Banks, S. B., & Banks, D. (2001). Abandoned mines drainage; impact assessment and mitigation of discharges from coal mines in the UK. In R. N. Yong, & H. R. Thomas (Eds.), Geoenvironmental engineering Engineering Geology (pp. 31–37). 60.
Abstract: The UK has a legacy of pollution caused by discharges from abandoned coal mines, with the potential for further pollution by new discharges as groundwaters continue to rebound to their natural levels. In 1995, the Coal Authority initiated a scoping study of 30 gravity discharges from abandoned coal mines in England and Scotland. Mining information, geological information and water quality data were collated and interpreted in order to allow a preliminary assessment of the source and nature of each of the discharges. An assessment of the potential for remediation was made on the basis of the feasibility and relative costs of alternative remediation measures. Environmental impacts of the discharges and of the proposed remediation schemes were also assessed. The results, together with previous Coal Authority studies of discharges in Wales, were used by the Coal Authority, in collaboration with the former National Rivers Authority and the former Forth and Clyde River Purification Boards, to rank discharge sites in order of priority for remediation.
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Wolkersdorfer, C. (2002). Mine water tracing. Geological Society Special Publication, -(198), 47–60.
Abstract: This paper describes how tracer tests can be used in flooded underground mines to evaluate the hydrodynamic conditions or reliability of dams. Mine water tracer tests are conducted in order to evaluate the flow paths of seepage water, connections from the surface to the mine, and to support remediation plans for abandoned and flooded underground mines. There are only a few descriptions of successful tracer tests in the literature, and experience with mine water tracing is limited. Potential tracers are restricted due to the complicated chemical composition or low pH mine waters. A new injection and sampling method ('LydiA'-technique) overcomes some of the problems in mine water tracing. A successful tracer test from the Harz Mountains in Germany with Lycopodium clavatum, microspheres and sodium chloride is described, and the results of 29 mine water tracer tests indicate mean flow velocities of between 0.3 and 1.7 m min-1.
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Smith, I. J. H. (2000). AMD treatment, it works but are we using the right equipment? Tailings and mine waste ', , 419–427.
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).
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Miller, S. D. (1999). Overview of acid mine drainage issues and control strategies Remediation and management of degraded lands. In M. H. Wong, J. W. C. Wong, & A. J. M. Baker (Eds.),. Boca Raton: Lewis Publishers.
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Kleinmann, R., Majumdar, S. K., Miller, E. W., & Brenner, F. J. (1998). Ecology of wetlands and associated systems. 25: The Pennsylvania Academy of Science Book Publications.
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