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COMPARISON OF APATITE II™ TREATMENT SYSTEM AT TWO MINES FOR METALS REMOVAL
Citation:
MCCLOSKEY, A., B. STASNEY, J. WRIGHT, J. L. CONCA, N. YANCY, AND N. M. LEWIS. COMPARISON OF APATITE II™ TREATMENT SYSTEM AT TWO MINES FOR METALS REMOVAL. Presented at International Conference on Acid Rock Drainage, St. Louis, MO, March 27 - 29, 2006.
Impact/Purpose:
To inform the public.
Description:
Two abandoned lead-zinc mine sites, the Nevada Stewart Mine (NSM) and Success Mine, are located within the Coeur d'Alene Mining District, in northern Idaho. An Apatite II™ Treatment System (ATS) was implemented at each site to treat metal-laden water, mainly zinc. In the ATS, fish bone (Apatite II™) was used as the treatment medium. Performance monitoring of the ATS at both sites showed the removal of zinc, iron, manganese, cadmium, and lead, and was used to identify the attenuation mechanisms for metals removal. This presentation/poster will provide an overview of the ATS at each site including: system design and construction; performance monitoring results; media evaluation; encountered problems; and recommendations. The difference in chemistry of the influent water at the two mines was significant. At the NSM, the pH of the adit discharge water was neutral with a high iron concentration and the water was treated with a mixture of Apatite II™ media and gravel. In comparison, the pH of the Success Mine groundwater was acidic, having a low iron concentration and the water was directed through an underground pipeline to the treatment facility containing 100% Apatite II™. These differences are reflected in the presentation of the ATS results, as is the performance of the Apatite II™ to remove metals. The demonstration project at the Success Mine was originally funded through 2003 by the Silver Valley Natural Resource Trustees. At the end of 2003, responsibility for operation and maintenance of the ATS at the site was passed on to the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality. The Success Mine ATS is operational and currently being assessed. The NSM project was conducted under the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Mine Waste Technology Program (MWTP). The MWTP is implemented by MSE Technology Applications, Inc. with administrative assistance from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Western Environmental Technology Office under DOE Contract Number DE-AC09-96EW96405 and technical direction from the EPA National Risk Management Research Laboratory under Interagency Agreement Number DW-89939550-01-1. The NSM project site was closed in September 2004.