Effectiveness of surface mine sedimentation ponds

Technical Report · Sun Aug 01 04:00:00 EDT 1976

OSTI ID:7325160

Kathuria, D V; Nawrocki, M A; Becker, B C

An in-field evaluation of the effectiveness of sediment ponds in reducing suspended solids in the runoff from surface mining activities was performed. Nine selected sedimentation ponds in the three eastern coal-mining States of Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Kentucky were sampled under two different operating conditions--a baseline and a rainfall event. Their theoretical and actual efficiency of removal of suspended solids were computed and compared. In general, poor construction and inadequate maintenance of these ponds were found to be the major problem areas. The ponds had generally higher removal efficiencies during the baseline sampling period and much lower efficiencies during the storm event. The theoretically predicted efficiency of the ponds was essentially the same as the actual efficiency under baseline conditions. During the rainfall event, there was generally little or no correlation between the theoretical and actual efficiencies. The predicted efficiencies were found to be much higher than the actual efficiencies during the rainfall event in most cases. (GRA)

• Research Organization: Hittman Associates, Inc., Columbia, MD (USA)
• OSTI ID: 7325160
• Report Number(s): PB-258917
• 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
520200 -- Environment
Aquatic-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
COAL MINES
DISPERSIONS
EFFICIENCY
ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS
MINES
MINING
MONITORING
POLLUTION CONTROL
PONDS
SEDIMENTS
SOLIDS
SURFACE MINING
SUSPENSIONS
WATER POLLUTION CONTROL