Large discharges flow from many of the anthracite coal mines because they. Pure water gazette fracking with coal mine pollution is. Smith district mining manager, pennsylvania department of environmental protection, hawk run, pennsylvania. Water that is accumulated in the mines called mine drainage is pumped up and discharged at the sides of the hills, from where it flows down into peoples fields, ruining their crops. Coal mine drainage prediction and pollution prevention in pennsylvania pennsylvania. The impact of episodic coal mine drainage pollution on. Coal mine drainage prediction and pollution prevention in. Water quality data collected in 2012 for 10 above and 14 below drainage coal mine discharges cmds, classified by mining or excavation method, in the anthracite region of pennsylvania, usa, are. Another important point that was brought out in the workshop is that often, pollution and health problems do not arise from only a single source such as coal. Therefore, coal mining is now essential part of civilization. Padep coal remining and reclamation xl report 2009 pdf ryerson station state park dam, greene county, pennsylvania.
The potential for acidic drainage to form from mining has been known since at least 1556 and ard was observed as early as 1698 associated with coal mining in pennsylvania bc acid mine drainage task force, 1989. Coal mine drainage prediction and pollution prevention in pennsylvania on. Bacterial community responses to a gradient of alkaline. Prediction of water quality at surface mine sites pdf format acid mine drainage abatement projects.
This report assesses the contaminant loading, effects to receiving streams, and possible remedial alternatives for abandoned mine drainage amd within the upper shamokin creek basin in eastcentral pennsylvania. Code chapter 208 relating to underground coal mine safety. Jul 05, 2016 mine drainage, a waste product associated with coal mining, is water that emerges from underground mines and discharges into rivers or streams. The science of acid mine drainage and passive treatment from pa dep. Sites that contain little or no alkaline strata tend to produce acidic drainage. Its importance in electricity generation has become more prominent after increase in international price of crude oil. Handbook of technologies for avoidance and remediation of acid mine drainage. The mdti was formed as a partnership of technical experts from industry, state and federal agencies and academia who have joined together to combat the pervasive problem of amd.
Coal is an important fossil fuel for generation of electricity and for other industrial purposes. I am proud to say this environmentally innovative book, written in the. Permit forfeiture and land reclamation status report pdf reclamation and remining incentives report 2016 pdf. Pdf geochemistry of coal mine drainage researchgate. Large discharges flow from many of the anthracite coal mines because they were mined deep underground, below the water table. Accidents pennsylvania mines and mining library guides. Effects of abandoned coalmine drainage on streamflow and. This study compared the accuracy of four acidity calculation methods with measured hot peroxide acidity and identified the most accurate calculation method for each site as a function of ph and sulfate concentration. In 10 of 15 mines examined across the state, groundwater and streams near areas where coal ash, or coal combustion waste, was placed had levels of arsenic, lead, cadmium and selenium and other pollutants above safe. Pennsylvania has a rich economic and cultural legacy associated with coal mining. Pennsylvania department of environmental protection, harrisburg, pennsylvania, pp.
Effectiveness of pennsylvanias remining program in. Pennsylvania mining accidents 1814 1986 sherard gerald sherards compilation of records culled from the annual reports of mines and other sources. Research into the process of ard formation and methods to minimize its impact have been ongoing for more than 50 years. Environmental protection agency epa was introduced on december 2, 1970 by president richard nixon. Effectiveness of pennsylvanias remining program in abating abandoned mine drainage. Geochemistry of acid mine drainage from a coal mining area. May 05, 2020 from the pennsylvania state archives, listings of coal mine accidents in pennsylvania from approx. When the rocks made of sulfur are excavated from a mine surface or an underground mine, they.
Water quality data collected in 2012 for 10 above and 14 belowdrainage coal mine discharges cmds, classified by mining or excavation method, in the anthracite region of pennsylvania, usa, are. As of 2015 the bituminous region produced a total of 50,128,603 tons of coal, with 40,769,171 of those tons produced from underground mining. Although irondisulfide and calcareous minerals comprise only a few percent, or less, of the coal bearing rock, these minerals are highly reactive and are mainly. Nov 16, 2014 eighteen sites impacted by abandoned mine drainage amd in pennsylvania were sampled and measured for ph, acidity, alkalinity, metal ions, and sulfate. Hornberger bureau of mining and reclamation department of environmental resources p. Mine drainage prediction and overburden analysis in pennsylvania by keith b. Ziemkiewicz and hari charkavorki may 2000 pdf format coal mine drainage prediction and pollution prevention in pennsylvania. Reporters anne danahy, reid frazier, rachel mcdevitt and susan phillips cover the commonwealths. Coal mining history, disasters, and tours in pennsylvania. The mine has been belching acid water since it was abandoned in the 1960s. Permit forfeiture and land reclamation status report pdf reclamation and remining incentives report 2016 pdf reclamation and remining incentives report 2017 pdf final reclamation fee fiscal year report 20172018 pdf. New study reports pennsylvania groundwater contamination. Each year the bureau of mining programs issues reports containing information on mine. At the same time, oil companies use up to 5 million gallons of fresh water for each gas well they frack.
Assessment of pennsylvanias bonding program for primacy coal mining. Arora, 1987, vibrations in an underground coal mine due to adjacent. Coal mine drainage prediction and pollution prevention in pennsylvania paperback 1998. Stream pollution by coal mine drainage upper ohio river basin u. Effects of abandoned coal mine drainage on streamflow and water quality in the shamokin creek basin, northumberland and columbia counties, pennsylvania, 19992001 waterresources investigations report 20034311.
Other major mine disasters in western pennsylvania include the harwick mine explosion of 1904 which claimed the lives of 179 miners plus two rescuers and the marianna mine disaster of 1908 which killed 129 coal miners. The pennsylvania department of environment protection, p. Adequacy of background sampling for coal remining permits. Beneficial use of coal ash in anthracite and bituminous mine. Brady kbc, smith mw and schueck j eds, coal mine drainage prediction and pollution prevention in pennsylvania, harrisburg. Northern appalachian basin, from coal mine drainage prediction and pollution prevention in pennsylvania, pennsylvania department of environmental protection, harrisburg, pa. Frequency distribution of the ph of coalmine drainage in. D 106792, in annual book of astm standards, water and environmental technology. Coal mine drainage prediction and pollution prevention in pennsylvania harrisburg, pennsylvania pennsylvania department of environmental protection, 18 chapters, variously paginated. Coal mining drainage prediction and pollution prevention in pa online book, 1998 pdf. Coal mine drainage prediction and pollution prevention in pennsylvania. Mine drainage, a waste product associated with coal mining, is water that emerges from underground mines and discharges into rivers or streams. The centers for disease control and prevention cdc cannot attest to the accuracy of a nonfederal website. An operational and biological evaluation of the treatment of acid mine drainage in streams by limestonebed diversion wells.
Nioshtic2 publications search 20041941 local geology. Assessment of pennsylvanias bonding program for primacy coal mining permits. When the rocks made of sulfur are excavated from a mine surface or an underground mine, they react with water and oxygen to form sulfuric acid. The acidbase account is a relatively simple analysis, originally designed to identify spoil materials suitable for supporting. Silt characterization report 2007 pdf coal mine drainage prediction and pollution prevention in pennsylvania 1998 pdf note. Brady kbc, smith mw, schueck j eds coal mine drainage prediction and pollution prevention in pennsylvania pennsylvania department of environmental protection. Disposing of coal ash in mines is contaminating water supplies throughout pennsylvania, according to a report released today by clean air task force catf and earthjustice. Stateimpact pennsylvania is a collaboration among witf, whyy, wpsu, and the allegheny front. Geochemistry of acid mine drainage from a coal mining. The mine has been belching acid water since it was abandoned in. Pdf frequency distribution of the ph of coalmine drainage in. Stream pollution by coal mine drainage upper ohio river.
Prediction and pollution prevention in pennsylvania. Coal mine drainage prediction and pollution prevention pa dep. It only makes sense to divert the coal mine waste to fracking. Pdf surface coal mines with an abundance of naturallyoccurring carbonate bearing. Regional data for minedrainage quality in pennsylvania indicated the ph of fresh samples. Pdf the use of fbc ash for alkaline addition at surface coal mines. Eighteen sites impacted by abandoned mine drainage amd in pennsylvania were sampled and measured for ph, acidity, alkalinity, metal ions, and sulfate. Brady kbc, smith mw, schueck j eds coal mine drainage prediction and pollution prevention in pennsylvania.
Evaluation of acidity estimation methods for mine drainage. Although irondisulfide and calcareous minerals comprise only a few percent, or less, of the coalbearing rock, these minerals are highly reactive and are mainly. In cooperation with the schuylkill conservation district and. Coal mine drainage prediction and pollution prevention in penn. Most of the coal mined in pennsylvania is bituminous, which is found in the plateaus of western and northcentral pennsylvania, but there is also a small region of anthracite coal in the ridge and valley province of eastcentral and northeastern pennsylvania fig. Stream pollution by coal mine drainage upper ohio river basin. Accidents pennsylvania mines and mining library guides at. Each day pennsylvania coal mines dump 300 million gallons of polluted water into the states streams and rivers. The ph of coalmine drainage in pennsylvania has a bimodal frequency distribution, with. Coal mining drainage prediction and pollution prevention in pa online book. Sep 11, 2008 pollution in coal mining and mitigation measures. Current methods for the remediation of acid mine drainage.
One of the worst mine disasters in the united states occurred at the darr mine in westmoreland county on december 19, 1907, when a gas and dust explosion killed 239 miners. Pennsylvania cooperative fish and wildlife research unit. A pipe is spewing toxic water into topper run from the old maryland no. Coal mine drainage prediction and pollution prevention in pennsylvania book pdf. Response of macroinvertebrate communities to remediationsimulating conditions in pennsylvania streams influenced by acid mine drainage. Beneficial use of coal ash in anthracite and bituminous. The upper shamokin creek basin encompasses an area of 54 square miles 140 square kilometers within the western middle anthracite field, including and upstream of the city of shamokin. Pennsylvanias dirty energy legacy why we need a clean. Unfortunately, this also means the state is generously sprinkled with abandoned mines, which often leak acid, heavy metals, and other pollution into nearby waters.
Kinetic leaching testes for the prediction of mine drainage quality. Prediction of water quality at surface coal mines west virginia. Pdf the ph of coalmine drainage in pennsylvania has a bimodal frequency distribution, with modes at ph 2. One approach used in pennsylvania on some alkalinedeficient sites is to import alkaline. Appendix c works cited decision notice and response to. Over half of the streams that dont meet water quality standards more than 2,400 miles of the states 54,000 miles of streams dont meet standards because of mine drainage. To effectively apply advance drainage techniques and recover drained gas, a gross estimate of the methane content of coal is necessary. The single biggest water pollution problem facing pennsylvania is polluted water draining from abandoned coal mining operations. Streams affected and present quality significcint stream pollution by coal mine drainage in the scioto basin is limited to pike run and another small tributary to salt creek in vinton county, amounting to about eight miles of streams which are intermittently polluted by mine drainage figure 10. The ph of coalmine drainage in pennsylvania has a bimodal frequency distribution, with modes at ph 2. When mine and mine waste drainage have neutral ph, with a high concentration of dissolved metals, they are called neutral or alkaline mine drainage lottermoser, 2010. Prediction of water quality at surface coal mines author. Acid mine drainage treatment pennsylvania department of. From the pennsylvania state archives, listings of coal mine accidents in pennsylvania from approx.
Aug 18, 2017 coal mine drainage prediction and pollution prevention in pennsylvania. Underground coal mining methods to abate water pollution. At present, acid mine drainage continues to pose a potential problem in some areas, despite improved prediction and prevention techniques. Brady kbc, smith mw, schueck j eds coal mine drainage prediction and pollution prevention in. Pdf frequency distribution of the ph of coalmine drainage. Acid mine drainage, acid and metalliferous drainage amd, or acid rock drainage ard is the outflow of acidic water from metal mines or coal mines acid rock drainage occurs naturally within some environments as part of the rock weathering process but is exacerbated by largescale earth disturbances characteristic of mining and other large construction activities, usually within rocks. Coal mine drainage prediction and pollution prevention in pennsylvania 1998 pdf note. Because the impact of drainage from future mining is largely unknown, the usgs is developing a threedimensional geologic model where scenarios can be tested to determine the size of barrier pillars necessary to prevent hydrologic connection between the eastern and western mined areas of the pittsburgh coal bed. Using data from previous investigations, the virgin reserves of the pittsburgh coal in the central and southwestern parts of washington county, pennsylvania, are estimated at over 1.