandstone lenses and lignite beds in the Tongue River and Sentinel Butte Members of the Fort Union Formation of Tertiary age. The top of the Fox Hills aquifer ranges from 1,200 to 2,000 ft below land surface. Wells completed in the aquifers may yield as much as 40 gal/min of sodium bicarbonate or a sodium sulfate type water that contains about 800 to 4,100 mg/L dissolved solids. Well yields range from a few gal/min to 900 gal/min. Dissolved solids concentrations in water from the glacial drift generally range from 477 to 2,050 mg/L. Mining of lignite will destroy all aquifers in and above the mined lignite and will expose overburden to oxidation. Leaching will cause an increase in dissolved solids in groundwater immediately beneath the mines and possibly will cause some increase in the dissolved solids in low flows in area streams. 20 refs., 5 figs., 6 tabs.

• OSTI ID: 6912464
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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ALKALI METAL COMPOUNDS
AQUIFERS
BROWN COAL
CARBON COMPOUNDS
CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS
CARBONATES
COAL
COAL MINING
CONTAMINATION
DISSOLUTION
ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
ENERGY SOURCES
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS
FEDERAL REGION VIII
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
GROUND WATER
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
LAND USE
LEACHING
LIGNITE
MATERIALS
MINING
MONITORING
NORTH AMERICA
NORTH DAKOTA
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
POLLUTION
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SODIUM CARBONATES
SODIUM COMPOUNDS
SODIUM SULFATES
SULFATES
SULFUR COMPOUNDS
USA
WATER
WATER POLLUTION