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EPA Office of Research and Development, Mine and Mineral Processing Virtual Workshop Series, October 2019
Citation:
Dyment, S. EPA Office of Research and Development, Mine and Mineral Processing Virtual Workshop Series, October 2019. EPA Office of Research and Development Mine and Mineral Processing Virtual Workshop Series October 2019, NA, Webinar Series, October 02 - 23, 2019. U.S. EPA Office of Research and Development, Washington, DC, 2019.
Impact/Purpose:
In the Western United States and EPA Regions, mine and mineral processing sites make up a large part of the Superfund Site portfolio where it is estimated that there are more than 500,000 abandoned mines and many of the most toxic and dangerous of these mines are listed on the Superfund National Priority List (NPL). This ORD supported virtual workshop addresses the “state of the practice” in hard rock mine and mineral processing site characterization, mitigation, remediation, and risk management. While large national conferences sponsored by Battelle https://www.battelle.org/newsroom/conferences include focus areas around sediment, bioremediation, and chlorinated/recalcitrant compounds and offer good venues for insight into the latest research and technology applications, the topic of hard rock mining and related research has largely remained a regional issue with fewer options to share research needs and findings. Fewer venues to share mine and mineral processing research needs and findings along with existing infrastructure and mechanisms through ORDs Engineering Technical Support Center (ETSC) present an opportunity for ORD to address critical program challenges. Historically the ETSC has supported a National Conference on Mining Influenced Waters, however recent funding challenges and administration priorities have resulted in a lapse. The last National Conference on Mining Influenced Waters was held in 2014 https://nepis.epa.gov/Adobe/PDF/P100MV2A.pdf. Since that time, nationally recognized mine incidents like the Gold King release https://www.epa.gov/goldkingmine , EPA Administrator Priority Lists https://www.epa.gov/superfund/superfund-sites-targeted-immediate-intense-action , and redevelopment priorities https://www.epa.gov/superfund-redevelopment-initiative/superfund-redevelopment-focus-list all highlight continued research and support needs as well as agency priorities to address Superfund mine and mineral processing site cleanups. In response to STL white paper recommendations and Superfund program needs, ORDs Office of Science Policy (OSP) and ETSC developed the webinar series focused on the “State of Practice in Hard Rock Mine Characterization, Mitigation, Remediation, and Risk Management”. Participants included Federal Agencies (EPA, USFS, BLM, USGS, etc.) State and Tribal Partners, Academia, Industry, and private consulting or technology firms.
Description:
The product presents final data on presenters, topics, participants, and session feedback for the EPA Office of Research and Development’s (ORD) Office of Science Policy Mine and Mineral Processing virtual workshop series, held in October 2019. The workshop series, developed in partnership with the Office of Land and Emergency Management (OLEM), consisted of four virtual trainings delivered on the Contaminated Site Clean-Up Information website (www.clu-in.org), using an Adobe Connect platform. Sessions provided case studies and technical information related to site characterization, emergency response, innovative technologies and strategies, and big data challenges and opportunities. .