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A GREENER BUTTE! REVEGETATION THROUGH IRRIGATION USING TREATED MINE WATER FROM THE BELMONT MINE'S FLOODED UNDERGROUND WORKINGS
Citation:
NORDWICK, S., D. R. BLESS, H. JOYCE, K. MANCHESTER, AND P. MIRANDA. A GREENER BUTTE! REVEGETATION THROUGH IRRIGATION USING TREATED MINE WATER FROM THE BELMONT MINE'S FLOODED UNDERGROUND WORKINGS. In Proceedings, 2007 SME Annual Meeting & Exhibit and Colorado Mining Association 109th National Western Mining Conference, Denver, CO, February 25 - 28, 2007. Society for Mining, Metallurgy, and Exploration, LITTLETON, CO, ., (2007).
Impact/Purpose:
information
Description:
Historic mining activities in Butte, Montana have degraded much of the local landscape and vegetation. During the last 5 years, mine tailings located near the Belmont Mine have been successfully capped and reseeded in an effort to “green” and spark development in the area. The Belmont mine is located to the west of the Berkeley Pit and adjacent to the current Berkeley Pit viewing stand location. Due to increasing costs, the new vegetation may become impractical to irrigate using municipal water. A practical alternative source of irrigation water is needed. One potential source of irrigation water lies directly below the Belmont mine in the abandoned mine workings. Initial sampling of the mine water indicates a neutral pH and elevated metals including iron, manganese, arsenic, and zinc that exceed maximum permissible non-agricultural irrigation discharge levels. A treatment system that will reduce metals concentrations to below requirements for non-agriculture-type irrigation is being developed. Resource recovery potential and project details will be presented and discussed.