Particulate sampling was performed at five Western surface coal mines for the purpose of developing emission factors for individual mining operations. The sampling method for these unconfined fugitive dust sources was upwind/downwind ambient sampling, with two upwind samplers and either four or six samplers in the plume for each sampling period. Emission rates were determined by use of atmospheric dispersion equations relating emissions and ambient concentrations. A total of 213 sampling periods were evenly distributed among the five mines. Emission factors were produced for 12 mining operations: dragline, haul roads, shovel/truck loading, blasting, truck dump, storage pile, drilling, fly-ash dump, train loading, topsoil removal, front-end loader, and overburden dumping. One other source, exposed areas, was sampled extensively but yielded unexplainable data that could not be used to develop an emission factor. The study was also designed to evaluate the fallout or deposition rate of particulate from the coal mining sources. However, the apparent emission rates calculated from concurrent samples taken at different distances from the source did not show a consistent decrease with distance to indicate that fallout was occurring.

Contract No. 68-01-4489. Microfiche.