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U.S. ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS ABANDONED MINE LAND REMEDIATION WORKSHOP
Citation:
Bless*, D R. U.S. ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS ABANDONED MINE LAND REMEDIATION WORKSHOP. Presented at US Army Corps of Engineers Abandoned Mine Land Remediation Workshop, Fairmont, MT, 9/18-20/2001.
Description:
Mining activities in the US (not counting coal) produce 1-2 billion tons of mine waste annually. Since many of the ore mines involve sulfide minerals, the production of acid mine drainage (AMD) is a common problem from these abandoned mine sites. The combination of acidity, heavy metals, and sediment have severe detrimental environmental impacts on the delicate ecosystems in the west. The concept of pollution prevention, emphasizing at-source control and resource recovery, is the approach of choice for the long-term solution. This congressionally mandated Mine Waste Technology Program (MWTP) emphasizes the development and demonstration of treatment technologies that provide satisfactory short- and long-term solutions to the remedial problems facing abandoned mines and the ongoing compliance problems associated with active mines, not only in the west but throughout the US. The MWTP is an interagency agreement with the DOE, and has partnerships with universities, Forest Service, BLM, industry and states. Projects covered under the MWTP include grouting; in-situ bioreactors; mine sealing; treatment options for arsenic, cyanide, mercury, nitrate, selenium, and remote site neutralization; and capping/revegetation. The program is based out of Butte, Montana where MSE-Technology Applications performs the technology demonstrations while Montana Tech does the basic research.