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NATIONAL ASSESSMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL AND ECONOMIC BENEFITS FROM METHANE CONTROL AND UTILIZATION TECHNOLOGIES AT U.S. UNDERGROUND COAL MINES
Citation:
Masemore, S., S. Piccot, AND J. Lanning. NATIONAL ASSESSMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL AND ECONOMIC BENEFITS FROM METHANE CONTROL AND UTILIZATION TECHNOLOGIES AT U.S. UNDERGROUND COAL MINES. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, D.C., EPA/600/R-97/152 (NTIS PB98-118144), 1997.
Impact/Purpose:
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Description:
The report gives results of EPA research into the emission processes and control strategies associated with underground coal mines in the U.S. (NOTE: Methane is a greenhouse gas in the atmosphere which ranks behind carbon dioxide as the second largest contributor to global warming. Methane emissions from coal mines are one of the primary sources responsible for the buildup of methane in the troposphere.) Goals of the EPA program have been to asses the economic performance and emissions reductions of methane control strategies for underground coal mines, and to develop modeling tools and data bases that miners can use to conduct their own site-specific methane control analysis. To this end, nine standard, or model, mines were designed to closely simulate existing mines in the major coal producing regions. Cost performance and methane reductions were then calculated for a number of methane recovery and utilization combinations at these model mines. Algorithms were developed using site-specific mine designs, geologic parameters, and costs, with the assistance of mine operators, mining consultants, degasification system consultants, and the U.S. Bureau of Mines.