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Author Eger, P.; Melchert, G.; Wagner, J.
Title Using passive treatment systems for mine closure – A good approach or a risky alternative? Type Journal Article
Year 2000 Publication Min. Eng. Abbreviated Journal
Volume 52 Issue 9 Pages 78-83
Keywords Pollution and waste management non radioactive Groundwater problems and environmental effects geological abstracts: environmental geology (72 14 2) geomechanics abstracts: excavations (77 10 10) acid mine drainage decommissioning mine waste open pit mine pH remediation
Abstract In 1991, LTV Steel Mining decided to close an open-pit taconite mine in northeastern Minnesota using a passive-treatment approach consisting of limiting infiltration into the stockpiles and wetland treatment to remove metals. More than 50 Mt (55 million st) of sulfide-containing waste had been stockpiled adjacent to the mine during its 30 years of operation. Drainage from the stockpiles contained elevated levels of copper, nickel, cobalt and zinc. Nickel is the major trace metal in the drainages. Before the closure, the annual median concentrations ranged from 1.5 to 50 mg/L. Copper, cobalt and zinc are also present but they are generally less than 5% of the nickel values. Median pH levels range from 5 to 7.5, but most of the stockpile drainages have pH levels greater than 6.5. Based on the chemical composition of each stockpile, a cover material was selected. The higher the potential that a stockpile had to produce acid drainage, the lower the permeability of the capping material required. Covers ranged from overburden soil removed at the mine to a flexible plastic liner. Predictions of the reduction in infiltration ranged from 40% for the native soil to more than 90% for the plastic liner. Five constructed wetlands have been installed since 1992. They have removed 60% to 90% of the nickel in the drainages. Total capital costs for all the infiltration reduction and wetlands exceeded $6.5 million, but maintenance costs are less than 1% of those for an active treatment plant. Because mine-drainage problems can continue for more than 100 years, the lower annual operating costs should pay for the construction of the wetland-treatment systems within seven years.
Address (down) P. Eger, Minnesota Dept. of Natural Rsrces., St. Paul, MN, United States
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ISSN 0026-5187 ISBN Medium
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Notes Using passive treatment systems for mine closure – A good approach or a risky alternative?; 2285715; United-States 19; Geobase Approved no
Call Number CBU @ c.wolke @ 17539 Serial 392
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Author Beck, P.
Title CL:AIRE – Providing support for remediation research Type Journal Article
Year 2003 Publication Land Contam. Reclam. Abbreviated Journal
Volume 11 Issue 2 Pages 99-104
Keywords Groundwater problems and environmental effects Pollution and waste management non radioactive geomechanics abstracts: excavations (77 10 10) geological abstracts: environmental geology (72 14 2) contaminated land remediation guideline acid mine drainage hydrochemistry
Abstract CL:AIRE (Contaminated Land: Applications in Real Environments) is a public-private partnership which was established in 1999 to encourage the demonstration of remediation research and technologies on contaminated sites throughout the UK. Project proposals are submitted to CL:AIRE and reviewed and approved by the CL:AIRE Technology & Research Group. CL:AIRE provides independent verification of its projects and plays a crucial role in the dissemination of project information. During the course of the project, progress is reported through the newsletter, CL:AIRE view, which is mailed free of charge to a database of more than 4500 stakeholders with an interest in contaminated land. Progress is also tracked on the CL:AIRE website at www.claire.co.uk. On completion of the project, a project report is published and a one page summary fact sheet is prepared. The fact sheet is distributed to our database subscribers and posted on the website. The project is also presented at the CL:AIRE Annual Project Conference. In addition, aspects of the research which have practical application will be published as CL:AIRE Research Bulletins. Acid mine waters discharging from abandoned mines represent a significant environmental problem in many parts of the UK. Considerable research has been carried out to understand the geochemical process involved, and the knowledge has been used to manage groundwater discharge through physical/chemical treatment and constructed wetlands. CL:AIRE supports the development of a national site for wetland research managed by the University of Newcastle and will encourage collaborative research projects to be submitted through CL:AIRE. CL:AIRE is currently supporting two projects which demonstrate remediation of acid mine drainage and is disseminating the results of this and other research to improve confidence in the use of these techniques.
Address (down) P. Beck, CL:AIRE, 1 Great Cumberland Place, London W1H 7AL, United Kingdom
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ISSN 0967-0513 ISBN Medium
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Notes CL:AIRE – Providing support for remediation research; 2530414; United-Kingdom 2; Geobase Approved no
Call Number CBU @ c.wolke @ 17524 Serial 461
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Author Rukin, N.
Title Whittle mine water treatment system: In-river attenuation of manganese Type Journal Article
Year 2003 Publication Land Contam. Reclam. Abbreviated Journal
Volume 11 Issue 2 Pages 137-144
Keywords Pollution and waste management non radioactive Groundwater problems and environmental effects geological abstracts: environmental geology (72 14 2) geomechanics abstracts: excavations (77 10 10) river water natural attenuation manganese water treatment mine drainage coal mine
Abstract Much work has been undertaken on the design of treatment systems to remove iron from ochreous mine water discharges. Unlike iron, manganese removal is far more difficult and generally requires active chemical dosing rather than passive treatment. The need for manganese removal can therefore significantly change the economics, management attention and sustainability of a site. Understanding natural attenuation of manganese in river systems is therefore key to deciding whether (active) manganese treatment is needed to protect downstream receptors. Nuttall (2002, this volume) describes the effectiveness of the passive treatment system at Whittle in reducing both iron and manganese concentrations in ochreous mine waters. This paper discusses the results of in-river monitoring and provides evidence for manganese removal downstream of the discharge point. In addition to dilution, attenuation appears to be in the order of 20 to 50%, depending on relative rates of mine water discharge and river flows. Such attenuation means that active treatment may not be needed for the long-term operation of the Whittle scheme. Operation of the scheme commenced in July 2002, with monitoring to further examine evidence for manganese attenuation and any impact on the ecology of the recipient watercourses.
Address (down) N. Rukin, Entec UK Ltd., 160-162 Abbey Foregate, Shrewsbury SY2 6BZ, United Kingdom
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ISSN 0967-0513 ISBN Medium
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Notes Whittle mine water treatment system: In-river attenuation of manganese; 2530418; United-Kingdom 2; Geobase Approved no
Call Number CBU @ c.wolke @ 17521 Serial 257
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Author Zinck, J.M.; Aube, B.C.
Title Optimization of lime treatment processes Type Journal Article
Year 2000 Publication CIM Bull. Abbreviated Journal
Volume 93 Issue 1043 Pages 98-105
Keywords Pollution and waste management non radioactive Groundwater problems and environmental effects geological abstracts: environmental geology (72 14 2) geomechanics abstracts: excavations (77 10 10) acid mine drainage buffering lime Canada
Abstract Lime neutralization technology is widely used in Canada for the treatment of acid mine drainage and other acidic effluents. In many locations, improvements to the lime neutralization process are necessary to achieve a maximum level of sludge densification and stability. Conventional lime neutralization technology effectively removes dissolved metals to below regulated limits. However, the metal hydroxide and gypsum sludge generated is voluminous and often contains less than 5% solids. Despite recent improvements in the lime neutralization technology, each year, more than 6 700 000 m3 of sludge are generated by treatment facilities operated by the Canadian mining industry. Because lime neutralization is still seen as the best available approach for some sites, sludge production and stability are expected to remain as issues in the near future. Several treatment parameters significantly impact operating costs, effluent quality, sludge production and the geochemical stability of the sludge. Studies conducted both at CANMET and NTC have shown that through minor modifications to the treatment process, plant operators can experience a reduction in operating costs, volume of sludge generated, metal release to the environment and liability. This paper discusses how modifications in plant operation and design can reduce treatment costs and liability associated with lime treatment.
Address (down) J.M. Zinck, CANMET, Mining and Mineral Sciences Lab., Natural Resources Canada, Ottawa, Ont., Canada
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ISSN 0317-0926 ISBN Medium
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Notes Optimization of lime treatment processes; 2291672; Canada 17; Geobase Approved no
Call Number CBU @ c.wolke @ 17537 Serial 183
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Author Smith, I.J.H.
Title AMD treatment, it works but are we using the right equipment? Type Journal Article
Year 2000 Publication Tailings and mine waste ' Abbreviated Journal
Volume Issue Pages 419-427
Keywords Groundwater problems and environmental effects geomechanics abstracts: excavations (77 10 10) acid mine drainage conference proceedings methodology mine drainage remediation waste management
Abstract For the past 40 years various approaches have been developed to treat acid waters coming from abandoned as well as operating mining operations. System designs have evolved to meet increasingly stringent discharge permit limits for treated water, as well as to provide solid disposal within economic constraints. A treatment system for remediation of acid mine drainage (AMD) or acid groundwater (AG) requires two main steps: 1. The addition of chemicals to precipitate dissolved metals contained in the waters, and if necessary, to coagulate the precipitated solids ahead of physical separation. 2. Physical separation of the precipitated solids from the water so the water can be lawfully discharged from the site. Choosing the appropriate technology and equipment results in the most efficient plant design, the lowest capital outlay, and minimum operating cost. The goal of these plants is to discharge liquids and solids able to meet standards. The separation of solids from liquids can be achieved through various means, including gravity settling, flotation, mechanical dewatering, filtration and evaporation. As important as the liquid solids separation unit operations are, they are driven by the chemistry of the water to be treated. The content of the dissolved solids will influence the quality and quantity of the solids produced during precipitation. Thus the two aspects must be integrated, with chemistry first, then mechanical engineering. This presentation will provide an overview of a number of liquid solids separation tools currently being used to treat AMD-AG at several sites in the USA. It will also discuss how their operations are impacted by the chemistry of their particular acid water feeds. The tools used include clarifier-thickeners, solids contact clarifiers, dissolved air flotation, polishing filters, membrane filters, and mechanical dewatering devices (belt and filter presses, vacuum filters, and driers).
Address (down) J.H. Smith III, SEPCO Incorporated, Fort Collins, CO, United States
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Notes Book; Conference-Paper; AMD treatment, it works but are we using the right equipment?; 2263351; Using Smart Source Parsing 00-Proceedings-of-the-7th-international-conference-Fort-Collins-January- 2000 Netherlands; Geobase Approved no
Call Number CBU @ c.wolke @ 17541 Serial 237
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