United States ;; ^ :
Environmental Protection
Agency" ',;:'"- >-.-. ' ^4vi
33mm
xvEPA Profiledff
J
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UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20460
THE ADMINISTRATOR
Message from the Administrator
Over the past 25 years, our nation has made tremendous progress in protecting public health and
our environment while promoting economic prosperity. Businesses as large as iron and steel
plants and businesses as small as the dry cleaner on the corner have worked with EPA to find
ways to operate cleaner, cheaper, and smarter. As a result, we no longer have rivers catching on
fire. Our skies are clearer. American environmental technology and expertise are hi demand
throughout the world.
The Clinton Administration recognizes that to continue this progress, we must move beyond the
pollutant-by-pollutant approaches of the past to comprehensive, facility-wide approaches for the
future. Industry by industry and community by community, we must build a new generation of
environmental protection.
Within the past two years, the Environmental Protection Agency undertook its Sector Notebook
Project to compile, for a number of key industries, information about environmental problems and
solutions, case studies and tips about complying with regulations. We called on industry leaders,
state regulators, and EPA staff1 with many years of experience in these industries and with their
unique environmental issues. Together with notebooks for 17 other industries, the notebook you
hold in your hand is the result.
These notebooks will help business managers to better understand their regulatory requirements,
learn more about how others in their industry have undertaken regulatory compliance and the
innovative methods some have found to prevent pollution in the first instance. These notebooks
will give useful information to state regulatory agencies moving toward industry-based programs.
Across EPA we will use this manual to better integrate our programs and improve our compliance
assistance efforts.
I encourage you to use this notebook to evaluate and improve the way that together we achieve
our important environmental protection goals. I am confident that these notebooks will help us to
move forward in ensuring that in industry after industry, community after community
environmental protection and economic prosperity go hand in hand.
Carol M. Brownor
Recycled/Recyclable Printed with Vegetable Based Inks on Recycled Paper (20% Postconsumer)
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Metal Mining
Sector Notebook Project
EPA/310-R-95-008
EPA Office of Compliance Sector
Notebook Project
Profile of the Metal Mining Industry
September 1995
Office of Compliance
Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
401 M St., SW (MC 2221-A)
Washington, DC 20460
For sale by the U.S. Government Printing Office
Superintendent of Documents, Mail Stop: SSOP, Washington, DC 20402-9328
ISBN 0-16-048275-5
SIC Code 10
September 1995
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Sector Notebook Project
Metal Mining
This report is one in a series of volumes published by the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) to provide information of general interest regarding
environmental issues associated with specific industrial sectors. The documents
were developed under contract by Abt Associates (Cambridge, MA), and Booz-Allen
& Hamilton, Inc. (McLean, VA). This publication may be purchased from the
Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office. A listing of
available Sector Notebooks and document numbers is included at the end of this
document.
All telephone orders should be directed to:
Superintendent of Documents
U.S. Government Printing Office
Washington, DC 20402
(202) 512-1800
FAX (202) 512-2250
8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., EST, M-F
Using the form provided at the end of this document, all mail orders should be
directed to:
U.S. Government Printing Office
P.O. Box 371954
Pittsburgh, PA 15250-7954
Complimentary volumes are available to certain groups or subscribers, such as
public and academic libraries, Federal, State, local, and foreign governments, and the
media. For further information, and for answers to questions pertaining to these
documents, please refer to the contact names and numbers provided within this
volume.
Electronic versions of all Sector Notebooks are available on the EPA Enviro$en$e
Bulletin Board and via Internet on the Enviro$en$e World Wide Web.
Downloading procedures are described in Appendix A of this document.
Cover photograph by Dan Cabrera, U.S. Department of The Interior.
September 1995
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Sector Notebook. Project
Metal Mining
Contacts for Available Sector Notebooks
The Sector Notebooks were developed by the EPA Office of Compliance. Particular
questions regarding the Sector Notebook Project in general can be directed to the
EPA Work Assignment Managers:
Michael Barrette
US EPA Office of Compliance
401 M St., SW (2223-A)
Washington, DC 20460
(202) 564-7019
Gregory Waldrip
US EPA Office of Compliance
401 M St., SW (2223-A)
Washington, DC 20460
(202)564-7024
Questions and comments regarding the individual documents can be directed to the
appropriate specialists listed below^
Document Number
EPA/310-
EPA/310-
EPA/310-
EPA/310-
EPA/310-
EPA/310-
EPA/310-
EPA/310-
EPA/310-
EPA/310-
EPA/310-
EPA/310-
EPA/310-
EPA/310-
EPA/310-
EPA/310-
EPA/310-
R-95-001.
R-95-002.
R-95-003.
R-95-004.
R-95-005.
R-95-006.
R-95-007.
R-95-008.
R-95-009.
R-95-010.
R-95-011.
R-95-012.
R-95-013.
R-95-014.
R-95-015.
R-95-016.
R-95-017.
EPA/310-R-95-018.
Industry
Dry Cleaning Industry
Electronics and Computer Industry
Wood Furniture and Fixtures Industry
Inorganic Chemical Industry
Iron and Steel Industry
Lumber and Wood Products Industry
Fabricated Metal Products Industry
Metal Mining Industry
Motor Vehicle Assembly Industry
Nonferrous Metals Industry
Non-Fuel, Non-Metal Mining Industry
Organic Chemical Industry
Petroleum Refining Industry
Printing Industry
Pulp and Paper Industry
Rubber and Plastic.Industry
Stone, Clay, Glass and
Concrete Industry
Transportation Equipment
Cleaning Industry
Contact
Phone (202)
Joyce Chandler
Steve Hoover
Bob Marshall
Walter DeRieux
Maria Malave
Seth Heminway
Greg Waldrip
Keith Brown
Suzanne Childress
Jane Engert
Keith Brown
Walter DeRieux
Tom Ripp
Ginger Gotiiffe
Maria Eisemann
Maria Malave
Scott Throwe
564-7073
564-7007
564-7021
564-7067
564-7027
564-7017
564-7024
564-7124
564-7018
564-5021
564-7124
564-7067
564-7003
564-7072
564-7016
564-7027
564-7013
Virginia Lathrop 564-7057
A Federal Facilities Profile is under development and will be completed later in 1995.
(Contact: Sarah Walsh, 202-260-6118)
September 1995
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Sector Notebook Project
METAL MINING
(SIC 10)
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
LIST OF EXHIBITS : vi
LIST OF ACRONYMS viii
I. INTRODUCTION TO THE SECTOR NOTEBOOK PROJECT .....1
LA. Summary of tine Sector Notebook Project . 1
I.B. Additional Information 2
n. INTRODUCTION TO THE METAL MINING INDUSTRY.. .4
n.A. Introduction, Background, and Scope of the Notebook 4
n.B. Characterization of the Metal Mining Industry 5
n.B.l. Industry Size and Distribution..... 6
H.B.2. Economic Trends ..10
ffl. INDUSTRIAL PROCESS DESCRIPTION 15
in.A. Industrial Processes in the Metal Mining Industry 15
m.B. Mining Process Pollution Outputs 28
IV. WASTE RELEASE PROFILE . i......37
IV.A. Waste Release Data for the Metal Mining Industry..... 37
IV.B Other Data Sources....; :...46
V. POLLUTION PREVENTION OPPORTUNITIES 52
V.A. Controlling and Mitigating Mining Wastes : 54
V.B. Innovative Waste Management Practices .....58
SIC Code 10
IV
September 1995
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Sector Notebook. Project
JVfetal Mining
VI.
VII.
METAL MINING
(SIC 10)
TABLE OF CONTENTS (CONT'D)
Page
SUMMARY OF FEDERAL STATUTES AND REGULATIONS... 69
VI.A. General Description of Major Statutes ....69
VLB. Industry-Specific Requirements 80
VI.C. Pending and Proposed Regulatory Requirements 90
COMPLIANCE AND ENFORCEMENT PROFILE ,. ; 93
VILA. Metal Mining Compliance History .......97
VII.B. Comparison of Enforcement Activity Between
Selected Industries^ 99
VII.C. Review of Major Legal Actions 104
VII.C.l. Supplemental Environmental Projects 104
VII.D. EPA Hardrock Mining Framework 105
Vin. COMPLIANCE ASSURANCE ACTIVITIES AND INITIATIVES 109
VIII.A. Sector-related Environmental Programs and Activities 109
VIII.B. EPA Voluntary Programs 114
VHI.C. Trade Association Activity , ....115
IX. CONTACTS/ACKNOWLEDGMENTS/RESOURCE MATERIALS/
BIBLIOGRAPHY.
.119
September 1995
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Sector Notebook Project
METAL MINING
(SIC 10)
LIST OF EXHIBITS
Page
Exhibit 1 Total Mine Production - USA, in Billions of Dollars , ...6
Exhibit 2 Geographic Distribution of Industry : 7
Exhibit 3 Metal - Producing Areas 8
Exhibit 4 Metal - Producing Areas . 8
Exhibit 5 Number of Facilities per State 9
Exhibit 6 Major Uses for Selected Metal Minerals 9
Exhibit 7 Facility Size Distribution ...10
Exhibit 8 Metal Mine Production - USA, in Billions of Dollars 11
Exhibit 9 Sector-Specific Processes and Wastes/Materials 19
Exhibit 10 Copper Dump Leach Operation 22
Exhibit 11 Representative Hydrometallurgical Recovery of Copper...... ...23
Exhibit 12 Gold Heap Leaching Operation 26
Exhibit 13 Chemicals Used in High Volume 27,28
Exhibit 14 Volume of Waste Generated for Selected Metals 29
Exhibit 15 Steps in the Mining Process and Their Potential
Environmental Impacts 29,30
Exhibit 16 Potential Mine Waste Mitigation Measures.. 34,35
Exhibit 17 Ecosystem Mitigation Measures , 36
Exhibit 18 Copper-Related Waste Releases ;.... 38
Exhibit 19 Lead and Zinc-Related Waste Releases 39
Exhibit 20 Gold and Silver-Related Waste Releases 40,41,42,43,44,45
Exhibit 21 Pollutant Releases (Short Tons/Year) 47
Exhibit 22 AIRS Releases 48,49,50
Exhibit 23 Selected NPL Mining Sites 51
Exhibit 24 Waste Minimization and Prevention Opportunities 59
Exhibit 25 Mine Water Management Techniques 66
Exhibit 26 Mine Discharges Subject to Permitting 83
Exhibit 27 Mine Discharge Limitations 84
Exhibit 28 Mill Discharge Limitations 84
Exhibit 29 Five-Year Enforcement and Compliance Summary for the Metal
Mining Industry 98
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Sector Notebook Project
Metal Mining
METAL MINING
(SIC 10)
LIST OF EXHIBITS (CONT'D)
Page
Exhibit ,30 Five-Year .Enforcement and Compliance Summary for Selected
Industries ., 100
Exhibit 31 One-Year Enforcement and Compliance Summary for Selected
Industries 101
Exhibit 32 Five-Year Enforcement and Compliance Summary by Statute for
Selected Industries ........ ;....102
Exhibit 33 One-Year Inspection and Enforcement Summary for
Selected Industries ... ....103
Exhibit 34 Supplemental Environmental Projects........... 105
September 1995
vn
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Sector Notebook Project
METAL MINING
(SIC 10)
LIST OF ACRONYMS
AFS - AIRS Facility Subsystem (CAA database)
AIRS - Aerometric Information Retrieval System (CAA database)
BIFs - Boilers and Industrial Furnaces (RCRA)
BOD - Biochemical Oxygen Demand
CAA - Clean Air Act
CAAA - Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990
CERCLA- Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and
Liability Act
CERCLIS - CERCLA Information System
CFCs - Chlorofluorocarbons
CO - Carbon Monoxide
COD - Chemical Oxygen Demand
CSI- Common Sense Initiative
CWA - Clean Water Act '
D&B - Dun and Bradstreet Marketing Index .
ELP- Environmental Leadership Program
EPA - United States Environmental Protection Agency
EPCRA Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act
FIFRA - Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act
FINDS - Facility Indexing System
HAPs - Hazardous Air Pollutants (CAA)
HSDB - Hazardous Substances Data Bank
IDEA - Integrated Data for Enforcement Analysis
LDR- Land Disposal Restrictions (RCRA),
LEPCs - Local Emergency Planning Committees
MACT - Maximum Achievable Control Technology (CAA)
MCLGs- Maximum Contaminant Level Goals
MCLs- Maximum Contaminant Levels
MEK - Methyl Ethyl Ketone
MSDSs - Material Safety Data Sheets
NAAQS - National Ambient Air Quality Standards (CAA)
NAFTA - North American Free Trade Agreement
NCDB - National Compliance Database (for TSCA, FIFRA, EPCRA)
NCP - National Oil and Hazardous Substances Pollution Contingency Plan
NEIC - National Enforcement Investigation Center
NESHAP - National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants
SIC Code 10
vm
September 1995
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Sector 'Notebook. Project
Metal Mining
METAL MINING
(SIC 10)
LIST OF ACRONYMS (CONT'D)
NOX - Nitrogen Oxide
NOV - - Notice of Violation
NPDES - National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (CWA)
NPL- National Priorities List
NRC - National Response Center
NSPS - New Source Performance Standards (CAA)
OAR - Office of Air and Radiation
OECA- Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance
OPA- Oil Pollution Act
OPPTS - Office of Prevention, Pesticides, and Toxic Substances
OSHA - Occupational Safety and Health Administration
OSW- /' Office of Solid Waste
OSWER - Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response
OW - Office of Water ,
P2- Pollution Prevention
PCS - Permit Compliance System (CWA Database)
POTW - Publicly Owned Treatments Works :
RCRA - Resource Conservation and Recovery Act
RCRIS - RCRA Information System
SARA - Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act
SDWA - Safe Drinking Water Act
SEPs - Supplementary Environmental Projects
SERCs - State Emergency Response Commissions
SIC - Standard Industrial Classification
SO2- Sulfur Dioxide
SX/EW - ' Solvent Extraction/Electro winning
TRI - Toxic Release Inventory
TRIS - Toxic Release Inventory System
TRIS - Toxic Chemical Release,Inventory System
TSCA - Toxic Substances Control Act
TSS - Total Suspended Solids
UIC - Underground Injection Control (SDWA)
UST- Underground Storage Tanks (RCRA)
VOCs - Volatile Organic Compounds ,
September 1995
IX
SIC Code 10
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Sector Notebook Project
Metal Mining
METAL MINING
(SIC 10)
I. INTRODUCIION TO THE SECTOR NOTEBOOK PROJECT
I.A. Summary of the Sector Notebook Project
Environmental, policies based upon comprehensive analysis of air,
water, and land pollution are an inevitable and logical supplement to
traditional single-media approaches to environmental protection.
Environmental regulatory agencies are beginning to embrace
comprehensive, multi-statute solutions to facility permitting,
enforcement and compliance assurance, education/outreach, research,
and regulatory development issues. The central concepts driving the
new policy direction are that pollutant releases to each environmental
medium (air, water, and land) affect each other, and that
environmental strategies must actively identify and address these
inter-relationships by designing policies for the "whole" facility. One
way to achieve a whole facility focus is to design environmental
policies for similar industrial facilities. By doing so, environmental
concerns that are common to the manufacturing of similar products
can be addressed in a comprehensive manner. Recognition of the need
to develop the industrial "sector-based" approach within the EPA
Office of Compliance led to the creation of this document.
The Sector Notebook Project was initiated by the Office of Compliance
within the Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance (OECA)
to provide its staff and managers with summary information for
eighteen specific industrial sectors. As other EPA offices, States, the
regulated community, environmental groups, and the public became
interested in this project, the scope of the original project was
expanded. The ability to design comprehensive, common sense
environmental protection measures for specific industries is
dependent on knowledge of several inter-related topics. For the
purposes of this project, the key elements chosen for inclusion are:
general industry information (economic and geographic); a description
of industrial processes; pollution outputs; pollution prevention
opportunities; Federal statutory and regulatory framework; compliance
history; and a description of partnerships that have been formed
between regulatory agencies, the regulated community, and the public.
For any given industry, each topic listed above could alone be the
subject of a lengthy volume. However, in order to produce a
manageable document, this project focuses on providing summary
information for each topic. This format provides the reader with a
September 1995
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Metal Mining
Sector Notebook Project
synopsis of each issue, and references where more in-depth
information is available. Text within each profile was researched from
a variety of sources, and was usually condensed from more detailed
sources pertaining to specific topics. This approach allows for a wide
coverage of activities that can be further explored based upon the
citations and references listed at the end of this profile. As a check on
the information included, each notebook went through an external
review process. The Office of Compliance appreciates the efforts of all
those that participated in this process and enabled us to develop mofe
complete, accurate, and up-to-date summaries. Many of those who
reviewed this notebook are listed as contacts in Section IX and may be
sources of additional information. The individuals and groups on this
list do not necessarily concur with all statements within this notebook.
I.B. Additional Information
Providing Comments
OECA's Office of Compliance plans to periodically review and update
the notebooks and will make these updates available both in hard copy
and electronically. If you have any comments on the existing
notebook, or if you would like to provide additional information,
please send a hard copy and computer disk to the EPA Office of
Compliance, ,Sector Notebook Project, 401 M St., SW (2223-A),
Washington, DC 20460. Comments can also be uploaded to the
Enviro$en$e Bulletin Board or the Enviro$en$e World Wide Web for
general access to all users of the system. Follow instructions in
Appendix A for accessing these data systems. Once you have logged in,
procedures for uploading text are available from the on-line
Enviro$en$e Help System.
Adapting Notebooks to Particular Needs
The scope of the existing notebooks reflect an approximation of the
relative national occurrence of facility types that occur within each
sector. In many instances, industries within specific geographic regions
or States may have unique characteristics that are not fully captured in
these profiles. For this reason, the Office of Compliance encourages
State and local environmental agencies and other groups to
supplement or re-package the information included in this notebook to
include more specific industrial and regulatory information that may
be available. Additionally, interested States may want to supplement
the "Summary of Applicable Federal Statutes and Regulations" section
with State and local requirements. Compliance or technical assistance
providers may also want to develop the "Pollution Prevention" section
oK. Code 10
September 1995
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Sector Notebook Project
Metal Mining
in more detail, Please contact the appropriate specialist listed on the
opening page of this notebook if your office is interested in assisting us
in the further development of the information or policies addressed
within this volume.
If you are interested in assisting in the development of new notebooks
for sectors not covered in the original eighteen, please contact the
Office of Compliance at 202-564-2395.
Because this profile was not intended to be a stand-alone document
concerning the metal mining industry, appended is a full reference of
additional EPA documents and reports on this subject, as listed in the
March edition of the Federal Register.
September 1995
, SIG Code 10
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Metal Mining
Sector Notebook Project
INTRODUCTION TO THE METAL MINING INDUSTRY
This section provides background information on the size, geographic
distribution, employment, production, sales, and economic condition
of the metal mining industry. The type of facilities described within
the document are also described in terms of their Standard Industrial
Classification (SIC) codes.
H.A. Introduction, Background, and Scope of the Notebook
The metal mining industry includes facilities engaged primarily in
exploring for metallic minerals, developing mines, and ore mining.
These ores are valued chiefly for the metals they contain, which are
recovered for use as constituents of alloys, chemicals, pigments, or
other products. The industry sector also includes ore dressing and
beneficiating operations. The categorization corresponds to the
Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) code 10, published by the
Department of Commerce to track the flow of goods and services
within the economy.
The SIC 10 group consists of the following three-digit breakout of
industries:
SIC 101 - Iron Ores
SIC 102 - Copper Ores ,
SIC 103 - Lead and Zinc Ores
SIC 104 - Gold and Silver Ores ,
SIC 106 - Ferroalloy Ores, Except Vanadium
SIC 108 - Metal Mining Services
SIC 109 - Miscellaneous Metal Ores.
Although the group includes all metal ore mining, the scope of mining
industries with a significant domestic presence is concentrated in iron,
copper, lead, zinc, gold, and silver. These represent the most common
hardrock minerals mined domestically, and comprise an essential
sector of the nation's economy by providing basic raw materials for
major sectors of the U.S. economy. In addition, the extraction and
beneficiation of these minerals generate large amounts of wastes. For
these reasons, this profile's focus is limited to the above-stated sectors
of the SIC 10 metal mining industry.
While such metals as molybdenum, platinum, and uranium are also
included in SIC code 10, mining for these metals does not constitute a
significant portion of the overall metal mining industry, nor of the
SIC Code 10
September 1995
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Sector Notebook Project
Metal Mining
waste generation in mining processes; these metals are therefore
excluded from this profile.
In the global market, the U.S. is a major producer of iron, copper, lead,
zinc, gold, and silver. In 1993, domestic mines were responsible for six
percent of iron ore production, 13 percent of copper ore production, 13
percent of lead production, eight percent of zinc production, 14 percent
of gold production, and 11 percent of silver production. Despite an
extraordinary wealth of domestic metal sources, with the exception of
gold, the U.S. is a net importer of all the above-mentioned metals.
Regulations pertaining to the industry are numerous, but an emphasis
is placed on point source discharges to waters, regulated by the Clean
Water Act. These industries also face existing and future regulation
under the Clean Water Act, Comprehensive Environmental Response,
Compensation and Liability Act, and the Clean Air Act. Unlike
, manufacturing facilities, facilities involved in mining metals are not
currently required to report chemical releases and transfers to the Toxic
Release Inventory (TRI) Public Release Database under the Emergency
Planning and Community Right-To-Know Act of 1986. As a result, TRI
data is not available as a source of information on chemical releases in
"the metal mining industry; alternative sources of data have been
identified for purposes of this profile:
II.B. Characterization of the Metal Mining Industry
The metal mining industry is predominantly located in the Western
States, where most copper, silver, and gold mining occurs. Iron ore
production is centered in the Great Lakes region, while zinc mining
occurs in Tennessee and lead mining in Missouri. Large companies
tend to dominate mining of such metals as copper, silver, and gold,
while more diverse mine operators may be involved in mining lead,
zinc, and iron metals. Metals generated from U.S. mining operations
are used domestically in a wide range of products, including
automobiles, electrical and industrial equipment, jewelry, and
photographic materials. Metal mine production has- remained
somewhat stagnant over recent years, and metals exploration has
declined,, although future production is expected to climb as a result of
continued industrial manufacturing and a growing economy.
The following exhibit depicts the proportion of metal mining
production within the entire mining industry.
September 1995
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Metal Mining
Sector Notebook Proiect
Exhibit 1
Total Mine Production - USA, in Billions of Dollars
Industrial
Minerals & $1040
Aggregates
Metals
Source: Randal Minih? Directory 1994/95.
II.B.l. Industry Size and Distribution
Variation in facility counts occur across data sources due to many
factors, including reporting and definition differences. This document
does not attempt to reconcile these differences, but rather reports the
data as they are maintained by each source.
Geographic Distribution
Though mining operations are performed throughout the U.S., the
concentration of metal mining is located in the Western region of the
country. Copper, gold, and silver deposits are primarily found in Utah,
Montana, Nevada, California, and Arizona. Zinc is mined primarily in
Alaska, Missouri, New York, and Tennessee. Lead deposits are mined
primarily in Missouri, Alaska, Colorado, Idaho, and Montana, while
Minnesota and Michigan are the primary sources of domestic iron ore
production. The U.S. Bureau of Mines lists 482 active mines in its 1994
Mineral Commodity Summaries. (See Exhibits 2, 3, and 4). Exhibit 5
illustrates the number of facilities performing metal-specific operations
by State.
SIC Code 10
6
September 1995
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Sector Notebook Project
Metal Mining
Exhibit 2
Geographic Distribution of Industry
Source: Based on.U.S. Bureau of Mines 1992 and 1994 Data
September 1995
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Metal Mining
Sector Notebook Proiect
Exhibits 3 &4
Metal-Producing Areas
MAJOR BASE METAL PRODUCING AREAS
Copper
Molybdenum ฑ
Silver, Gold,
Copper ฑ Gold
Silver
~j Lead, Zinc ฑ
Copper ฑ Gold ฑ
Silver
ฉ Magnesium
Mercury ฑ Gold ฑ
Silver
ฎ Molybdenum
\) Nickel
A Rare Earths,
Zirconium,
Titanium
f) Tin
O Tungsten ฑ
Molybdenum ฑ
Copper
H Uranium
F~| Uranium and
Vanadium
i_S Vanadium
5L Zi,nc
Gi Iron
MAJOR PRECIOUS METAL PRODUCING AREAS
^-Af
44 ^r - _
n A v^
~7* *>&. A
^\^\ *m
^T ^^ir-..
0
I _^ \
-f i ,
t_r-
K Y-^
A4
ป= 1
Gold
A Silver ฑ Base
V Metals
A Gold and Silver
Gold and Silver
ฑ Base Metals
Platinum and
Palladium
SIC Code 10
September 1995
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Sector Notebook Project
Metal Mining
Exhibit 5
Number of Facilities per State
Type of Facility/
Total Number
Iron Ore (22)
Silver (150)
Gold (212)
Lead (23)
Zinc (25)
Copper (50)
States and Number of Mines
MI-2; MN-7; MT-1; SD-1; TX -2; UT-2
AK-15; AZ-15; CA-14; CO-4; ID-12; MI-1; MT-9; NV-1; NY-1; OR-1;
SC-3; SD-4; UT-4; WA-4.
AK-13; AZ-14; CA-19; CO-7; ID-11; MT-9; NM-5; NV:61; OR-2; SC-4;
SD-5; WA-4; UT-2 ,
AK-2; AZ-1; CO-2; ID-1; IL-1; MO-7; MT-2; NM-2; NY-2; TN-2;
WA-1
AK-3; CO-1; ID-2; MO-4; MT-1; NY-2; TN-10; WA-1
AZ-16; CO-2; ID-3; MI-3; MO-2; MT-3; NM-9; NV-1; OR-1; UT-1
Source: U.S. Bureau of Mines W92 ana
Data.
Metals mined tinder SIC 10 are used for a wide variety of products, and
are the primary raw materials used in many industrial applications. As
noted in a series of Technical Resource Documents prepared by EPA's
Office of Solid Waste, copper is essential to the electronics and
construction industry; iron ore provides the base material for the steel,
automotive, and transportation industries; gold is used primarily in
jewelry and the decorative arts, but is also " used in the electronics
industry and in dentistry. Gold also serves as an important investment
vehicle and reserve asset. All of these metals are essential to the
operation of a modern economy. Exhibit 6 provides a more detailed
list of the uses for these metals.
Exhibit 6
Major Uses for Selected Metal Minerals
Commodity
Copper
Gold
Iron Ore
Lead
Silver
Zinc '
Number
of Mines
50
212+
22
23
150
25
Source: U.S. Bureau ofMinei
Major Uses
Building construction, electrical and electronic products,
industrial machinery and equipment, transportation
equipment, and consumer and general products (
Jewelry and arts, industrial (mainly electronic), dental
Steel
Transportation (batteries, fuel tanks, solder, seals, and
bearings); electrical, electronic, and communications
uses
Photographic products, electrical and electronic,
electroplated ware, sterling ware, and jewelry
Galvanizing, diecast alloys, brass, and bronze
Total U.S.
Production
(metric tons)
1,765,000
329
55,593,000
398,000
1,800
524,000
> Mineral Commodity Summaries 1994. and Minerals "Yearbook. Volume I: Metals and
Minerals. 1992:
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II.B.2. Economic Trends
The estimated U.S. metal mine production value for 1993 was $12.15
billion, accounting for less than one percent of gross national product.
In 1993, the total employment in the metal mining industry stood at
nearly 50,000 according to the National Mining Association (See Exhibit
7 for the distribution of employment by facility size). Motor vehicle
manufacturing helped support demand for materials such as steel (an
iron alloy), copper, lead, and zinc. However, mining production
volumes remained relatively stagnant. In some cases, ore production
was down (lead - four percent; iron ore - one percent; zinc - four
percent; silver - six percent). The other principal metal ore industries,
copper and gold, remained even with 1992 production levels. Metals
production in general is expected to increase, due to anticipated
continued growth in the motor vehicle industry.
Exhibit 7
Facility Size Distribution
Type of Facility* II Facilities
w/ 1 - 9
II employees
SIC 1021 -Copper
SIC 1031 - Lead and Zinc
SIC 1041 -Gold
SIC 1011 -Iron
SIC 1044 -Silver
102
40
, 586
81
73
Facilities
w/10-99
employees
30
8
122
14
9
Facilities
w/ 100 +
employees
24
16
53
11
2
Total
156
64
761
106
84
Source: Dun ana Bradstreet, 1993.
*Note: Sources define the term "facility" differently, which causes the apparent disparity between those totals cited above
and those accounted for by the U.S. Bureau of Mines. Represented in these facility numbers are recreational mine
operators predominantly located in Alaska, California, and Montana.
A preliminary evaluation of 1992 survey responses from 36 Canadian
and 25 U.S. mineral companies operating in the U.S. suggests that the
average corporate exploration budget was reduced by more than one-
half from 1991 levels. Metal exploration in the U.S. during 1992
appears to have declined on an average company basis by more than 60
percent. Although specific gold and copper deposits continue to
command attention, most U.S. programs have been curtailed. The
BLM estimated that 75 percent of company claims were dropped during
1993 (Federal mining law grants sole mineral rights to a prospector if
there is a discovery of economic value; prior to such a discovery, a
"claim" is honored if the prospector maintains an actual presence on
site and completes a progressive amount of developmental work per
year).
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The number of companies that have shifted portions of their
exploration budgets to Latin America is growing. More than 250
companies, about 10 percent of the North American mining
exploration industry, are now. active in Latin America, especially
Mexico and Chile. Among the forces driving U.S. companies abroad is
the recent privatization of world-class mineral deposits, the presence of
rich overseas ore deposits, depletion of prime domestic ore sources,
labor, costs, and the lack of significant regulatory pressure in the
developing world.
The U.S. economy's slow but steady growth rate of the last several years
is expected to spur demand in major domestic materials-consuming
industries, such as the auto industry. In addition, developing
economies in South America and Asia have had higher consumption
of mineral materials as political regimes have liberalized their
economies to meet demands for higher standards of living.
The following exhibit illustrates production values in 1993 for various
metal mining industry sectors;
Exhibits
Metal Mine Production - USA, in Billions of Dollars
1993 Total Value (estimated)
$10.439 billion
Molybedenum
0.00
Source: Randol Mimng Directory
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Iron
Copper
Following is a brief summary of current trends in domestic mining
industries. Much of the information presented is based on a report
prepared by EPA's Office of Research and Development.
In 1993, domestic production of iron ore remained at approximately the
same level as that of 1992. The value of usable ore shipped from mines
in Minnesota, Michigan, and six other States in 1993 was estimated at
$1.7 billion. Iron ore was produced domestically by 16 companies
operating 22 mines, 16 concentration plants, and 10 pelletizing plants.
The mines included 19 open pits and one underground operation.
Nine of these mines, operated by six companies, accounted for the vast
majority of the output.
The U.S. steel industry was the primary consumer of iron ore,
accounting for 98 percent of domestic iron ore consumption in 1992.
Domestic demand for iron ore has fallen behind that for iron and steel
due to changes in industrial processes, including the increased use of
scrap (especially by mini-mills) and the use of imported semi-finished
steel. Twelve percent of domestic iron consumption in 1993 was
imported. While world consumption of iron ore increased slightly,
prices declined for the third consecutive year.
World copper production remained at approximately the same level in
1993 as in 1992, while world consumption of refined copper declined.
However, refined copper demand in the U.S. and Canada ran counter
to the world trend. Domestic demand for copper rose by approximately
eight percent in 1993; the U.S. imported six percent of its copper needs
in 1993. Consumption was expected to increase in 1994 to more than
2.4 million tons, up from the previous year's 2.3 million tons.
Domestic brass mills (a mixture of copper and zinc) ran at capacity.
Copper was recovered at 50 mines in 1993, and the top 15 mines
accounted for more than 95 percent of production. The primary end
uses for copper are building construction (42 percent), electrical and
electronic products (24 percent), industrial machinery and equipment
(13 percent), transportation equipment (11 percent), and consumer and
general products (10 percent).
According to Standard & Poor's, the copper mining industry is
dominated by three producers (ASARCO Incorporated, Cyprus Amax
Mining Company, and Phelps Dodge), which are financially viable
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Lead
Zinc
Gold
operations. However, not all copper mining firms are as healthy
financially. From 1989 to 1992, the industry was characterized by
decreasing operating revenues and net income, while short and long-
term liabilities increased for some companies. With the recent
economic recovery, however, the overall outlook for the copper
industry is financially secure.
The U.S. imported 15 percent of its lead needs in 1993. Transportation
is the major end use for lead, with approximately 83 percent being used
to produce batteries, fuel tanks, solder, seals, and bearings. Electrical,
electronic, and communications uses, ammunition, TV glass,
construction, and protective coatings accounted for more than nine
percent of lead consumption.
According to the U.S., Bureau of Mines, U.S. lead production has
remained relatively constant through 1994, while prices for lead
continued an upward trend that began in 1993. Consumption of lead
in the U.S. increased in 1994, due to greater demand for original
equipment batteries in the automotive industry. This trend is expected
to continue.
In 1993, the U.S. imported 26 percent of its zinc needs. Domestically, 25
zinc mines produced 99 percent of the output; Alaska's Red Dog Mine
accounted for nearly one-half of the total. Zinc's main use has
traditionally been to provide corrosion protection through
galvanization for iron and steel. In 1991, the largest consumers of zinc
were the construction (43 percent), transportation (20 percent),
machinery (12 percent), and electrical (12 percent) sectors.
"
Domestic mine production increased substantially in 1994 in response
to domestic demand, according to the U.S. Bureau of Mines. The
largest growth occurred in the galvanizing and brass and bronze
industries, due to increased automobile production. Exports of zinc
concentrates were up slightly in 1994.
Domestic gold mines continue to produce at record levels, maintaining
the U.S. position as the world's second largest gold-producing nation
(12 percent of world resources), after the Republic of South Africa. The
U.S was a net exporter of gold in 1993. Gold was produced at 200 lode
mines and numerous placer mines (see discussion below for definition
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Silver
of lode and placer mines). Twenty-five mines yielded 75 percent of the
gold produced. Estimated end-uses for 1993 were as follows: jewelry
and arts (70 percent); industrial (mainly electronic; 23 percent); and
dental (seven percent).
The gold mining industry is dominated by a few firms that are gaining
an increasing portion of the market share and that remain financially
strong. Smaller firms have seen decreasing operating revenues arid
net incomes, and may have greater difficulty in the future meeting
short-term debt. The trend in gold exploration activities continues to
be toward Latin American nations, where favorable geology and
liberalized mining regulations hold the promise for greater long-term
success and reduced risk to investment capital.
Continuing the trend begun in 1991, several large domestic silver
producers halted mining operations in 1993 due to the continuing low
price of silver. As a result, U.S. mine production of silver declined for
the fourth consecutive year, and three major silver producers had
negative net income. Silver prices have recently begun to rise,
however; with the prospect of continued higher prices, some
companies are considering resuming operations at currently inactive
mines.
The U.S. is a net importer of silver. One hundred and fifty mines in 14
States mined silver in 1993. However, Nevada, Idaho, Arizona, and
Montana accounted for 74 percent of all domestic production.
Estimated end-uses for 1993 were as follows: photographic products
(50 percent); and electrical and electronic products (20 percent).
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HI. Industrial Process Description
This section describes the major industrial processes within the metal
mining industry, including the materials and equipment used,, and the
processes employed. The section is designed for those interested in
gaining a general understanding of the industry, and for those
interested in the inter-relationship between the industrial process and
the topics described in subsequent sections of this profile pollutant
outputs, pollution prevention opportunities, and Federal regulations.
This section does not attempt to replicate published engineering
information that is available for this industry. Refer to Section IX for a
list of available reference documents.
This section describes commonly used production processes, associated
raw materials, the byproducts produced or released, and the materials
either recycled or transferred off-site. This discussion, coupled with
schematic drawings of the identified processes, provide a concise
description of where wastes may be produced in the process. This
section also describes the potential fate (air, water, land) of these waste
products. ' ,
III.A. Industrial Processes in the Metal Mining Industry
Much of the following information has been presented previously in
reports and issue papers drafted in support of various EPA offices,
including the Office of Solid Waste, the Office of Pollution Prevention
and Toxics, and the Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance.
For a complete listing of reference documents, please see Section IX.
Metals are mined from two types of deposits. The first, lode deposits,
are concentrated deposits that are fairly well-defined from surrounding
. " rock. Iron> copper, lead, gold, silver, and zinc are mined mainly from
lode deposits. The second type of deposits, placer deposits, occur with
sand, gravel, and rock; they, are usually deposited by flowing water or
ice, and contain metals that were once part of a lode deposit. Only a
small percentage of domestic gold and silver is derived from placer
deposits.
There are three general approaches to mining metals:
Surface or open-pit mining requires extensive blasting, as well as rock,
soil, and vegetation removal, to reach lode deposits. Benches are cut
into the walls of the mine to provide access to progressively deeper
ore, as upper-level ore is depleted. Ore is removed from the mine and
transported to milling and beneficiating plants for concentrating the
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ore, and smelting, and/or refining. Open pit mining is the primary
domestic source of iron, copper, gold, and silver.
Underground mining entails sinking a shaft to reach the main body of
ore. "Drifts," or passages, are then cut from the shaft at various depths
to access the ore, which is removed to the surface, crushed,
concentrated, and refined. While underground mines do not create
the volume of overburden waste associated with surface mining, some
waste rock must still be brought to the surface for disposal. Waste rock
may either be returned to the mine as fill or put in a disposal area. In
the U.S., only lead, antimony, and zinc are solely underground
operations.
Solution or fluid mining entails drilling into intact rock and using
chemical solutions to dissolve lode deposits. During solution mining,
the leaching solution (usually a dilute acid) penetrates the ore,
dissolving soluble metals. This pregnant leach solution is then
retrieved for recovery at a solvent extraction and electrowinning
(SX/EW) plant. This method of mining is used in some parts of
Arizona, Nevada, and New Mexico to recover copper.
Historically, the primary mining method has been underground
mining. However, with the advent in recent decades of large earth
moving equipment, less expensive energy sources, and improved
extraction and beneficiation technologies, surface mining now prevails
in most industry sectors. Open-pit mining is generally more
economical and safer than underground mining, especially when the
ore body is large and the overburden (surface vegetation, soil, and rock)
relatively shallow. In fact, the lower cost of surface mining has allowed
much lower-grade ores to be exploited economically in some industry
sectors.
Metal mining processes include extraction and beneficiation steps
during production. Extraction removes the ore from the ground, while
beneficiation concentrates the valuable metal in the ore by removing
unwanted constituents. Often, more than one metal is targeted in
beneficiation processes. For example, silver is often beneficiated and
recovered with copper. The beneficiation method selected varies with
mining operations and depends on ore characteristics and economic
considerations.
The following sections provide more detail on extraction methods and
beneficiation processes, as they relate to the mining of each metal.
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Extraction Processes
As described in a report drafted for EPA's Office of Pollution
Prevention and Toxics, extraction involves removing any overburden,
then drilling, blasting, and mucking the broken ore and waste rock.
Mobile rigs drill holes in rock, which can then be filled with explosives
for blasting waste rock and ore. Potential pollutants involved in this
step in the mining process include the fuel, lubricants, and hydraulic
oils consumed by the rigs; fuels 'and oils typically contain such
constituents as benzene, ethylbenzene, and toluene.
Explosives (usually a mixture of ammonium nitrate and fuel oil) are
used to break up the rock. Other explosives, including trinitrotoluene
(TNT) and nitroglycerine, may also be used.
Mucking is the process of removing broken ore from the mine, using a
variety of loading and hauling equipment to transport ore to a mill for
beneficiation. Depending on ore volume, trucks, rail cars, conveyers,
and elevators may all be required to haul ore. Equipment involved in
this step of the mining process uses hydraulic fluid (containing glycol
ethers); batteries (containing sulfuric acid, lead, antimony, and arsenic);
and lubricants and fuel (containing petroleum hydrocarbons).
Beneficiation Methods
Ore beneficiation is the processing of ores to regulate the size of the
product, to remove unwanted constituents, or to improve the quality,
purity, or grade of a desired product. Under regulations drafted
pursuant to the Resource Conservation and Recovery .Act (40 CFR
ง261.4), beneficiation is restricted to the following activities: crushing;
grinding; washing; dissolution; crystallization; filtration; sorting;
sizing; drying; sintering; pelletizing, briquetting; calcining to remove
water and/or carbon dioxide; roasting, autoclaving, and/or
chlorination in preparation for leaching; gravity concentration;
magnetic separation; electrostatic separation; flotation; ion exchange;
solvent extraction; electrowinning; precipitation; amalgamation; and
heap, .dump, vat, tank, and in situ leaching.
The most common beneficiation processes include gravity
concentration (used only with placer gold deposits); milling and
floating (used for base metal ores); leaching (used for tank and heap
leaching); dump leaching (used for low-grade copper); and magnetic
separation. Typical beneficiation steps include one or more of the
following: milling; washing; filtration; sorting; sizing; magnetic
separation; pressure oxidation; flotation; leaching; gravity
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concentration; and agglomeration (pelletizing, sintering, briquetting, or
nodulizing).
Milling extracted ore produces uniform-sized particles, using crushing
and grinding processes. As many as three crushing steps may be
required to reduce the ore to the desired particle size. Milled ore in the
form of a slurry is then pumped to the next beneficiation stage.
Magnetic separation is used to separate iron ores from less magnetic
material, and can be classified as either high- or low-intensity
(requiring as little as 1,000 gauss or as much as 20,000). Particle size and
the solids content of the ore slurry determine which type of magnetic
separator system is used.
Flotation uses a chemical reagent to make one or a group of minerals
adhere to air bubbles for collection. Chemical reagents include
collectors, frothers, antifoams, activators, and depressants; the type of
reagent used depends on the characteristics of a given ore. These
flotation agents may contain sulfur dioxide, sulfuric acid, cyanide
compounds, cresols, petroleum hydrocarbons, hydrochloric acids,
copper compounds, and zinc fume or dust.
Gravity concentration separates minerals based on differences in their
gravity. The size of the particles being separated is important, thus
sizes are kept uniform with classifiers (such as screens and
hydrocyclones).
Thickening/filtering removes most of the liquid from both slurried
concentrates and mill tailings. Thickened tailings are discharged to a
tailings impoundment; the liquid is usually recycled to a holding pond
for reuse at the mill. Chemical flocculants, such as aluminum sulfate,
lime, iron, calcium salts, and starches, may be added to increase the
efficiency of the thickening process.
Leaching is the process of extracting a soluble metallic compound from
an ore by selectively dissolving it in a solvent such as water, sulfuric or
hydrochloric acid, or cyanide solution. The desired metal is then
removed from the "pregnant" leach solution by chemical precipitation
or another chemical or electrochemical process. Leaching methods
include "dump," heap," and "tank" operations. Heap leaching is
widely used in the gold industry, and dump leaching in the copper
industry.
The following exhibit summarizes the various processes used within
each mining sector, and the primary wastes associated with those
processes.
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Exhibit 9
Sector-Specific Processes and Wastes/Materials
Sector
Mining Type
Beneficiation/Processing
Primary Wastes/Materials
Gold-Silver
Surface
Underground
In Situ
(experimental)
Cyanidation
Elution
Electrowinnihg/zinc precipitation
Milling
Base metal flotation
Smelting
Amalgamation (historic)
Mine water *
Overburden/waste rock
Spent process solutions
Tailings
Spent Ore
Gold Placer
Surface
Gravity separation
Roughing, cleaning, fine separation
> Some magnetic separation __^
Mine water*
Overburden/waste rock
Tailings
Lead-Zinc
Underground
(exclusively)
Milling
Flotation
Sintering
Smelting
Mine water*
Overburden/waste rock
Tailings
Slag
Copper
Surface
Underground
In Situ
Milling
Flotation
Smelting
Acid leaching
SX/EW recovery
Iron precipitation/smelting
Mine water*
Overburden/waste rock
Tailings
Slag
Spent ore
Spent leach solutions
Iron
Surface (almost
exclusively)
Underground
1 Milling -
1 Magnetic separation
Gravity separation
Flotation
Agglomeration
Blast furnace
1 Mine water*
1 Overburden/waste rock
1 Tailings
1 Slag
* Note: Mine water is a waste if it is discharged to the environment via a point source
Source: U.S. EPA, Office of Solid Waste, Technical Document. Background for
NEPA Reviewers: Non-Coal Mining Operations.
Iron Ore
Below is a more detailed discussion of the various beneficiation
methods and processes used for each of the sectors presented in the
table above.
Typical beneficiation steps applied to iron ore include: milling,
washing, sorting, sizing, magnetic separation, flotation, and
agglomeration. Milling followed by magnetic separation is the most
common beneficiation sequence used, according to the American Iron
Ore Association. Flotation is primarily used to upgrade the
concentrates generated from magnetic separation, using frothers,
collectors, and antifoams.
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Copper
Steel mills generally agglomerate or pelletize the iron ore concentrates
to improve blast furnace operations that .utilize iron ore. Pelletizing
operations produce a moist pellet (often using clay as a binder), which
is then hardened through heat treatment. Agglomeration generates by-
products in the form of particulates and gases, including compounds
such as carbon dioxide, sulfur compounds, chlorides, and fluorides.
These emissions are usually treated using cyclones, electrostatic
precipitators, and scrubbing equipment. These treatment technologies
generate iron-containing effluent, which is recycled into the operation:
Agglomeration produces large volumes of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen
dioxide.
Copper is commonly extracted from surface, underground, and,
increasingly, from in situ operations. According to the U.S. Bureau of
Mines, surface mining accounted for 83 percent of copper production in
1992, with underground mining accounting for the remainder. In situ
mining is the practice of percolating dilute sulfuric acid through ore to
extract copper, by pumping copper-laden acid solutions to the surface
for solvent extraction/electro winning (SX/EW). This leaching
operation uses both ammonium nitrate and sulfuric acid.
Beneficiation of copper consists of crushing and grinding; washing;
filtration; sorting and sizing; gravity concentration; flotation; roasting;
autoclaving; chlorination; dump and in situ leaching; ion exchange;
solvent extraction; electrowinning; and precipitation. The methods
selected vary according to ore characteristics and economic factors;
approximately half of copper beneficiation occurs through dump
leaching, while a combination of solvent extraction/froth
flotation/electrowinning is generally used for the other half. Often,
more than one metal is the .target of beneficiation activities (silver, for
example, is often recovered with copper).
According to EPA's Office of Solid Waste Technical Resource
Document, copper is increasingly recovered by solution methods,
including dump and in situ leaching. Because most copper ores are
insoluble in water, chemical reactions are required to convert copper
into a water-soluble form; copper is recovered from a leaching solution
through precipitation or by SX/EW. Solution beneficiation methods
account for approximately 30 percent of domestic copper production;
two-thirds of all domestic copper mines use some form of solution
operations. Typical leaching agents used in solution beneficiation are
hydrochloric and sulfuric acids. Microbial (or bacterial) leaching is used
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Metal Minting
for low-grade sulfide ores> however this type of leaching is much
slower than standard acid leaching and its use is still being piloted.
Dump leaching is a method of treating copper ore that has been
extracted from a deposit, and refers to the leaching of oxide and low-
grade sulfide ore on (typically) unlined surfaces. These operations
involve the application of leaching solution, collection of pregnant
leach solution (PLS), and the extraction of copper by SX/EW or
cementation. Natural precipitation or mine water is generally used to
leach low grade sulfide ore, while dilute sulfuric acid is commonly
used to leach oxide ores. Copper dump leaches are massive, ranging in
height from 20 to hundreds of feet, covering hundreds of acres, and
containing millions of tons of ore. Dump leaching operations may
take place over several years.
The solvent extraction process is a two-stage method; in the first stage,
low-grade, impure leach solutions containing copper, iron, and other
base-metal ions are fed to the extraction stage mixer-settler. In the
mixer, the aqueous solution contacts an active organic extractant in an
organic diluent (usually kerosene), forming a copper-organic complex;
impurities are left behind in the aqueous phase. The barren aqueous
solution, called raffinate, is typically recirculated back to the leaching
units while the loaded organic solution is transferred from the
extraction section to the stripping section. In the second stage, the
loaded organic solution is stripped with concentrated sulfuric acid
solution to produce a clean, high-grade solution of copper for
electrowinning. Electrowinning is the method used to recover copper
from the electrolyte solution produced by solvent extraction.
Exhibits 10 and 11 illustrate a typical dump leach operation and a
representative solution-based process for recovering copper from ore.
Variations exist in exact methods and processes used at each operation.
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Exhibit 10
Copper Dump Leach Operation
Oxygen Depleted Air
t t t
Fresh Air
Leach
Solution
Impermeable Liner
or Bedrock
Pregnant
Leachate
Leach Solution
Percolating
Downward
Collection ]
and Dam
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Exhibit 11
Representative Hydrometallurgical Recovery of Copper
Conventional
Processing
Solution
Mining
Operations
Solvent
Extraction
Low
Grade
Ore
I
High Grade Ore
Surface Mine
Pregnant Liquor
Aqueous/Organic
Separation
Loaded
Solvent
Barren
Solvent
Solvent
Stripping
Pregnant
Electrolyte
Barren
Solution
Barren
Solution
Spent
Electrolyte
Electrowinning
Precipitation
Water
Cement Copper
Slurry
Decanting
Acid or
Makeup Water
Addition
Copper Cathodes
Drying
Cement
Copper
Recycle To Leach Operation
Source: Technical Resource Document: Extraction and Beneficiation of Ores and Minerals. Volume 4,
Copper, August 1994 U.S. EPA.
Lead and Zinc
Beneficiation of lead and zinc ores includes crushing and grinding;
filtration; sizing; flotation; and sintering of concentrates. Flotation is
the most common method for concentrating lead-zinc minerals. Ore
may be treated with conditioners during or after milling to prepare the
ore pulp for flotation. Common conditioners may include lime, soda
ash, caustic soda, or sulfuric acid. The conditioned ore is then slurried
in fresh or salt water with chemical reagents to beneficiate the ore.
Several separate flotation steps may be needed to concentrate
individual metal values from the ore. - Reagents used in the flotation
processes typically include, such chemicals as sulfur dioxide, zinc
sulfate, coal tar, copper sulfate, and sodium or calcium cyanide.
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Lead and zinc mineral concentrates that will be smelted and refined
may require sintering, typically performed at the smelter site. Sintering
partially fuses the ore concentrates into an agglomerated material for
processing, and involves several steps. First, ore concentrates are
blended with moisture and then fired (sintered) and cooled. During
cooling, the sinter is crushed, graded, and further crushed to produce a
smaller sinter product. By-products of the roasting and sintering
processes include sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, and carbon
monoxide. Residues generated also include dust and primary lead
process water.
Gold and Silver
Three principal techniques are used to process gold and silver ore:
cyanide leaching, flotation of base metal ores followed by smelting, and
gravity concentration. According to the U.S. Bureau of Mines, cyanide
leaching generated 88 percent of all domestic lode gold in 1991, and 38
percent of silver. Processing of base metal ores produced 11 percent of
the gold; over half of the silver produced in 1991 was from smelting
concentrates produced by flotation of silver and base metal ores.
Gravity concentration is used primarily by gold and silver placer
operations.
Cyanide leaching is a relatively inexpensive method of treating gold
ores and is the chief method in use. In this technique, sodium or
potassium cyanide solution is either applied directly to ore on open
heaps or is mixed with a fine ore slurry in tanks; heap leaching is
generally used to recover gold from low-grade ore, while tank leaching
is used for higher grade ore.
Compared to tank leaching, heap leaching has several advantages,
including simplicity of design, lower capital and operating costs, and
shorter start-up times. Depending on the local topography, a heap or a
valley fill method is typically employed. The size of heaps and valley
fills can range from a few acres to several hundred. Heap leaching may
involve any or all of the following steps:
Preparation of a pad with an impervious liner. Some liners may
simply be compacted soils and clays, while others may be of
more sophisticated design, incorporating clay liners, french
drains, and multiple synthetic liners.
Placement of historic tailings, crushed ore, or other relatively
uniform and pervious material on the uppermost liner to
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protect it from damage by heavy equipment or other
circumstances. '
Crushing and/or agglomerating the ore.
" Placing the ore on the pad(s).
Applying cyanide solution using drip, spray, or pond irrigation
systems, with application rates generally between 0.5 and 1.0
pounds of sodium cyanide per ton of solution. This is known as
the barren solution because it contains little or no gold.
Collecting the solution via piping, laid on the liner/ ditches oh .
the perimeter of the heap, or pipes/wells laid through the heap
into sumps at the liner surface. The recovered pregnant
solution, now laden with gold (and silver), may be stored in
ponds or routed directly to tanks for gold recovery, or it may be
reapplied to the heap for additional leaching.
* Recovering the gold from the pregnant solution (typically
containing between 1 and 3 ppm of gold).
The leaching cycle can range from weeks to several' months, depending
on permeability, size of the pile, and ore characteristics. The average
leach cycle is approximately three months.
Recovery of gold from the pregnant solution is accomplished using
carbon adsorption or, less commonly, by direct precipitation with zinc
dust. These techniques may be used separately or in a series with
carbon adsorption followed by zinc precipitation. Both methods
separate the gold-cyanide complex from other remaining wastes.
Carbon adsorption involves pumping the pregnant solution into a
series of activated carbon columns, which collect gold from the cyanide
leachate. The precious metals are then stripped from the carbon by
elution with the use of a boiling caustic cyanide stripping solution, or.
similar solution. Gold in the pregnant eluate solution may be
electrowon or zinc precipitated.
Although carbon adsorption/electrowinning is the most common
method of gold recovery domestically, zinc precipitation is the most
widely used method for gold ore containing large amounts of silver. In
zinc precipitation, pregnant solution (or the pregnant eluate stripped
from carbon) is filtered and combined with metallic zinc dust resulting
in a chemical reaction which generates a gold precipitate. The solution
is then forced through a filter that removes the gold.
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The following exhibit illustrates a typical gold heap leach operation
using zinc precipitation; variations exist in exact processes and
methods used at each operation.
Exhibit 12
Gold Heap Leaching Operation
Solution Sprinklers
Pond
Sodium
Cyanide Lime
Source: U.S. EPA, Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance.
To prepare for tank leaching, ore is ground to expose the metal values
to the cyanide. Finely ground ore is slurried with the leaching solution
in tanks. The resulting gold-cyanide complex is then adsorbed on
activated carbon. The pregnant carbon then undergoes elution,
followed either by electrowinning or zinc precipitation, as described
previously. The recovery efficiencies attained by tank leaching are
significantly higher than for heap leaching. The tank leaching process
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Metal Mining
may occur over a series of days, rather than the weeks or months
required in heap leaching.
After heap leaching and rinsing, the spent ore becomes waste and is left
as is or is deposited in disposal areas similar to those used for waste
rock. Spent ore may contain wastewater from rinsing the ore, residual
cyanide, metal-cyanide complexes, and small quantities of heavy
metals. Tailings produced from tank leaching may contain arsenic,
barium, chloride, nitrate, sodium, and sulfate. Cyanide residues may
require destruction using alkaline chlorination, ozone, or hydrogen
peroxide addition.
Gravity concentration, a beneficiation method used mostly in placer
mines, involves passing a slurry of ore and water over a series of riffles
to catch heavier gold particles. Amalgamation, or wetting metallic gold
with mercury to form an amalgam, is another recovery technique used
in placer operations. Its high cost, inefficiency for large-scale mining
operations, and environmental and safety considerations have greatly
restricted amalgamation's previous widespread use.
Chemical Usaye
The following exhibit lists the chemicals used in greatest volume in
the metal mining processes for several of the main commodities.
While volume does not necessarily correlate with potency, this data
indicates which chemicals are present in greatest quantity, and to
which chemicals mine workers may be most frequently exposed.
Although it does not appear in the chart below, cyanide is also
consumed in massive quantities by the gold industry. In 1990 alone,
Dow Chemical supplied over 160 million pounds of reagent-grade
cyanide for use in gold mining, according to the Chicago Tribune
(February 2,1992, p.27). . .
Exhibit 13
Chemicals Used in High .Volume
Type of Mine
Iron Ore
,
Lead/Zinc
Chemical Name
Acetylene
Argon
Diesel Fuel
Nitrogen
Acetylene
Calcium Oxide
Diesel Fuel No. 2
Propane
Sulfur Dioxide*
Volume/Mass at Mine Site
5,577,726 gallons
15,892,577 gallons
3,417,487 gallons
9,398,026 gallons
1,021,795 gallons
932,129 Ibs. .
1,640,271 gallons
171,733 Ibs.; 1,015,962 gallons
1,843,080 Ibs.
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Exhibit 13 (cont'd)
Chemicals Used in High Volume
Type of Mine
Copper
Gold
Chemical Name
Acetylene
Calcium Oxide
Chlorine**
Coal
Copper ore
concentrate**
Copper Slag
Diesel Fuel No. 2
Limestone
Natural Gas
Nitrogen
Pyrites
Sulfuric Acid**
Acetylene
Calcium Oxide
Chlorine**
Diesel Fuel No. 2
Propane
Sulfuric Acid**
Volume/Mass at Mine Site
10,909,868 gallons
512,620,243 Ibs.
17,242,059 Ibs.; 138,015 gallons
2,375,684,593 Ibs.
24,000,000 Ibs. ,
10,833,500 Ibs.
47,301,433 gallons
154,280,000 Ibs.
8.6 x 10A12 gallons
189,315,331 gallons
38,400,000 Ibs.
82,907,916 Ibs.; 5,772 gallons
829,460 Ibs.; 2,033,041 gallons
58,394,968 Ibs.
66,090,022 Ibs.; 165 gallons
13,425,408 gallons
1,218 Ibs.; 2,743,927 gallons
1,800,501 Ibs.
* Proposed TRI chemical
** Current TRI chemical
Source: NIOSH 1990/91
IU.B. Mining Process Pollution Outputs
The extraction and beneficiation of metals produce significant amounts
of waste and byproducts. Total waste produced can range from 10
percent of the total material mined to well over 99.99 percent. The
volume of total waste can be enormous: in 1992, gold mining alone
produced over 540 million metric tons of waste. The following exhibit
provides further detail on the volume of product and waste material
generated from metal mineral mining.
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Metal Mining
Exhibit 14
Volume of Waste Generated for Selected Metals
Commodity
Copper
Gold
Iron Ore
Lead
Silver
Zinc
Number
of Mines
50 -
+212
' 22
23
150
25
Total Commodity
Produced
(1,000 mt)
1,765
0.329
55,593
398
1.8
524
Tailings
Generated
(1,000 mt)
337,733
247,533
80,204
6,361
2,822
4,227
Other Waste
Handled
(1,000 mt)
393,332
293,128
.106,233
--
.
--
Source: U.S. Bureau of Mines. Mineral Commodity Summaries 1994 and Minerals Yearbook, Volume I: Metals and
. Minerals. 1992.
.The industry (including non-metallic minerals) is estimated to have
generated 50 billion metric tons of waste through 1985, and currently
generates approximately one billion metric tons annually. It is
important to note, however, that virtually none of this annual
production related to extraction and beneficiation is classified as RCRA
hazardous waste. Exhibit 15 summarizes some of the potential effects
of industrial mining on the environment.
Exhibit 15
Steps in the Mining Process and Their Potential Environmental Impacts
Mining
Process
Site
Preparation
Blasting/
Excavation
Crushing/
Concentration
Process
Wastes
Erosion due to
rempval of
vegetation
Acid Rock
Drainage
(ARD); erosion
of sediments;
petroleum
wastes from
trucks
Acid Rock
Drainage
(ARD) from
tailings
Air Emissions
Exhaust from
construction
vehicles;
fugitive dust
Dust blown to
surrounding
area; exhaust
from heavy
machinery
Dust created
during
transportation
Other Waste
Run-off
sediment . .
Non-reused
overburden;
waste rock
Additional
waste rock;
tailings
Land, Habitat, Wildlife
Deforestation and habitat
loss from road and site
construction
Loss of habitat; increase in
erosion; loss of plant
population from dust and
water pollution; reduction
in localized groundwater
recharge resulting from
increased runoff; loss of
fish population from water
pollution; nearby structural
damages from vibration
and settling; competition
for land use
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Exhibit 15(cont'd)
Steps in the Mining Process and Their Potential Environmental Impacts
Mining
Process
Leaching
Process
Wastes
ARD; water
pollution from
ruptures in
pipes or ponds
holding leach
solution
Air Emissions '
Other Waste
Sludges from
neutralization
of contaminated
water
Land, Habitat, Wildlife
Loss of plant, fish, and
water fowl population
from water pollution
Wastes
Source: Mining Support Package.. Draft, U.S. EPA, April 1994.
Several wastes are created when metal ores are extracted from the
earth. The first is overburden and waste rock, which is soil and rock
removed in order to access an ore or mineral body. Overburden
typically includes surface soils and' vegetation, while waste rock also
includes rock removed while sinking shafts, accessing or exploiting the
ore body, and rock embedded within the ore or mineral body.
Most overburden and waste rock are disposed of in piles near the mine
site, although approximately nine percent is backfilled in previously
excavated areas, and nearly four percent is used off-site for
construction. Waste rock dumps are generally constructed on unlined
terrain, with underlying soils stripped, graded, or compacted depending
on engineering considerations. Drainage systems may be incorporated
into dump foundations to prevent instability due to foundation
failures from groundwater saturation, and may be constructed of
gravel-filled trenches or gravel blankets.
Tailings are a second type of common mining waste. Most
beneficiation processes generate tailings, which contain a mixture of
impurities, trace metals, and residue of chemicals used in the
beneficiation process. Tailings usually leave the mill as a slurry
consisting of 40 to 70 percent liquid mill effluent and 30 to 60 percent
solids; liquids are commonly re-used in milling processes. Most mine
tailings are disposed in on-site impoundments. Design of the
impoundment depends on natural topography, site conditions, and
economic factors; generally it is economically advantageous to use
natural depressions to contain tailings. Impoundments are designed to
control the movement of fluids both vertically and horizontally.
In some cases, tailings are dewatered or dried and disposed in piles; this
minimizes seepage volumes and the amount of land required for an
impoundment. However, dry disposal methods can be prohibitively
expensive due to additional equipment and energy costs.
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Metal Mining
Water
Slurried tailings are sometimes disposed of in underground mines as
backfill to provide ground or wall support. This decreases the above-
ground surface disturbance and can stabilize mined-out areas.
Subaqueous tailings disposal, practiced primarily in Canada, is the
placement of tailings below a permanent water surface such as a lake or
ocean; it is used primarily to minimize the acid-generating potential of
tailings by preventing sulfide ore from oxidizing. This disposal
method is not currently practiced commercially in the United Stated..
Water removed from a mine to gain or facilitate access to an ore body is
known as mine water. Mine water can originate from precipitation,
from flows into pits or underground workings, and/or from
ground water aquifers that are intercepted by the mine. Mine water is
only a waste if it is discharged to the environment via a point source.
Mine water can be a significant problem at many mines, and enormous
quantities may have to be pumped continuously during operations.
When a mine closes, removal of mine water generally ends. However,
underground mines can then fill and mine water may be released
through adits or fractures that reach the surface. Surface mines that
extend below the water table fill to that level when pumping ceases,
either forming a lake in the pit or inundating and saturating fill
material. Pumped mine water is iypicaily managed in on-site
impoundments. Collected water may be allowed to
infiltrate/evaporate, used as process water or for other on-site
applications such as dust control, and/or discharged to surface water,
subject to permit requirements.
Acid drainage is a potentially severe pollution hazard associated with
mining, and can be difficult to predict. It occurs when pyrite and other
sulfide minerals, upon exposure to oxygen and water, oxidize to create
ferrous ions and sulfuric acid. Catalyzed by bacteria, the ferrous ions
react further with oxygen, producing hydrated iron oxide, known as
"yellowboy." This combination of yellowboy and sulfuric acid may
contaminate surrounding soil, groundwater, and surface water,
producing water with a low pH. When this reaction occurs within a
mine it is called Acid Mine Drainage (AMD). When it occurs in waste
rock and tailings piles it is often known as Acid Rock Drainage (ARD),
although AMD is the most widely used term for both.
AMD is a significant problem at many abandoned mine sites: a 1993
survey by the U.S. Forest Service (Acid Mine Drainage from Mines on
National Forests, A Management Challenge) estimates that 5,000 to
10,000 miles of domestic streams and rivers are impacted by acid
drainage. Acid drainage can lower the pH of surrounding water,
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making it corrosive and unable to support many forms of aquatic life;
vegetation growing along streams can also be affected. Mine water can
also carry toxic, metal-bearing sediment into streams, which can kill
waterborne plant and animal species. In extreme cases, acid drainage
can kill all living organisms in nearby streams. Humans may also
increase disease risks by consuming drinking water and fish tissue with
a heavy metal content. " .
According to the 1994 Technical Document/ Background for NEPA
Reviewers: Non-Coal Mining Operations, prepared by EPA's Office of
Solid Waste (OSW), acid drainage can pose significant threats to surface
and ground water quality and resources during active mining and for
decades after operations cease. Although mines that began operating
after 1978 are required to treat their effluent water, the need for water
treatment may persist for decades after mining operations have ceased.
Abandoned mines and refuse piles can produce acid damage for over
50 years. According to EPA's hardrock mining strategy framework, for
example, "negative changes in geochemistry over time can occur when
the materials' environment changes (e.g., going from a reducing
environment to an oxidizing one) or buffering capacity is exceeded
(such as when the total neutralizing capacity of a rock mass is exceeded
by acid generation). When these conditions are present, a facility can
close in full environmental compliance, only to have a severe problem
show up decades later." Because remediating acid drainage is so
damaging and costly, predictive tools, design performance, financial
assurance, and monitoring have become increasingly important.
Acid leaching operations are an additional source of water pollution.
The leaching process itself resembles acid drainage, but it is conducted
using high concentrations of acids to extract metals from ore. Since
acid leaching produces large volumes of metal-bearing acid solutions, it
is vital that leach dumps and associated extraction areas be designed to
prevent releases. Most environmental damage associated with acid
leaching is caused by leakage, spillage, or seepage of the leaching
solution at various stages of the process. Potential problems include:
seepage of acid solutions through soils and liners beneath leach piles;
leakage from solution-holding ponds and transfer channels; spills from
ruptured pipes and recovery equipment; pond overflow caused by
excessive runoff; and ruptures of dams or liners in solution-holding
ponds. Cyanide leaching solution processes carry a similar potential for
damage as a result of leakages, spills, overflows, and ruptures.
Solution ponds associated with leaching operations are potential
sources of acid and metal releases to ground and surface water. Ponds
associated with precious metal leaching operations and newer copper
facilities are generally lined with synthetic materials (although liners
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Air
are often susceptible to failure). At older copper sites, solution ponds
may he unlined or lined only with natural materials. Leakage, run-off
from precipitation, and the like, may cause contamination of, ground
and surface waters.
Substantial air pollution can occur at mining sites during excavation
and transportation. Fugitive dust may be a significant problem at some
sites, depending on site conditions and management practices, and is
created at many stages of the mining process. The inherent toxicity of
the dust depends on the proximity of environmental receptors and
type of ore being mined; high levels of arsenic, lead, and radionuclides
in windblown dust tend to pose the greatest risk, according to EPA's
1995 hardrock mining framework strategy. Sources of dust may be
from road traffic in the mine pit and surrounding areas, rock crushers
located in pits and in mills, and tailings ponds.
Dust control methods aim to reduce amounts and concentrations of
dust produced and to minimize human exposure to remaining dust.
The most important element of dust control at underground mines is a
properly designed ventilation system. Water sprays are also used
during ore-transportation and crushing, and can greatly reduce dust
levels at the site. Dust suppressants, such as lignin sulfonates and
magnesium chloride, can stabilize solid piles or tailing areas that might
otherwise become airborne in windy conditions. After mine closure,
revegetation or other stabilizing methods may be used for dust control.
Exhaust fumes from diesel, engines and blasting agents may also be
serious hazards at underground mines. These exhausts produce carbon
monoxide and nitrogen oxide gas, which collect in underground areas.
Ventilation and monitoring are important steps taken to reduce the
potential harm these fumes may cause workers.
The following exhibit, derived from EPA's OSW 1994 Technical
Document/Background for NEPA Reviewers: Non-Coal Mining
Operations, describes the various measures mining operators may take
to mitigate potential environmental impacts of waste products
generated through different phases of the extraction and beneficiation
processes.
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Exhibit 16
Potential Mine Waste Mitigation Measures
Mining Waste Product
Mitigation Measures
Extraction - Mine
Workings
1 Evaporation and re-use of mine water in processing operations
1 Run-on and runoff control measures, such as berms and ditches
1 Neutralization/precipitation or other treatment practices prior
to discharges
1 Clean-up of blasting residuals
1 Provide for post-closure mine water management
1 Monitor discharges and surface water quality
1 Site mine water containment units to minimize potential for
surface water recharge
Extraction - Waste Rock/
Overburden
Backfill into dry mine workings with waste rock
Maximize use of overburden in reclamation
Collect and monitor seepage, drainage, and runoff
Segregate and cover reactive waste rock with non-reactive
materials where ARD is observed
Use non-reactive waste rock for on-site construction
Provide for adequate dump drainage to minimize potential for
slope failure
Conduct baseline surface water monitoring; continue monitoring
throughout operation and post-closure
Use run-on controls to minimize potential for infiltration
Beneficiation - Tailings
Impoundments
Design unit to contain maximum reasonable storm event
Consider natural and/or synthetic liners for units located in
drainages; consider liners for any seepage/runoff collection
sumps/ditches
Maximize the reclaim/reuse of tailings water
Limit mill reagents to least extent necessary
Provide adequate drainage of berms
Include secondary containment of tailings pipelines
Continue ARD testing throughout operations and closure
Collect and treat runoff/seepage from outer slopes of
impoundment ,
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Exhibit 16 (cont'd)
Potential Mine Waste Mitigation Measures
Mining Waste Product
Mitigation Measures
Beneficiation - Copper
Dump Leach Operations
and SX/EW Plants, Gold
Heap Leaching '
1 Design dump leach units to fully drain to collection areas
1 Ensure that collection, pregnant solution, and raffinate ponds are
designed to contain up to the maximum reasonable storm event;
line process ponds, heap leach pads, and conveyances
1 Install leachate detection and collection systems under ponds and
heaps; construct seepage ponds downgradient of ponds, heaps,
anddumps
1 Recycle process water
1 Lime neutralization or wetlands treatment of acid drainage
1 Provide secondary containment for solution pipes to rninirrtize
impacts from pipe failures/spills
1 Collect and treat drainage that occurs after closure, as necessary
1 Perform baseline groundwater monitoring and conduct
groundwater quality monitoring during operations and post-
closure; monitor post-closure discharges and downstream surface
water quality
1 Detoxification of heaps, dumps, and any spent solutions to reduce
cyanide, acidity, and metal loadings
Biological treatment for cyanides, nitrates, and heavy metals
Beneficiation - Cyanide
Leaching Operations
Where possible, do not locate leaching operations in or near
drainages
Ensure that pregnant and barren ponds and ditches are designed
to contain all solution flows and any runoff up to the maximum
reasonable storm event
Use double liners and leak detection systems for all heaps,
ponds, and drainage ditches
Test detoxified materials prior to. disposal or closure to ensure
cyanide levels are reduced
Collect and test seepage and runoff from spent ore piles; treat
runoff/seepage as necessary; perform downstream water quality
monitoring
Beneficiation - In Situ
Mining
Ensure proper production well installation/completion to avoid
uncontrolled solution releases; provide for adequate well
abandonment
Perform a detailed characterization of the site hydrogeology to
guide design of recovery systems and determine potential for
releases
Carefully monitor pumping pressures of solutions entering and
leaving deposits to assure that solutions are not migrating into
groundwater
Line surface collection systems and provide for leak detection;
design collection systems to contain maximum volumes of
leaching solutions and runoff/precipitation/snow melt
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Because proposed mining activities may also impact aquatic resources,
vegetation, and wildlife, EPA suggests the following potential
mitigation measures for use at mine sites:
Exhibit 17
Ecosystem Mitigation Measures
Employ sediment retention structures to minimize amount of sediment migrating
off-site
Employ spill prevention and control plans to minimize discharge of
toxic/hazardous materials into water bodies
Site roads, facilities, and structures to minimize extent of physical disturbance
Avoid construction or new disturbance during critical life stages
Reduce the chance of cyanide poisoning of waterfowl and other wildlife by
neutralizing cyanide in tailings ponds or by installing fences and netting to keep
wildlife out of ponds
Minimize use of fences or other such obstacles in big game migration corridors; if
fences are necessary, use tunnels, gates, or ramps to allow passage of these
animals
Use "raptor proof designs on power poles to prevent electrocution of raptors
Use buses to transport employees to and from mine from outer parking areas to
minimize animals killed on mine-related roadways
Limit impacts from habitat fragmentation, minimize number of access roads,
and close and restore roads no longer in use
Prohibit use of firearms on site to minimize poaching
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Metal Mining
IV. WASTE RELEASE PROFILE
This section provides a general overview of the waste release activities
and issues common to the metal mining industry. Unlike facilities
covered by SIC codes 20 through 39 (manufacturing facilities), metal
mining (extraction and beneficiation) facilities are not required by the
Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act to report to
the Toxic Release Inventory (TRI). EPA is considering expanding TRI
reporting requirements in the future, including participation of
previously exempt industries such as metal mining. Because TRI
reporting is not required in the metal mining industry, other sources of
waste release data have been identified for this profile.
IV.A. Waste Release Data for the Metal Mining Industry
In 1994 EPA's OSW studied the unpermitted mining waste releases and
environmental effects for nine States: Arizona, California, Colorado,
Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, South Carolina, and South
Dakota. Researchers examined State records to document waste release
events for various types of mines throughout each State. These
releases generally were not authorized undpr existing permits or
regulations, and therefore should riot be considered "accepted,"
"standard," or "typical" waste outputs of metal mining facilities.
Rather, the data presented below ' offer a picture of representative
unpermitted mining release events, and of the magnitude of these
events in many Western States, where most metal mining facilities are
* > located. It should be noted that most of these releases were properly
mitigated by the associated mining companies.
The release information presented below is categorized by mineral
type, and is derived from the Mining Waste Releases and
Environmental Effects Summaries reports prepared for OSW (see
"References" for further information). Release data are presented in
the units of measurement reported by each State and are therefore not
standardized. Iron ore is not represented in the data because all U.S.
iron ore mining occurs outside of the States selected for the survey.
Note that the common types of waste released pose the greatest
potential for polluting water sources, as stated elsewhere in this profile.
Breaches of tailings impoundments, and subsequent spills of tailings,
are not included in the data.
Copper
As evidenced in the following exhibit, the most prevalent waste release
events related to copper mining involve leachate or process
wastewater, reflecting the predominant extraction method for this ore.
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Acid Mine Drainage is a significant release associated with abandoned
copper mines.
Exhibit 18
Copper-Related Waste Releases
Site
Cyprus Miami Mine,
Claypool, AZ
Magma Copper, Miami
Tailings Reprocessing Pit and
Copper Cities Pit, Miami, AZ
Oracle Ridge Mine,
Pima County, AZ
ASARCO, Ray Mines,
Gila County, AZ
Sierrita Mine and Mill,
Cyprus Minerals Corp.,
Pima County, AZ
Chino Mines, NM
Tyearone Mine, NM
Montana Resources, Inc.
Butte, MT
Bully Hill Mine, Redding, CA
Penn Mine, New Penne
Mines, Inc., Campo Seco, CA
Walker Mine, Calicopia Corp.,
Plumas County, CA
Mammoth, Keystone &
Stowell Mines, Shasta County,
CA
Red Ledge Mine, NV
Arimetco Facility,
Arimetcolnc/Copper Tek
Corp., Lyon County, NV
Nevada Moly Project, Cyprus
Tononpah Mining,
Tononpah, NV
Rio Tinto Mine, US Forest
Waste Released
Copper leachate (amount unknown)
Waste water (amount unknown)
Non-potable water (37,000 gallons)
(min 185, 000 gallons)
Pregnant leach (5000-10000 gallons)
Slurry (15,600 gallons, 35,000 gallons,
1000-2000 gallons,
216,600 gallons)
Recycle (1,320 gallons)
Effluent (amount unknown)
Copper concentrate (100 pounds)
Process water (5000 gallons)
Diesel fuel (amount unknown)
PCB, dielectric fluid (10 gallons)
Sulfuric acid (20 tons)
Gasoline (amount unknown)
Acidic water ( amount unknown)
Cooling tower blowdown (4340mA3/day)
Sulfur dioxide (amount unknown)
Process water (1 gallon/min)
Pregnant leachate (amount unknown)
Heavy metals and sulfuric acid
Acidic water (16,200 gallons)
(2 million gallons)
TDS and sulfuric acid from tailings (4,270 acre feet
per year)
Leach (amount unknown)
Acid mine drainage (30 gaUons/min)
Acid mine drainage
Leaching of heavy metals (no known flow rate)
Acid mine drainage
Heavy metals (no known flow rate)
Acid mine drainage (100-275 gallons/min)
See Gold and Silver
Acid leach (amount unknown)
Pregnant solution (2000 gallons)
Process solution (amount unknown)
Mercury (5,783 kg)
Acid (amount unknown)
Release
Event Year
1980, 85, 86
1990
1989
1984
1989
1991
1991
1989
1991
1991
1991
1989
1989
1989
1989
1985
1985
1988
1987
extended
extended
1986
1988
1978-89
1986
since 1927
since 1955
since 1941
extended time
period
1989-91
1990 '
1989
1990
extended
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Metal Mining
Lead and Zinc
Because lead and zinc are often mined as a byproduct of other primary
ores (copper or silver, for example), less data is available concerning
releases specific to lead and zinc mining processes. Unless a mine
operates exclusively as a lead/zinc operation, waste releases associated
with these minerals are generally subsumed in the primary ore
category and is included in the "Gold and Silver" data.
Exhibit 19
Lead and Zinc - Related Waste Releases
Site
Black Cloud Mine, Res-
ASARCO Joint Venture,
Lake County, CO
Taylor/Ward Project ,White
Pine County, NV
Central Valley of CA
Red Ledge Mine, ID -
Montana Tunnels Mine, MT
Lucky Friday Mine, Mullan,
ID
Taylor/Ward Project, Alta
Gold Co., White Pine
County, NV
Waste Released
Copper sulfate (2 gallons, 10 gallons, 50 gallons,
amount unknown)
Water and sediments (amount unknown)
Acid leak (amount unknown)
Lead only, see gold and silver
Zinc only, see gold and silver
Zinc only, see gold and silver
See gold and silver
See gold and silver
Lead only, see gold and silver
Release
Event Year
1987
1987
1983
extended
Gold and Silver
As might be expected from the predominant beneficiation methods
associated with gold and silver mining, release of leachate solutions
(pregnant, process, barren, etc.) is by far the most common type of
release for these ores, followed by release of cyanide, a common
treatment solution. Release of cyanide is reported as presented in State
files and is presumed to be released in solution form. Acid Mine
Drainage is also problematic for gold and silver ore mining.
September 1995
39
SIC Code 10
-------
Metal Mining
Sector Notebook Project
Exhibit 20
Gold- and Silver -Related Waste Releases
Site
American Girl Mine,
American Girl Mining Co.,
Imperial County, CA
Carson Hill Gold Mine,
Western Mining Co.,
Calaveras County, CA
Goldfields Operating Co.,
Mesquite, CA
Goldstripe Project, Plumas
County, CA
Gray Eagle Mine, Noranda,
Siskiyou County, CA
Jamestown Mine, Sonora
Mining Corp., Tuolumne
County, CA
Kanaka Creek Joint Venture,
Alleghany, CA
Mclaughlin Mine,
Homestake Mining Co.,
Napa & Yolo Counties, CA
Morning Star Mine,
Vanderbilt Gold Corp.,
San Bernardino, CA
Mt Gaines Mine, Texas Hill
Mining Co., Mariposa, CA
Central Valley of CA,
numerous closed mines
Picacho Mine, Chemgold
Inc., Imperial County, CA
Snow Caps Mine, Sunshine
Mining Co., Independence,
CA
Yellow Aster Mine, Rand
Mining Co., Randsburg, CA
Atlantic and Pacific Mine,
2900 Development Corp.,
Madison County, MT
Waste Released
Pregnant solution (1700 gallons)
Process solution (4320-8640 gallons)
Barren solution (5000 gallons)
Pregnant leach solution (91,450 gallons)
Leaching solution (amount unknown) '
(770, 50, 2520/33, 26 gallons)
Pregnant solution (4000 gallons)
(52 gallons)
Leaching solution (amount unknown)
Residue solution (amount unknown)
Slurry (15 and 30 gallons /min)
(1000-1500 gallons)
(19,100 gallons)
Untreated water (2-3 gallons/min for hours)
Flotation solution (500 gallons)
Reagents (2,700 gallons)
Process water (1000 and 1500 gallons)
Soda ash solution (3000 gallons)
Supernatant (20 gallons/min)
Concentrate (amount unknown, 10 tons, amount
unknown) -
Effluent with arsenic (28 gpm)
Ore slurry (amount unknown)
Pregnant solution (2500 gallons)
Leaching solution (308,000 gallons)
Acid mine drainage
Copper, zinc, cadmium (2 tons/year)
Iron (22 tons/year)
Cyanide solution (min 1200 gallons)
Leaching solution (6000 gallons and
amount unknown)
Leaching solution (amount unknown)
Effluent (amount unknown)
Release
Event Year
1987
1988
1989
1989
1986
1990
1989
1990
1986
1986-87
1983
1983
1986
1989
1987
1987
1989,, 90
1990
1987
1988, 90, 91
1989
1989
1988
1991
extended
since 1987
1989
1988
1989
1988
SIC Code 10
40
September 1995
-------
Sector Notebook Project
Metal Mining
Exhibit 20 (cont'd)
Gold- and Silver-Related Waste Releases
Site
Basin Creek Mine, Lewis &
Clark, Jefferson Counties,
MX
Cable Creek Project, Deer
Lodge County, MX
Golden Sunlight Mine,
Placer Amex, me., Whitehall,
MX
Mineral Hill Mine/Jardine
Joint Venture, Jardine, MX
Landusky Mine, Zortman,
MX
Montana Xunnels Mine,
Jefferson County, MX
Pony Custom Gold Mill,
Chicago Mining Corp.,
Pony, MX
Copperstone Project,
Parker, AZ
Portland Mine,
Bullhead City, AZ
Bullger Basin Mine,
Pennsylvania Mining Inc.,
Park City, CO
Cross Gold Mine, Hendricks
Mining Co., Caribou, CO
Jerry Johnson Group
Cyanide Leach, El Paso
County, CO
Rubie Heap Leach,
American Rare Minerals Inc.,
Xeller County, CO
Gilt Edge Project, Brohm
Mining Co., Deadwaod, SD
Waste Released
Acid mine drainage (amount unknown)
Cyanide (amount unknown,
amount unknown)
Effluent from main sediment pond (amount unknown)
Pregnant solution (2000 gallons)
Acidic water (amount unknown)
.Waste rock (amount unknown)
Seepage return solution (20-50 gallons)
Cyanide (200 gallons)
Cyanide (few gallons/hour)
Pregnant solution (amount unknown)
Cyanide (amount unknown)
Slurry (20 gallons/day,
max 15 gallons/day,
amount unknown)
Leaching solution (2000 gallons, 5 gallons)
Process solution(150-200 gallons)
Process water (500 gallons)
Slurry (300-400 gallons, 200 gallons)
Heap slide (amount unknown)
Sediment (amount unknown)
Oil (amount unknown)
Mine water with cadmium, zinc, copper, lead (amount
unknown)
Fresh ore (amount unknown)
Cyanide (amount unknown)
Cyanide (amount unknown,
amount unknown)
Process solution (300 gallons)
Neutralization solution (1,329 gallons) ,
Pregnant solution (47.05 gpd)
Leaching solution (amount unknown)
Release
Event Year
extended
1988
1989
1989
1986
1980
1987
1990
1990
1987
1988
1987, 88
1990
1990
1990
,1987, 88
1989 ..
1990
1988
1990, 92
1986
1986 .
1986
1985, 1990
1986
1985-92
1991
1991
1990
1990
1989
1988-90
September 1995
41
SIC Code 10
-------
Metal Mining
Sector Notebook Project
Exhibit 20 (cont'd)
Gold and Silver- Related Waste Releases
Site
Annie Creek Mine, Wharf
Resources,
Lawrence County, SD
Golden Reward Mine, Lead,
SD
Homestake Gold Mine,
Lead, SD
Richmond Hill Mine, Bond
Gold Co., Lawrence County,
en
-------
Sector Notebook Project
Metal Mining
Exhibit 20 (cont'd)
Gold and Silver- Related Waste Releases
Site
Red Ledge Mine, Alta Gold
Co., Adams County, ID
Stibnite Mine Project, Valley
County, ID
Yellow Jacket Mine, Glen
Martin, Cobalt, ID '
ACH-Dayton Project,
American Eagle Resources,
Lyon County, NV
Alligator Ridge Mine, USMX
Inc., Ely, NV
Aurora Gold Project, Aurora
Partnership, Mineral
County, NV
Bald Mountain Mine, Placer
Dome U.S. Inc., White Plain
County, NV
Big Springs Project,
Independence Mining Co.,
Elko County, NV
Borealis Gold Project,
Tenneco Mining, Mineral
County, NV
Buckhorn Mine, Cominco
American Inc., Eureka
County, NV
Candelaria Mine, Necro
Metals Inc., Hawthorne,
Esmeralda, and Mineral
Counties, NV
Chimney Creek Project,
Gold Fields Mining Corp.,
Humboldt County, NV
Coeur Rochester, Love Lock,
Pershing County, NV
Cortez Gold Mines, Cortez
Joint Venture, Cortez, NV
Crofoot & Lewis Projects,
Hycroft Resources &
Development, Humboldt
County, NV
Dee Gold Mine, Dee Gold
Mining Co., Elko, NV
Waste Released
Acid mine drainage (.2 cfs)
Diesel oil (900 gallons)
Cyanide (amount unknown)
Cyanide (amount unknown)
Cyanide (amount unknown)
Barren pond (amount unknown)
.Cyanide (100,000-200,000 gallons,
32,000-34,000 gallons,
amount unknown)
Pregnant solution (amount unknown)
Process water (amount unknown,
amount unknown)
Pregnant solution (4500 gallons)
i
Barren solution (9,000 gallons,
5,000 gallons)
Tails liquor (23,000 gallons)
Cyanide (amount unknown)
Cyanide (2,000 gallons, 1,000 gallons)
Process solution (3,000-5,000 gallons)
Pregnant solution (20,000-25,000 gallons)
Ammonium nitrate (4940 pounds.)
Cyanide (1 gallons, 400 gallons, 360 gallons,
80 L, 80 gallons)
Descalant solution (10 gallons)
Diesel fuel (125 gallons)
Hydraulic oil (78 gallons)
Barren solution (90,000-130,000 gallons)
Pregnant solution (5,000-10,000 gallons)
Process solution (600 gallons)
Pregnant solution (5000 gallons, 17,000
gallons, 228,000 gallons,
72,000 gallons)
Tailings reclaim water (142,968
gallons)
Cyanide (58 pounds, amount unknown)
Release
Event Year
since 1973
1989-90
1989
1983
1986
1989
1983
1986
1986
1985-89
1990
1990
1988
1989
1991
1989
1990
1988
1990
1986
1991
1991
1991
1991
1991
1991
1987
1987
1991
1990, 91
1990
1990
1986
1990, 91
September 1995
43
SIC Code 10
-------
Metal Mining
Sector Notebook Project
Exhibit 20 (cont'd)
Gold and Silver-Related Waste Releases
Site
Denton-Rawhide Project,
Kennecott Rawhide Mining
Co., Mineral County, NV
Easy Junior Mine, Alta Gold
Co., White Pine County, NV
Elder Creek Mine, Alta Gold
Co., Lander County, NV
Florida Canyon Mine,
Pegasus Gold Corp.,
Pcrshing County, NV
Flowery Project, American
Eagle Resources,
Virginia City, NV
Gretchell Mine, First Miss
Gold Inc., Winnemucca, NV
Gold Bar Project Atlas Gold
Mining Inc., Eureka County,
NV
Golden Butte Project, Alta
Gold Co., White Pine County,
NV
Gooseberry Tailings Pond,
Asamera Minerals Inc.,
Storey County, NV
Haywood Leach Facility,
Oliver Hills Mining, Co.,
Lyon County, NV
Hog Ranch Mine, Western
Mining Co., Valmy, NV
Jerritt Canyon Project, Elko
County, NV
Marigold Mine, Marigold
Mining Co., Valmy, NV
Mother Lode Project, US
Nevada Gold Search Joint
Venture, Beatty, NV
Nevada Mineral Processing
Mill, Nevada Mineral
Processing, Mineral County,
NV
North Area Leach Project,
Newmont Gold Co., Eureka
County, NV
Northumberland Mine,
Western Minerals Corp.,
Nye County, NV
Waste Released
Safety pond solution (167 gpd)
Used oil (13 barrels, 3000 gallons)
Barren solution (4000 gallons, small amount,
amount unknown)
Pregnant solution (10,000 gallons)
Barren solution (1200 gallons, 500 gallons)
Pregnant solution (30 gallons)
Leaching solution (112 gallons)
Cyanide (amount unknown)
Leaching solution (160-290 ml/min,
amount unknown)
Laboratory samples (8-16 gpd)
Sulfuric acid (20 gallons)
Process fluid (amount unknown)
Cyanide (amount unknown)
Cyanide (75 gallons, 50-55 gallons,
amount unknown)
Pregnant solution (2.4 gpm, 6,500-
17,500 gallons, 1000 gallons)
Barren solution (300 gallons)
Cyanide (amount unknown)
Cyanide (250,000 gallons)
Barren solution (3,500 gallons)
Cyanide (20,000 gallons)
Leaching solution (amount unknown)
Pregnant solution (228 gpd,
640 gpd)
Cyanide (.4 pounds)
Cyanide (amount unknown)
Pregnant solution (2500 gallons)
Pregnant solution (555,000 gallons)
Leaching solution (8^100 gallons,
400 gallons)
Release
Event Year
1990
????.
1989, 90
1990
1990 .
1991
1990
1991
1988
1991
1991
1989-90
1991
1989
1988
1990
1990
1989, 89
1990
1990
1989
1989
1990
1989
1991
1989
1990
1990
1991
1988
1983
1989
1985
SIC Code 10
44
September 1995
-------
Sector Notebook Project
Exhibit 20 (cont'd)
Gold and Silver-Related Waste Releases
Site
Paradise Peak Project, FMC
Gold Co., Nye County, NV
Rain Facility, Newmont
Mining Co., Carlin, NV
Santa Fe Project, Corona
Gold Inc., Hawthorne, NV
Silver Peak Project, '
Homestead Minerals Corp.,
Esmeralda County, NV
6-Mile Canyon Project, Gold
Canyon Placer Inc., Dayton,
NV
Sleeper Mine, Amax Gold
Inc.
South Leach Project,
Newmont Goldlnc., Eureka
County, NV
Tonkin Springs Gold
Mining Co., Eureka County,
NV
USX Project, Ivanhoe Gold
Co., Elko County, NV
Willard Project, Western
States Mineral Corp.,
Pershing County, NV
Wind Mountain Project,
Washoe, NV
Waste Released
Cyanide (275 pounds, 48 pounds)
Acid drainage (3 gpm)
Leaching solution (5 gpm)
Barren solution (amount unknown)
Waste oil (amount unknown)
Cyanide (20-25 gallons,
8,000-10,000 gallons)
Leach thickener (15, 750 gallons),
Cyanide (amount unknown, 10 tons)
Reclaimed seepage pond solution (610 gallons)
Barren solution (3,000 gallons, 2,000 gallons
300 gallons, 3600 gallons,
2000 gallons, 4000, gallons)
Cyanide (149 pounds, 7.66 pounds,
265 pounds)
Pregnant solution (amount unknown)
Process water (4100 gallons,
6240 gallons, 45,000 gallons)
Ore processing evaporation pond (1 gpm)
Mill make-up water (3000 gallons)
Pregnant solution (amount unknown,
amount unknown)
Pregnant solution (500,000 gallons)
Leach seepage solution (amount unknown, ..'.
amount unknown)
Leaching solution (150 gpd,
amount unknown)
Pregnant solution (450 gallons)
Barren solution (100 gallons, 600 gallons)
Strip solution (450 gallons, 6000 gallons)
Cyanide (385,000 gallons, 1.7 pounds,
300 gallons, 30 gallons) "
Release
Event Year
1989, 9.1
1990
1989
1990
1989
1988
1986
1991
1986, 90
1989
1989, 89
1989, 89
1990
1989, 90
1990
1990
1991
1991,90 '
1990
1990
1991
1991
1988
1988
1990
1990
1991
1989
1989, 90 .
1989, 90
1989, 90
1991
September 1995
45
SIC Code 10
-------
Metal Mining
Sector Notebook Project
IV.B Other Data Sources
AIRS Data
The Aerometric Information Retrieval System (AIRS) is an' air
pollution data delivery system managed by the Technical Support
Division in EPA's Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards, located
in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina. AIRS is a national
repository of data related to air pollution monitoring and control. It
contains a wide range of information related to stationary sources of air
pollution, including the emissions of a number of air pollutants which
may be of concern within a particular industry. States are the primary
suppliers of data to AIRS. Data are used to support monitoring,
planning, tracking, and enforcement related to implementation of the
Clean Air Act. AIRS users include State environmental agency staff,
EPA staff, the scientific community, other countries, and the general
public.
Exhibit 21 summarizes AIRS annual releases of carbon monoxide (CO),
nitrogen dioxide (NO2), particulate matter of 10 microns or less (PM10),
total particulates (PT), sulfur dioxide (SO2), and volatile organic
compounds (VOCs). This information is compared across industry
sectors.
Exhibit 22 lists the air emissions of particular chemicals reported for the
metal mining industry in the Air Facility Subsystem (AFS) of AIRS,
presented in a "SIC Code Profile, Metal Mining," prepared by EPA's
Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics in April, 1992. The release
data are expressed in pounds released per year, per facility. Most of the
chemicals released in the highest quantities and those released by the
largest number of facilities are metals. In total, 17,654,112 pounds of the
chemicals listed in Exhibit 22 were released by the mines covered.
SIC Code 10
46
September 1995
-------
Sector Notebook. Project
Metal Mining
Exhibit 21
Pollutant Releases (Short Tons/Years)
Industry
U.S. Total
Metal Mining
Nonmetal Mining
Lumber and Wood
Products
Wood Furniture and
Fixtures
Pulp and Paper
Printing
Inorganic Chemicals
Organic Chemicals
Petroleum Refining
Rubber and Misc. Plastic
Products
Stone, Clay, Glass, and
Concrete
Iron and Steel
Nonferrous Metals
Fabricated Metals
Electronics
Motor Vehicles, Bodies,
Parts, and Accessories
Dry Cleaning
CO
97,208,000
5,391
4,525
123,756
2,069
624,291
8,463
166,147
146,947
419,311
2,090
. 58,043
1,518,642
. 448,758
3,851
367
35,303
101
NO2
23,402,000
28,583
28,804
42,658
2,981
394,448
4,915
108,575
236,826
380,641
11,914
338,482
138,985
55,658
16,424
1,129
23,725
179
PMio
45*489,000
39,359
59,305
14,135
2,165:
35,579
399
4,107
26,493
18,787
2,407
74,623
42,368
20,074
1,185
. 207
2,406
3
PT
7,836,000
140,052
167,948
63,761 ,
3,178
113,571
1,031
39,082
44,860
36,877
5,355
171,853
83,017
22,490 .
3,136
293
12,853
28
SO2
21,888,000
84,222
- 24,129
9,149
1,606
341,002
1,728
182,189
132,459
648,153
29,364
339,216
238,268
373,007
4,019
453
25,462
152
voc
23,312,000
1,283
1,736
41,423
59,426
96,875
101,537
52,091
201,888
309,058
140,741
30,262
82,292
27,375
102,186
4,854
101,275
7,310
Source U.S. EPA Office of Air and Radiation, AIRS Database, May 1995.
September 1995
47
SIC Code 10
-------
Metal Mining
Sector Notebook Project
Exhibit 22
AIRS Releases
Chemical
Acetaldehyde
Acetone
Acrolein
Acrylic acid
Acrylonitrile
Aniline
Antimony
Arsenic
Barium
Benzene
Benzyl chloride
Beryllium
Biphenyl
1,3-Butadiene
Butyl acrylate
sec-Butyl alcohol
tert-Butyl alcohol
Butyraldehyde
Cadmium
Carbon disulfide
Chlorine
Chlorobenzene
Chloroethane
Chlorofonn
Chloroprene
Chromium
Cobalt
Copper
Creosote
Cresol (mixed isomers)
Cumene
Cyclohexane
1 ,2-Dibromoethane
Dibutyl phthalate
1 ,2-Dichlorobenzene
1 ,4-Dichlorobenzene
Dichlorodifluoromethane CFC-1
1 ,2-Dichoroethane
Dichloromethane
Facilities
3
8
3
2
2
2
38
60
62
15
2
2
2
4
2
2
2
3
60
2
64
2
2
2
2
, 64
56
63
2
2
2
13
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
Med. Releases
(Ibs/Year/
FacilityJ
200
147
136
.' 72
92
126
1,568
636
77
226
67
1
2
108
68
54
67
72
166
14
3,450
- 113
46
81
54
292
119
1,625
59 -
60
60
34
67
6
64
115
56
92
119
Total Releases
(Ibs/Year/
Facility)
546
19,366
381
143
185
251
1,499,719
2,189,992
54,284
9,929
1 134
3
3
380
137
108
134'
212
613,554
29
' 3,197,210
226
- 92
162
108
227,682
93,723
- 1,887,139
118
. 121
121
1,032
134
13
127
229
111
185
239
SIC Code 10
48
September 1995
-------
Sector Ki otebooik Pioj ect
Metal Mining
Exhibit
AIRS
22 (conf d)
Releases
Chemical
Dichlorotetrafluoroethane
Dimethyl phthalate
Epichlorohydrin
2-Ethoxyethanol
Ethyl acrylate
Ethylbenzene
Ethylene
Ethylene glycol
Ethylene oxide
Formaldehyde
Formic acid
Freon
Glycol Ethers
HCFC-22
Hydrogen sulfide
Isobutyraldehyde
Lead
Maleic anhydride
Manganese
Mercury
Methanol
2-Methbxyethanol
Methyl acrylate
Methyl ethyl ketone
Methyl isobutyl ketone
Methyl methacrylate
Methylene bromide
Monochlbropenta-
fluoroethane
Naphthalene
n-Butyl alcohol
Nickel
Nitrobenzene
Phenol
Phosphorus (yellow or white)
Phthalic anhydride
Propidnaldehyde
Propylene oxide
Facilities
2
2
2
2
2
5
9
2
2
154
2
2
2
2
1
2
64
2
64
36
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
7
2
62
2
3
62
2
3
2
Med. Releases
(Ibs/Year/
Facility)
2
10
67-
57
80
52
192
59
60
256
67
64
70
25
3
67
. 2,218
11
451
14
223
62
60
194
89
73
5
3
48
110
164
53
35
190
. 32
57
80
Total Releases
(Ibs/Year/
Facility)
3
19
134
115
159
333
7,160
118
121
36,290
134
127
140
51
3
134-
4,065,664
22
572,225
8,365
446
124
121
388
178
146
10
6
1,716
220
132,525
105
154
142,058
64
191
159
September 1995
49
SIC Code 10
-------
Metal Mining
Sector Notebook Project
Exhibit
AIRS
22 (cont'd)
Releases
Chemical
Propylene (Propene)
Selenium
Silver
Styrene
Tetrachloroethylene
Toluene
1,1, 1-Trichloroethane
1 , 1 ,2-Trichloroethane
Trichloroethylene
Trichlorofluoromethane CFC-1 1
1 ,2,4-Trimethylbenzene
Vinyl acetate
Vinyl chloride
m-Xylene
o-Xylene
p-Xylene
Xylene (mixed isomers)
Zinc (fume or dust)
Facilities
9
56
35.
3
2
15
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
5
2
2
64
Med. Releases
(Ibs/Year/
Facility)
201
78
59
96
111
125
68
56
68
97
2
88
' . ' ' 67
91
47
64-
. Ill
1,694
Total Releases
(Ibs/Year/
Facility)
3,067
, 54,673
41,069
405
223
1,323
137
111
137
194
3
175
134
181
252
127
223
2,781,488
National Priorities List
Presented in Exhibit 23 is a table of mining sites listed on the National
Priorities List (NPL) for environmental remediation. These sites have
been involved primarily in the extraction and beneficiation of those
metal ores covered in this profile and represent only a small fraction of
the total number of sites on the NPL, currently numbering over 1,200.
The total number of mining-related sites on the NPL is far greater, and
includes smelting and other metal processing facilities, and a wider
range of metal and non-metal mining facilities.
SIC Code 10
50
September 1995
-------
Sector yjotebook. Project
Metal Mining
Exhibit 23
Selected NFL Mining Sites
Site Name/Location
Silver Bow Creek,
Butte, MT
Clear Creek/Central City
Site, Clear Creek, CO
Silver Mountain Mine,
Loomis, WA
Summitville Mine, South
Fork, CO
Whitewood Creek,
Lawrence/Meade/Butte
Go's., SD
Cherokee County-Galena
Subsite, Cherokee Co., KS
Oronogo-Duenweg
Mining Belt, Jasper Co.,
MO
Tar Creek, Ottawa Co.,
OK/Cherokee Co., KS
California Gulch,
Leadville, CO
Eagle Mine, Oilman, CO
Iron Mountain Mine,
Redding, CA
Richardson Flat Tailings
Smuggler Mountain,
Pitkin County, CO
Type of Mine
Copper
Gold, silver,
copper, lead,
zinc,
molybdenum
Silver, gold,
copper
Gold, copper,
silver
Gold
Lead and Zinc
Lead and Zinc
Lead and Zinc
'Gold, silver,
lead, zinc,
copper
Ziric, copper,
silver
Gold, silver,
copper, zinc,
pyrite
Multiple
Silver, lead,
zinc
Contaminant of Concern
Arsenic, heavy metals
AMD, -aluminum, arsenic,
cadmium, chromium, lead,
manganese, nickel, silver,
copper, fluoride, zinc
Arsenic, antimony, cyanide
AMD, heavy metals, cyanide
Arsenic, cadmium, copper,
manganese, other metals
Cadmium, lead, zinc, AMD
Cadmium, lead, zinc
AMD, heavy metals
AMD, cadmium, copper,
lead, zinc
AMD, antimony, arsenic,
cadmium, chromium, copper,
lead, manganese, nickel,
silver, thallium, uranium,
zinc
AMD, cadmium, copper, zinc
Arsenic, cadmium, copper,
lead, selenium, zinc.
Lead, cadmium, zinc,
arsenic, barium, copper,
manganese, silver, mercury
Environmental Damage
Contaminated surface soils
and sediments; contamination
of primary drinking water
sources
Surface water contamination
from AMD; contaminated
sediments and groundwater;
potential air-borne
contamination from tailings
Soil, groundwater, and surface
water contamination
Surface water contamination;
fishkills
Contaminated alluvial
groundwater, surface water,
surface soils, and vegetation
Ground and surface water
contamination; contaminated
soils
Contaminated ground and
surface water, and sediments;
contamination of primary
drinking water supplies
Contaminated aquifer serving
apprqx. 21,000 residents;
acute surface water
contamination; high mortality
rate of most surface water
biota
Contaminated surface water,
groundwater, and sediments
Contaminated surface water
and groundwater;
contaminated soils and
sediments
Contamination of surface
water; elimination of aquatic
life; fishkills
Surface water contamination;
possible contamination of
wetlands
Soil contamination; potential
air, ground and surface water
contamination
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V. POLLUTION PREVENTION OPPORTUNITIES
As a national policy, the Pollution Prevention Act of 1990 (PPA) and
the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) encourage the
reduction in volume, quantity, and toxicity of waste. While RCRA
focuses primarily on the reduction in volume and/or toxicity of
hazardous waste, the PPA encourages maximum possible -elimination
of all waste through source reduction.
In the PPA, Congress defined source reduction as any practice that
reduces the amount of any hazardous substance, pollutant, or
contaminant entering any waste stream or otherwise releases into the
environment (including fugitive emissions) prior to recycling,
treatment, or disposal; and reduces the hazards to public health and the
environment associated with the release of such substances, pollutants,
or contaminants. Source reduction includes equipment or technology
modifications, process or procedure modifications, reformulation or
redesign of products, substitution of raw materials, and improvements
in housekeeping, maintenance, training, or inventory control.
The best way to.reduce pollution is to prevent it in the first place.
Some companies have creatively implemented pollution prevention
techniques that improve efficiency and increase profits while at the
same time minimizing environmental impacts. This can be done in
many ways, such as reducing material inputs, re-engineering processes
to reuse by-products, improving management practices, employee
awareness and education, and employing substitutions for toxic
chemicals. . .
In order to encourage these approaches, this section provides both
general and company-specific descriptions of some pollution
prevention advances that have been implemented within the metal
mining industry. While the list is not exhaustive, it does provide core
information that can be used as a starting point for facilities interested
in beginning their own pollution prevention projects. When possible,
this section provides information from real activities that can or are
being implemented by this sector. This section provides summary
information from activities that may be, or are being implemented by
this sector. When possible, information is provided that gives the
context in which the techniques can be effectively used. Please note
that the activities described in this section do not necessarily apply to
all facilities that fall within this sector. Facility-specific conditions must
be carefully considered when pollution prevention options are
evaluated, and the. full impacts of the change must examine how each
option affects, air, land, and water pollutant releases.
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Much of the information presented is drawn from EPA's OSW report
on Innovative Methods of Managing Environmental Releases at ^
sites, April 1994.
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V.A. Controlling and Mitigating Mining Wastes
ป
Mining Water Control
As discussed previously, acid drainage is an environmental concern at
many mining sites. There are no widely-applicable technologies to stop
a fully-developed acid drainage situation. This makes,it particularly
important to prevent acid drainage before it starts. Prevention of acid
drainage requires control of oxygen, water, bacteria, and sulfide
minerals. Within a mine, oxygen levels cannot be controlled, so AMD
prevention measures focus on control of the other three parameters,
particularly on water flows.
The primary strategy for minimizing acid drainage focuses on water
control. A comprehensive water control strategy works both to limit
contact between water and exposed mine rock and to control the flow
of water that has been contaminated by mineral-bearing rock.
Development of systems for water control at mine sites requires
consideration of rainfall runoff as well as process water used or
produced when mine dewatering is required in excavation,
concentration, and leaching. Although the type of water controls used
varies widely according to topography, rock type, and climactic
conditions, efforts are typically aimed at directing water flows to
containment ponds for treatment or evaporation. The five principal
technologies used to control water flow at mine sites are: diversion
systems, containment ponds, groundwater pumping systems,
subsurface drainage systems, and subsurface barriers.
Surface water is controlled by diversion systems, made up primarily of
drainage ditches. Some drainage ditches channel water away from
mining sites before runoff reaches exposed minerals, while others
direct contaminated water into holding ponds for evaporation or
treatment. The ponds used to hold leaching solutions are more
sophisticated than holding ponds for mine runoff because of
environmental concerns and the valuable nature of the metal-rich
solutions in leaching holding ponds.
Groundwater sources can also be protected with water control systems.
Groundwater pumping systems are used to control or reduce
underground seepage of contaminated water from collection ponds
and waste piles. Wells are drilled where underground water
movement is detected, and pumps are then used to move the water
out of the ground to holding ponds and/or to a treatment plant.
Subsurface drainage systems are also used to control seepage in mining
areas. These systems use a drain channel and wells to collect
contaminated water that has seeped underground and move it to a
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treatment plant. Subsurface barriers are used to divert groundwater
away from mining operations. The most common forms are slurry
walls and grouting. Slurry walls are made of low-permeability
materials that are sunk into the ground around mining operations.
Grouting involves the injection of a liquid solution, which then
solidifies, into rock crevices and joints to reduce water flow. The EPA
and DOE-sponsored Mining Waste Technology Program (MWTP) in
Butte, Montana is conducting a clay-based grouting demonstration
project at the Mike Horse Mine in Lincoln. Researchers have found,
that clay-based grouts retain their plasticity throughout stabilization,
unlike cement-based grouts; clay grouts are not easily eroded; and clay
grouts generally penetrate mine .fractures better than cement-based
grouts. Through this project, researchers hope to use a clay grout,
developed specifically for the site's geological characteristics, to isolate
specific mineralized structures within the mine. This grouting barrier
will lower the groundwater flow .entering the mine, reducing contact
with the mine's sulfide1 minerals. Consequently, acid generation will
decrease and lower quantities of acid and dissolved metals will be
delivered to area surface water sources.
MWTP is also demonstrating a sulfate-reducing bacteria project at the
nearby abandoned Lilly/Orphan Boy mine, where acid production is a
continuing problem. This technology uses bacteria to reduce
contamination in mine wastewater by reducing sulfates to hydrogen
sulfide. This hydrogen sulfide reacts with dissolved metals, resulting
in the formation of insoluble metal sulfides. Finally, the sulfate
reduction produces bicarbonate, which increases the pH of the water.
This biotechnology also acts as a source control by slowing or reversing
the process of acid generation. Because biological sulfate reduction is
an anaerobic process, it reduces the quantity of dissolved oxygen in the
mine water and increases the pH, thereby slowing or stopping the
production of acid. Final reporting on this demonstration project is
1 . expected after the three-year trial ends in late 1997.
Waste Rock Disposal Area and Tailing Impoundment Design
In addition to controlling water flow, acid drainage minimization also
requires that waste rock disposal areas and tailings impoundments be
properly designed and sited. When selecting a site for waste disposal
areas, mine operators should consider the topography of the site and
the proximity to groundwater, streams, and rivers. Waste rock can be
sloped to minimize uncontrolled runoff and to control the velocity ,of
water that flows into containment ponds.
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Wetlands
One promising technique for treating AMD is the use of constructed
wetlands. There are currently approximately 400 such systems in
operation, mostly as a result of U.S. Bureau of Mines research
programs. Constructed wetlands systems have been particularly
effective at removing iron from acid mine water. These wetlands rely
on bacterial sulfate reduction (the opposite of bacterial oxidation, the
formation of acid) to remove iron and other minerals and to reduce
the acidity of contaminated water. The iron is precipitated out,
deposited in the substrate, and eventually accumulated by plants.
Although a few wetland systems have been built to treat large flows of
acid mine drainage, the technique seems best suited to handling seeps
and small flows. Their .effectiveness is also limited when there are
large seasonal changes in flow rates, or high concentrations of
nonferrous metals, as occurs in some metal mining "areas.
The Dunka mine site, an iron ore mine operated by LTV Steel Mining
Company (LTV SMCo) is currently using wetlands treatment methods
to mitigate an existing seepage problem. The facility has experienced
seepage from a specific type of acid generating waste rock found at the
site. Seepage from the waste rock piles has flowed to a creek, which
enters Birch Lake; a previous study estimated 50 million gallons a year
of discharge. Studies conducted at the mine's active wetlands site,
indicate 30 percent removal of nickel and 100 percent removal of
copper by peat sequestration. Overall mass analyses indicate more than
80 percent of copper entering the wetlands were retained. Other
technologies currently being* used at the site include pile capping to
reduce infiltration; diverting the creek away from the waste rock
stockpiles; and a lime neutralization treatment system for removing
metals from collected waste rock seepage.
Pump and Treat
The conventional approach to treating contaminated ground or surface
water produced through acid drainage involves an expensive, multi-
step process that pumps polluted water to a treatment facility,
neutralizes the contaminants in the water, and turns these neutralized
wastes into sludge for disposal. The first step in the process,
equalization, involves pumping polluted water into a holding basin.
The holding basin may be the containment pond at the base of the
waste rock disposal area or tailings impoundment, or may be an
additional basin constructed for this purpose. A steady'"equalized"
flow of water is then pumped out of the holding basin to a treatment
plant for neutralization. Lime is commonly added to the water in the
treatment plant to neutralize the acid. The next step, aeration,
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involves moving the treated water to another basin where it is exposed
to air. The metals precipitate typically as hydroxides, forming a
gelatinous sludge. The floe then settles to the bottom of the pond as
sediment. This sediment contains most of the contaminants that had
previously been mixed with the water, as well as unreacted.
neutralizing reagents. The accumulated sludge at the bottom of the
basin can then be removed for disposal.
MWTP is exploring a variety of options for improving mine
wastewater treatment technologies. Among its projects is an effort to
use photoassisted electron transfer to remove toxic substances,
specifically nitrate and cyanide, from wastewater. Researchers are also
developing new treatment technologies involving chemical
precipitation, with or without aeration, to neutralize acid waters and
precipitate contaminants from a nearby abandoned open-pit mine that
contains over 20 billion gallons of wastewater. Final study results for
this project will be published in early 1996.
Sludge Disposal
Sludge disposal is the most expensive and difficult part of acid drainage
treatment. The easiest method for final disposal is to pump the sludge
into abandoned mines. The long-term environmental impact of this
method is undetermined. While the mine is still active, the sludge
may be placed in a basin next to the sediment pond. The sludge is left
in this second pond until evaporation takes place and the sludge dries.
The sludge can then be transferred to an appropriate location for
long-term storage or disposal.
MWTP is currently completing a research project on sludge
stabilization. The research team, led by faculty at University of
Montana's Montana Tech, is studying the properties and stability of
sludges generated through water treatment techniques for acid-
polluted water from sulfide mines. Researchers are analyzing the
chemical properties of sludges, and will propose various storage
environments to optimize long-term sludge stability.
Mine Planning
One way to mitigate the problems caused by acid water draining from
underground and surface rnines is to carefully consider a site's
topography, geology, hydrogeology, geochemistry, and the like in
determining approaches to ore production and the siting of such
process wastes as waste rock piles, tailings impoundments, and
solution ponds. Proper planning of operations can greatly reduce such
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environmental hazards as potential' releases .to ground and surface
waters and AMD production.
Acid Zone Isolation
An alternative to removing acid producing zones, which may be
neither feasible nor economical, is to isolate them by using a mining
sequence that avoids- extracting material that will create AMD-
producing wastes and exposing "hot" zones. This is accomplished by
leaving rock barriers between mining operations and the potential
acid-producing zone, and, if necessary, grouting or otherwise sealing off
the flow of water into the "hot" zone.
V.B. Innovative Waste Management Practices
New techniques for recovering metal resources that may have less of
an environmental impact include in-situ leaching, use of robotic
systems, and underground leaching. These techniques could reduce
surface disturbances and eliminate waste piles and impoundments, but
may have serious impacts on groundwater. Alternatively, existing
waste piles may be remined to meet environmental standards, if
economically feasible. Another possibility is the development of
techniques to extract metals more economically from common rocks.
Waste from these common rocks may not contain the hazardous
components common in the sulfide ore that are the source of many
metals. Industry groups suggest, however, that metals in common
rock may not be present in recoverable form and amounts.
The Bureau of Mines has developed a froth flotation process to remove
heavy-metal-bearing minerals from tailings. This process recovers not
only the desired mineral components of the tailings, but also the acid-
forming minerals, and renders the wastes less susceptible to AMD. A
combination of conventional and non-conventional flotation reagents
lowers the metal content of tailings by as much as 95 percent. Two
other possibilities for dealing with wastes created during processing is
to concentrate potential contaminants, which would then require a
smaller disposal area, or to treat contaminants with a chemical or
physical coating, which reduces the rate of release.
Following is an exhibit that describes some of the waste
minimization/prevention opportunities for different steps of the
mining process.
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Exhibit 24
Waste Minimization and Prevention Opportunities
Activity
Waste
Waste Minimization Options
Flotation
Sodium cyanide
Zinc sulf ate,
sodium cyanide
Ammonia
Non-toxic reagents may be substituted for cyanide
compounds in copper beneficiation; sodium sulfide/
bisulfide may be used as alternatives to sodium cyanide
Flotation process control equipment w/sensors, computing
elements, and control units may be installed to reduce
amount of flotation reagents necessary and to improve
separation of waste from product
Alkalinity in the beneficiation circuits may be maintained
by reagents less toxic than ammonia, such as lime
Tailings
Management
Sulfuric acid
Water (and
associated
pollutants)
Pyrites could be segregated from other gangue material
before discharge to tailings impoundments to reduce the
potential for sulfuric acid formation after closure
Thin Layer (TL) process for copper reduces water use by as
much as 75 percent as the amount needed for agitation
leaching; also reduces fugitive dust generation
Up to 90 percent of metals and cyanide can be removed
through use of ion exchange, heavy metal removal systems
and cyanide destruction systems, precipitation of heavy
metals using lime, oxidization of cyanide using sodium
hypochlorite, then electrolysis, and filtration through a
high flow rate sand filter
Water may be removed from the tailings slurry for reuse in
the milling circuit
Leaching
Trace metals
A Pachuca reactor reduces the elution time for recovering
cobalt from spent copper leach solutions
Substitute thiourea, thiosulfate, malononitriles, bromine,
and chlorine compounds for cyanide under certain conditions
Metal Parts
Cleaning
Miscellaneous
chlorinated
solvents
Switching to semi-aqueous cleaners such as terpene and
hydrocarbon cleaners or aqueous cleaners which are water-
based cleaning solutions would reduce or eliminate solvent
emission and liquid waste generation
Blasting
Ammonium
nitrate
Maintain storage containers properly
Use used oil instead of new oil in the preparation of ANFO
(if allowed by MSHA)
Crushing
Zinc liners
Zinc mantle liner pieces in the secondary crushers may be
recycled ' '
Source: Draft Report to U.S. EPA Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics. September 1994.
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Metals Recovery
In cooperation with domestic steel makers, the Bureau of Mines has
developed an innovative, efficient, and cost-effective recycling process
to treat the estimated 1.8 million annual tons of iron-rich dusts and
sludges that are contaminated with heavy metals, by mixing various
dusts and wastes to produce recyclable metal pellets. The process has
been proven on a 1,000 Ib/hour pilot scale, and full scale industrial tests
are being scheduled. In addition, the Bureau of Mines has worked with
DOE and industry representatives to develop a 1,000 Ib/hour electric arc
furnace suitable for demonstrating the vitrification of mineral wastes
and/or the recovery of heavy-metal-rich fume products for recycling. If
the contaminated mineral wastes cannot be easily treated, furnace
treatment is possible. This treatment has been shown to be effective in
rendering unleachable and safe for discarding any unrecoverable trace
metals left in the resulting slag.
Cyanide Removal
Bureau of Mines scientists are also investigating new methods of
rinsing heaps to remove cyanide. Researchers have determined that
interrupted or pulsed water rinsing, as opposed to continuous washing,
more efficiently rinses cyanide from heaps and produces less liquid
waste to be chemically neutralized or destroyed. Chemical
neutralization methods are also being studied for a suite of cyanide
complexes typically found in mining waste. In addition, an alternative
to destroying cyanide or preventing its escape is the development of
leaching agents other than cyanide. Several reagents such as thiourea
are effective for recovering gold under certain circumstances.
Thiosulfate, malononitriles, bromine, and chlorine compounds also
have been shown to leach gold under specific conditions.
Reclamation
Bureau of Mines researchers are currently developing methods for
reclamation and closure of mining operations. The focus of this work
is on controlling hydrology at sites, decontaminating wastes when
necessary, and stabilizing wastes for closure. For example, the current
practice for sealing mine shafts is to install a concrete plug. This
practice is difficult and expensive because it requires drilling into rock
walls to provide support for the plug; access to remote shafts and
portals is also a problem. One possible solution being investigated is
the use of low-density foaming plastics and/or cements. The cost of the
foaming plastic closure is about one-half that of concrete plugs, and the
expansion characteristic of the foaming materials may eliminate the
need for drilling into intact rock. Another important advantage of
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using foamed plastic or,cement plugs is that these materials may
provide a resistant seal to acidic mine waters.
Flotation- Technology
Flotation mills separate metalliferrous minerals from waste rock, using
surfactants to cause air bubbles to attach themselves to mineral
particles and to float to the top of a frothing bath of ore slurry. The goal
of flotation mill operators is to maximize the amount of valuable
material floated, while minimizing the ore concentrate's gangue
content. In order to also improve environmental quality, operators
must minimize the amount of surfactants and heavy metals in the
waste stream fed to the tailings pond. Reliable on-line measurements
of metals content at various points throughout the mill is thus
necessary to effect control of the operation.
X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) is an analytical technique designed to rapidly
measure the metals content of a flotation slurry sample. In mills with
on-line X-ray analyzers, operators can base their responses to process
changes on absolute determinations of the metals content of each
stream sampled. In its simplest form the operator uses output
information from the analyzer to adjust surfactant addition rates to
meet quality goals. Some mills are moving toward a more advanced
system of incorporating XRF technology, using central computers to
store historical data and/or a detailed model of the total process to
establish automatic control setpoints.
This technology is now in use at the Doe Run Fletcher mill, which
beneficiates a mixed sulfide ore. During the flotation process, assay
data from the XRF unit is sent to a process control Computer.
Flowmeter readings from all of the reagent addition lines are also sent
to the computer, as are the outputs from a variety of process monitors.
The computer displays most of this data on an operator console in the
mill control room. Based on the data presented, the operator can vary
the reagent addition rates to obtain better. mineral separation. The
computer maintains an archive of the historical behavior of the mill,
enabling mill managers to specify empirical formulae relating reagent
needs to assay results.
Use of an on-line X-ray analyzer, coupled with a process control
computer, greatly simplifies the operation of a mill. One mill required
24 operators, three engineers, and three supervisors before this
technology was introduced; it now requires about eight staff to operate.
Benefits associated with this process control technology may include a
decrease in reagent consumption, a significant environmental benefit;
a stabilized process, increasing metal recovery rates; and more effective
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grinding control, allowing an increase in mill tonnage throughput.
Doe Run estimates its cost savings to approach $785,000 per year,
including a 14 percent reduction in reagent costs per year and
improved metallurgy resulting from higher purity concentrates. In
addition, the technology has resulted in a reduction of 4,500 to 5,000
pounds of metal entering the tailings pond per day.
Pyrite Flotation
At the Superior Mine in Arizona, Magma Copper Company is
currently producing a high grade pyrite product by subjecting copper
tailings to an additional flotation circuit. Instead of generating a
tailings high in sulfide, the facility produces less reactive tailings and
two marketable pyrite products.
Pyrite easily oxidizes to form sulfuric acid and, at many mine sites, is
associated with acid generation from tailings piles and other mining
activities. Removing pyrite prior to discharging the tailings will
decrease the potential for acid generation from tailings, which may in
turn minimize possible waste treatment and remediation costs.
Magma's pyrite flotation circuit is similar to its copper flotation circuit
and uses existing flotation equipment. Operators use reagents to float
pyrite from copper tailings, producing a 99 percent pure pyrite
concentrate: This concentrate is pumped to a settling pond for
dewatering after exiting the flotation circuit. As the pyrite dries, it is
excavated from the pond and sent to the plant to package for sale.
Currently, the operation of pyrite flotation circuit is demand-driven,
with the circuit used only as needed to meet the demand for the pyrite.
product. At other times, the pyrite is discharged with the tailings to the
tailings impoundment. According to Magma's facility personnel,
"breaking even" financially with the pyrite flotation project is a
satisfactory' result because of the resultant savings or avoidance of
waste treatment costs associated with acid generation caused by pyrite
in the tailings.
Possible limitations to widespread application of this technology are
related to the Superior Mine's unique ore, in which pyrite
concentration reaches 25 percent (concentration at most copper mines
is closer to five percent). Lower pyrite concentrations in other ore may
make pyrite flotation more difficult and/or expensive. In addition,
because the operation is demand-driven and operates only when
needed, pyrite is removed from only a portion of the copper tailings.
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Tailings Reprocessing
Magma Copper is also recovering additional copper from a tailings pile
at its Pinto Valley operation. The tailings pile covers 210 acres and
contains 38 million tons of tailings; it was deposited between 1911 and
1932. Pinto Valley hydraulically mines the tailings pile, leaches the
tailings, and produces copper by using a SX/EW facility. After leaching
and washing of the slurried tailings, the remaining slurry is piped
overland approximately five miles to an abandoned open copper pit
mine for final disposal.
The pile's oldest tailings contain ,72 percent copper, while those
deposited most recently contain .11 percent copper; Magma thus pre-
strips the top layer in order to get to an economically recoverable zone.
Magma still reprocesses this pre-stripped layer, although the copper
recovered is extremely low.
The hydraulic mining system's water jets and vacuum pumps break
down clay aggregates, allowing more efficient tailings separation, and
renders the tailings into a slurry for beneficiation processes. The slurry
first enters a leach .tank, then goes to the first of two thickeners.
Overflow from this thickener becomes the pregnant leach solution
(PLS), which is sent to the solvent extraction circuit. The underflow
from the first thickener is pumped to a second thickener. Overflow
from this thickener is returned to the mining circuit as feed for the
hydraulic operations; the underflow is pumped into a tailings disposal
area. Magma uses the same SX/EW operation for reprocessed tailings
and its in situ leach operation; there is no difference between the
SX/EW operation for the reprocessed tailings and other SX/EW plants
in use at other copper sites.
According to facility personnel, the operation has recently been
financially profitable due to the increase of copper prices and is
expected to continue to be profitable in the future. Environmentally,
the benefit derived from the operation results from the removal of the
tailings pile located in a drainage adjacent to a town and redepositing
the tailings in an abandoned open pit in a relatively remote location.
Magma credits the success of this operation to the high concentration
of copper present in the tailings; other'sites may have a lower
percentage of copper in the tailings, which may make reprocessing less
economical.
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Pipe Recycling/Reuse
IMC operates phosphate rock mines in West. Central Florida, and has
implemented a waste minimization program involving the reuse and
recycling of steel pipe used to transport slurry, water, tailings, and other
materials. IMC obtains maximum use from its pipe in several ways:
Pipe used for matrix and clay transport is periodically rotated to.
ensure that wear is evenly spaced over the full diameter of the
pipe
To the extent possible, pipe no longer suitable for the most
demanding use is used in other, less demanding pipelines
Pipe no longer suitable for use in pipelines is either used for
other purposes (such as culverts) or is sold for off-site reuse or
scrap.
IMC has developed a computerized model to predict how long a
section of pipe can remain in each position and when it needs to be
turned. When pipe can no longer be used for materials transport, any
undamaged portions of pipe are removed for onsite reuse as culvert or
sold to a local scrap dealer as usable pipe. Damaged pipe is sold to a
scrap dealer. By reusing pipe onsite, IMC estimates that it saves
approximately $1.5 million each year. In 1991, $316,000 was received for
pipe that could be reused offsite, and 4,200 tons of scrap piping was sold
for an estimated total of $42,000 - ,$84,000. IMC's program reduces
capital expenditures by reducing the amount of new pipe that must be
purchased, as well as saving operating costs by avoiding costly
shutdowns when pipes fail.
Mine Tire Recycling
Mine representatives have estimated the price of one large tire to range
from $10,000 to $16,000, or over $100,000 to fit one large piece of
equipment. Several options exist for recycling or reusing whole large
tires. One alternative is retreading the tires for reuse; retreading
reduces the demand for new tires and conserves resources (retreading a
used tire requires less than 40 percent of the fossil fuel to make a new
tire). The purchase price for retreaded tires is less than for new tires,
providing an additional savings incentive. In addition to retreading,
whole scrap tires are used in civil engineering applications, including
construction, erosion control, and agriculture (feeding troughs, for
example).
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Processing scrap tires involves shearing, cutting and/or shredding tires
into smaller pieces. The major markets for processed tires are as tire
derived fuel and in civil engineering applications. Scrap tires are an
excellent fuel source, generating about 80 percent as much energy as/
crude oil per pound. In recent years, there have been major increases
in the use of scrap tires as fuel by a number of industries, including
power plants, cement kilns, pulp and paper mills, and tire
manufacturing facilities.
Mining companies may be able to access the tire retreading market
through their current tire'vendors. Depending on their condition and
suitability, some vendors may offer reimbursement for used tires.
Cobre, a tire vendor for the Dee Gold Mine, performs on-site
evaluations of used tires to determine each tire's potential for
retreading. If a tire is retreadable, Dee Gold Mine is reimbursed $500
per tire; if it isn't, Cobre will remove the tire free of charge.
Two major impediments to recycling mine vehicle tires are the
distance to existing resource recovery markets and the size of these
large scrap tires. Large mining operations are not usually located near
their potential markets in larger cities. For remote mine locations,
some added effort may be necessary to find or develop markets. In
order to reduce size and handling difficulties associated with used
mine tires, shredders or shears may be used to cut large tires into pieces
more suited to handling.
Mine Water Management '
One of the major concerns regarding runoff from mining activities is
the potential for acid generation and metal mobilization in waste
associated with mining. Sources of potentially contaminated non-
process waters at a mine site include: seepage from underground mine
workings; runoff from abandoned/inactive mines; runoff from waste
rock, overburden, and tailings piles; overflow from ponds or pits,
especially during high precipitation or snow melt events; runoff from
chemical storage areas; former mining and processing areas with
contaminated residue; leaks from liquid/slurry transport lines; and
runoff from other areas disturbed by mining operations.
Effective practices for managing and controlling runon/runoff are also
known as best management practices, or BMPs. BMPs can be measures
or practices used to reduce the amount of pollution entering surface or
groundwater, air, or land, and may take the form of a process, activity,
or physical structure. BMPs include treatment requirements, operating
procedures, and practices to control plant site runoff, spillage or leaks,
waste disposal, drainage from raw material storage or other disturbed
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areas. BMPs applicable to mine site discharges can be divided into
three general areas: 1) construction/reclamation; 2) management and
housekeeping; and 3) treatment. The following table provides
examples of specific techniques used within each of these areas.
Exhibit 25
Mine Water Management Techniques
Construction/Reclamation
Techniques
Diversion ditches and drainage
systems
Rip-rap
Dikes and berms
Grading or terracing
Collection basins
Capping or sealing
Vegetation and mulching
Silt fences
Management &
Housekeeping Techniques
Comprehensive pollution
prevention plan
Immediate spill clean-up
Inspection
Training and education
Routine maintenance
Proper handling
procedures
Periodic systems reviews
Treatment Techniques
Sedimentation basins
Oil/water separators
Neutralization
Artificial wetlands
The following cases illustrate how some facilities are approaching
water management at their operations. First, the Hayden Hill Project is
operated in Lassen County, California by Lassen Gold Mining, Inc., a
subsidiary of Amax Gold Inc.. Amax Gold won a California Mining
Association award for its facility reclamation plan, and the 1992
DuPont/Conoco Environmental Leadership Award for environmental
excellence in the precious metals industry. Mining operations include
an open pit mine, waste rock disposal area, a heap leach pad, and mill
processing facilities.
Storm water control measures undertaken at Hayden Hill include:
Baseline and continual monitoring of ground and surface water
Double liner and leak detection for heap leach pad and
processing ponds
Lined tailings impoundment, with a surrounding freeboard
berm to protect against runon and overflow
Erosion control measures, such as retention ponds to intercept
runoff and stream crossing constructed during low flow periods
Protection of stream bank to prevent grazing impacts
Groundwater springs near the open pit will be rerouted
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Diversion of natural drainage around the heap leach pad
Solution pipes located in lined ditches.
In addition, all runoff from the shops and warehouse areas is collected
in a storm water collection ditch; above the mill area are storm water
diversion ditches to route storm water around the mill to avoid
potential contact with material at the mill. The waste rock dump basin
is designed with interior benches that slope towards the inside of the
basin to allow storm water to be captured as it flows across the bench.
These "V" ditches will drain the runoff to a heap toe drain.,
Revegetation will be an important step in. the mine's reclamation. To
aid this effort, various erosion, controls will be used, including rip-rap
in shallow interception ditches, sediment collection basins, rock dikes,
and straw bales as check dams around culverts. Expectations are to
return the site to livestock grazing, watershed protection, wildlife
habitat, and recreational use after mining is complete.
The Cyprus Bagdad Mine, operated by the Cyprus Bagdad Copper
Corporation in Baghdad, Arizona, is another facility using an
integrated approach to water management as part of its pollution
prevention plan. Cyprus' pollution prevention plan was prepared in
response to Arizona Department of Environmental Quality
requirements, and addresses many areas of the facility, including non-
mining activities such as vehicle fueling.
Examples of Cyprus' pollution prevention controls include:
Diversion ditches to carry runoff away from the solvent
exchange leach and tailings disposal areas; regular ditch
inspections and repairs
Runoff and spills channeled to collection basins and surge
ponds; planned upgrades for many existing ponds with double
liners, and leak detection systems
Earthen berms around petroleum tanks to prevent runon from
contacting the tank and surrounding areas
Visual leak/spill inspections of tailing disposal, reclaim water,
seepage return, and leaching systems
Redirection and control of water from mine shop parking lot
Collection and recycling of spilled fuel and oil; monitor
equipment areas for spilled fuel and oil
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Cover copper-concentrate trucks with heavy tarps to prevent in
transit losses; store concentrate on concrete and asphalt pads
Construction of a lined impoundment and oil/water separator at
truck wash area; chlorinated solvents no longer used at the truck
wash, eliminating a contaminant source.
A notable feature of Cyprus' pollution prevention and control plan is
its comprehensiveness. All facets of facility operation are addressed,
including frequency of routine maintenance and inspections; employee
training; supervisor maintenance of monitoring logs; emergency
backup systems testing, inspection of piping, sumps, and liners; and
monitoring pump rates and pond and dam elevations.
Lastly, the Valdez Creek Mine in Cantwell, Alaska is using stream
diversion to both improve access to ore and prevent stream discharges.
In order to access ore sources beneath an active stream channel, the
Valdez Creek was diverted by constructing a diversion dam upstream
of the active pit; the dam impounds water, which then flows through
the diversion channel approximately one mile before rejoining the
stream. The diversion channel is lined with a synthetic liner and rip-
rap to prevent erosion and incision of the channel. To aid water
management in the active pit, the facility uses two diversion ditches ,on
either side of the valley above the mined area to intercept runoff before
it reaches the pit.
The lined diversion channel for Valdez Creek and the diversion
ditches minimize impact to the downstream environment by reducing
turbidity and sedimentation caused by mining operations. Stream
diversion not only prevents stream discharges, but also improves
access to the ore _and has lowered operating costs by reducing pit
dewatering requirements.
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VI. SUMMARY OF FEDERAL STATUTES AND REGULATIONS
This section discusses the Federal statutes and regulations that may
apply to this sector. The purpose,of this section is.to highlight, and
briefly describe the applicable Federal requirements, and to provide
citations for more detailed information. The three following sections
are included. ,
Section IV.A contains a general overview of major statutes
Section IV.B contains a list of regulations specific to this industry
Section IV.C contains a list of pending and proposed regulations
' '
The descriptions within Section IV are intended .solely for general
information. Depending upon the nature or scope-of the activities at a
particular facility, these summaries may or may not necessarily describe
all applicable environmental requirements. Moreover, they do not
constitute formal interpretations or clarifications of the statutes and
regulations. For further information, readers should consult the Code
of Federal Regulations and other state or local regulatory agencies. EPA
Hotline contacts are also provided for each major statute.
VI.A. General Description of Major Statutes
Resource Conservation And Recovery Act
, The Resource Conservation And Recovery Act (RCRA) of 1976 which
amended the Solid Waste Disposal Act, addresses solid (Subtitle D) and
hazardous (Subtitle C) waste management activities. The Hazardous
and Solid Waste Amendments (HSWA) of 1984 strengthened RCRA's
waste management provisions and added Subtitle I, which governs
underground storage tanks (USTs).
Regulations promulgated pursuant to Subtitle C of JRCRA (40 CFR Parts
260-299) establish a "cradle-to-grave" system governing hazardous
waste from the point of generation to disposal. RCRA hazardous
wastes include the specific materials listed in the regulations
(commercial chemical products, designated with the code "P" or "U";
hazardous wastes from specific industries/sources, designated with the
code "K"; or hazardous wastes from non-specific sources, designated
with the code "F") or materials which exhibit a hazardous waste
characteristic (ignitability, corrosivity, reactivity, or toxicity and
designated with the code "D").
Regulated entities that generate hazardous waste are subject to waste
accumulation, manifesting, and recordkeeping standards. Facilities
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that treat, store, or dispose of hazardous waste must obtain a permit,
either from EPA or from a State agency which EPA has authorized to
implement the permitting program. Subtitle C permits contain general
facility standards such as contingency plans, emergency procedures,
recordkeeping and reporting requirements, financial assurance
mechanisms, and unit-specific standards. RCRA also contains
provisions (40 CFR Part 264 Subpart S and ง264.10) for conducting
corrective actions which govern the cleanup of releases of hazardous
waste or constituents from solid waste management units at RCRA-
regulated facilities.
Although RCRA is a Federal statute, many States .implement the
RCRA program. Currently, EPA has delegated its authority to
implement various provisions of RCRA to 46 of the 50 States.
./
Most RCRA requirements are not industry specific but apply to any
company that transports, treats, stores, or disposes of hazardous waste.
Here are some important.RCRA regulatory requirements:
Identification of Solid and Hazardous Wastes (40 CFR Part 261)
lays out the procedure every generator should follow to
determine whether the material created is considered a
hazardous waste, solid waste, or is exempted from regulation.
Standards for Generators of Hazardous Waste (40 CFR Part 262)
establishes the responsibilities of hazardous waste generators
including obtaining an ID number, preparing a manifest,
ensuring proper packaging and labeling, meeting standards for
waste accumulation units, and recordkeeping and reporting
requirements. Generators can accumulate hazardous waste for
up to 90 days (or 180 days depending on the amount of waste
generated) without obtaining a permit.
Land Disposal Restrictions (LDRs) are regulations prohibiting
the disposal of hazardous waste on land without prior
treatment. Under the LDRs (40 CFR 268), materials must meet
land disposal restriction (LDR) treatment standards prior to
placement in a RCRA land disposal unit (landfill, land
treatment unit, waste pile, or surface impoundment). Wastes
subject to the LDRs include solvents, electroplating wastes,
heavy metals, and acids. Generators of waste subject to the LDRs
must provide notification of such to the designated TSD facility
to ensure proper treatment prior to disposal.
Used Oil Management Standards (40 CFR Part 279) impose
management requirements affecting the storage, transportation,
burning, processing, and re-refining of the used oil. For parties
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that merely generate used oil, regulations establish storage
standards. For a party considered a used oil marketer (one who
generates and sells off-specification used oil directly to a used oil
burner), additional tracking, and paperwork requirements must
be satisfied.
Tanks and Containers used to store hazardous waste with a high
volatile organic concentration must meet emission standards
under RCRA. Regulations (40 CFR Part 264-265, Subpart CC)
require generators to test the waste to determine the
concentration of the waste, to satisfy tank and container
emissions standards, and to inspect and monitor regulated units.
These regulations apply to all facilities who store such waste,
including generators operating under the 90-day accumulation
rule.
Underground Storage Tanks (USTs) containing petroleum and
hazardous substances are regulated under Subtitle I of RCRA.
Subtitle I regulations (40 CFR Part 280) contain tank design and
release detection requirements, as well as financial responsibility
and corrective action standards for USTs. The UST program also
establishes increasingly stringent standards, including upgrade
requirements for existing tanks, that must be met by 1998.
Boilers and industrial Furnaces (BIFs) that use or burn fuel
containing hazardous waste must comply with strict design and
operating standards. BIF regulations (40 CFR Part 266, Subpart
H) address unit design, provide performance standards, require
emissions monitoring, and restrict the type of waste that may be
burned. .
EPA's RCRA/Superfund/UST Hotline, at (800) 424-9346, responds to
questions and distributes guidance regarding all RCRA regulations.
The RCRA Hotline operates weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., EST,
excluding Federal holidays. .
Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, And Liability Act
The Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and
Liability Act (CERCLA), a 1980 law commonly known as Superfund,
authorizes EPA to respond to releases, or threatened releases, of
hazardous substances that may endanger public health, welfare, or the
environment. CERCLA also enables EPA to force parties responsible
for environmental contamination to clean it up or to reimburse the
Superfund for response costs incurred by EPA. The Superfund
Amendments and Reauthorization Act (SARA) of 1986 revised
various sections of CERCLA, extended the taxing authority for the
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Superfund, and created a free-standing law, SARA Title III, also known
as the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act
(EPCRA).
The CERCLA hazardous substance release reporting regulations (40
CFR Part 302) direct the person in charge of a facility to report to the
National Response Center (NRC) any environmental release of a
hazardous substance which exceeds a reportable quantity. Reportable
quantities are defined and listed in 40 CFR ง 302.4. A release report
may trigger a response by EPA, or by one or more Federal or State
emergency response authorities.
EPA implements hazardous substance responses according to
procedures outlined in the National Oil and Hazardous Substances
Pollution Contingency Plan (NCP) (40 CFR Part 300). The NCP
includes provisions for permanent cleanups, known as remedial
actions, and other cleanups referred to as "removals." EPA generally
takes remedial actions only at sites on the National Priorities List
(NPL), which currently includes approximately 1300 sites. Both EPA
and states can act at other sites; however, EPA provides responsible
parties the opportunity to conduct removal and remedial actions and
encourages community involvement throughout the Superfund
response process.
EPA's RCRA/Superfund/UST Hotline, at (800) 424-9346, answers
questions and references guidance pertaining to the Superfund
program. The CERCLA Hotline operates weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to
7:30 p.m., EST, excluding Federal holidays.
Emergency Planning And Community Right-To-Know Act
The Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act (SARA) of 1986
created the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act
(EPCRA, also known as SARA Title III), a statute designed to improve
community access to information about chemical hazards and to
facilitate the development of .chemical emergency response plans by
State and local governments. EPCRA required the establishment of
State emergency response commissions (SERCs), responsible for
coordinating certain emergency response activities and for appointing
local emergency planning committees (LEPCs).
EPCRA and the EPCRA regulations (40 CFR Parts 350-372) establish
four types of reporting obligations for facilities which store or manage
specified chemicals:
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EPCRA ง302 requires facilities to notify the SERC and LEPC of
the presence of any "extremely hazardous substance" (the list of
such substances is in 40 CFR Part 355, Appendices A and B) if it
has such substance in excess of the substance's threshold
planning quantity, and directs the facility to appoint an
emergency response coordinator.
EPCRA ง304 requires the facility to notify the SERC and the LEPC
in the event of a release exceeding the reportable quantity of a
CERCLA hazardous substance or an EPCRA extremely
hazardous substance.
EPCRA งง311 and 312 require a facility at which a hazardous
chemical, as defined by the Occupational Safety and Health Act,
is present in an amount exceeding a specified threshold to
submit to the SERC, LEPC, and local fire department material -
safety data sheets (MSDSs) or.lists of MSDSs and hazardous
chemical inventory forms (also known as Tier I and II forms).
This information helps the local government respond in the
event of a spill or release of the chemical.
EPCRA ง313 requires manufacturing facilities included in SIC
codes 20 through 39, which have ten or more employees, and
which manufacture, process, or use specified chemicals in
amounts greater than threshold quantities, to submit an annual
toxic chemical release report. This report, commonly known as
the Form R, covers releases and transfers of toxic chemicals to
various facilities and environmental media, and allows EPA to
compile the national Toxic Release Inventory (TRI) database.
All information submitted pursuant to EPCRA regulations is publicly
accessible, unless protected by a trade secret claim.
EPA's EPCRA Hotline, at (800) 535-0202, answers questions and
distributes guidance regarding the emergency planning and
community right-to-know regulations. The EPCRA Hotline operates
weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., EST, excluding Federal holidays.
Clean Water Act
The primary objective of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act,
commonly referred to as the Clean Water Act (CWA), is to restore and
maintain the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the nation's
surface waters. Pollutants regulated under the CWA include "priority"
pollutants, including various toxic pollutants; "conventional"
pollutants, such as biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), total suspended
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solids (TSS), fecal coliform, oil and grease, and pH; and "non-
conventional" pollutants, including any pollutant not identified as
either conventional or priority.
The CWA regulates both direct and indirect discharges. The National
Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) program (CWA ง402)
controls direct discharges into navigable waters. Direct discharges or
"point source" discharges are from sources such as pipes and sewers.
NPDES permits, issued by either EPA or an authorized State (EPA has
presently authorized forty States to administer the NPDES program),
contain industry-specific, technology-based and/or water quality-based
limits, and establish pollutant monitoring and reporting requirements.
A facility that intends to discharge into the nation's waters must obtain
a permit prior to initiating its discharge. A permit applicant must
provide quantitative analytical data identifying the types of pollutants
present in the facility's effluent. The permit will then set forth the
conditions and effluent limitations under which a facility may make a
discharge.
A NPDES permit may also include discharge limits based on Federal or
State water quality criteria or standards, that were designed to protect
designated uses of surface waters, such as supporting aquatic life or
recreation. These standards, unlike the technological standards,
generally do not take into account technological feasibility or costs.
Water quality criteria and standards vary from State to State, and site to
site, depending on the use classification of the receiving body of water.
Most States follow EPA guidelines which propose aquatic life and
human health criteria for many of the 126 priority pollutants.
Storm Water Discharges
In 1987 the CWA was amended to require EPA to establish a program
to address storm water discharges. In response, EPA promulgated the
NPDES storm water permit application regulations. Storm water
discharge associated with industrial activity means the discharge from
any conveyance which is used for collecting and conveying storm
water and which is directly related to manufacturing, processing or raw
materials storage areas at an industrial plant (40 CFR 122.26(b)(14)).
These regulations require that facilities with the following storm water
discharges apply for a NPDES permit: (1) a discharge associated with
industrial activity; (2) a discharge from a large or medium municipal
storm sewer system; or (3) a discharge which EPA or the State
determines to contribute to a violation x>f a water quality standard or is
a significant contributor of pollutants to waters of the United States.
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The term "storm water discharge associated with industrial activity"
means a storm water discharge from one of 11 categories of industrial
activity defined at 40 CFR 122.26. Six of the categories are defined by
SIC codes while the other five are identified through narrative
descriptions of the regulated industrial activity. If the primary SIC code
of the facility is one of those identified in the regulations, the facility is
subject to the storm water permit application requirements. If any
activity at a facility is covered by one of the five narrative categories,
storm water discharges from those areas where the activities occur are
subject to storm water discharge permit application requirements.
Those facilities/activities that are subject to storm water discharge
permit application requirements are identified below. To determine
whether a particular facility falls within one of these categories, the
regulation should be consulted.
Category i: Facilities'subject to storm water effluent guidelines, new
source performance standards, or toxic pollutant effluent standards.
Category ii: Facilities classified as SIC 24-lumber and wood products
(except wood kitchen cabinets); SIC 26-paper and allied products (except
paperboard containers and products); SIC 28-chemicals and allied
products (except drugs and paints); SIC 29-petroleum refining; and SIC
311-leathef tanning and finishing.
Category iii: Facilities classified as SIC 10-metal mining; SIC 12-coal
mining; SIC 13-oil and gas extraction; and SIC 14-nonmetallic mineral
mining.
Category iv: Hazardous waste treatment, storage, or disposal facilities.
Category v: Landfills, land application sites, and open dumps that
receive or have received industrial wastes.
Category vi: Facilities classified as SIC 5015-used motor vehicle parts;
and SIC 5093-automotive scrap and waste material recycling facilities.
Category vii: Steam electric power generating facilities.
Category viii: Facilities classified as SIC 40-railroad transportation; SIC
41-local passenger transportation; SIC 42-trucking and warehousing
(except public warehousing and storage); SIC 43-U.S. Postal Service; SIC
44-water transportation; SIC 45-transportation by air; and SIC 5171-
petroleum bulk storage stations and terminals.
Category ix: Sewage treatment works.
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Category x: Construction activities except operations that result in the
disturbance of less than five acres of total land area.
Category xi: Facilities classified as SIC 20-food and kindred products;
SIC 21-tobacco products; SIC 22-textile mill products; SIC 23-apparel
related products; SIC 2434-wood kitchen cabinets manufacturing; SIC
25-furniture and fixtures; SIC 265-paperboard containers and boxes; SIC
267-converted paper and paperboard products; SIC 27-printing,
publishing, and allied industries; SIC 283-drugs; SIC 285-paints,
varnishes, lacquer, enamels, and allied products; SIC 30-rubber and
plastics; SIC 31-leather and leather products (except leather and tanning
and finishing); SIC 323-glass products; SIC 34-fabricated metal products
(except fabricated structural metal); SIC 35-industrial and commercial
machinery and computer equipment; SIC 36-electronic and other
electrical equipment and components; SIC 37-transportation
equipment (except ship and boat building and repairing); SIC 38-
measuring, analyzing, and controlling instruments; SIC 39-
miscellaneous manufacturing industries; and SIC 4221-4225-public
warehousing and storage.
Pretreatment Program
Another type of discharge that is regulated by the CWA is one that goes
to a publicly-owned treatment works (POTWs). The national
pretreatment program (CWA ง307(b)) controls the indirect discharge of
pollutants to POTWs by "industrial users." Facilities regulated under
ง307(b) must meet certain pretreatment standards. The goal of the
pretreatment program is to protect municipal wastewater treatment
plants from damage that-may occur when hazardous, toxic, or other
wastes are discharged into a sewer system and to protect the quality of
sludge generated by these plants. Discharges to a POTW are regulated
primarily by the POTW itself, rather than the State or EPA.
EPA has developed technology-based standards for industrial users of
POTWs. Different standards apply to existing and new sources within
each category. "Categorical" pretreatment standards applicable to an
industry on a nationwide basis are developed by EPA. In addition,
another kind of pretreatment standard, "local limits," are developed by
the POTW in order to assist the POTW in achieving the effluent
limitations in its NPDES permit.
Regardless of whether a State is authorized to implement either the
NPDES or the pretreatment program, if it develops its own program, it
may enforce requirements more stringent than Federal standards.
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EPA's Office of Water, at (202) 260-5700, will direct callers with
questions 'about the CWA to the appropriate EPA office. EPA also
maintains a bibliographic database of Office of Water publications
which can be accessed through the Ground Water and Drinking Water
resource center, at (202), 260-7786.
Safe Drinking Water Act
The Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) mandates that EPA establish
regulations to protect human health from contaminants in drinking
water. The law authorizes EPA to develop national drinking water
standards and to create a joint Federal-State system to ensure
compliance with these standards. The'SDWA also directs EPA to
protect underground sources of drinking water through the control of
underground injection of liquid wastes.
EPA has developed primary and secondary drinking water standards
under its SDWA authority. EPA and authorized States enforce the
primary drinking water standards, which are contaminant-specific
concentration limits that apply to certain public drinking water
supplies. Primary drinking water standards consist of maximum
contaminant level goals (MCLGs), which are non-enforceable health-
based goals, and maximum contaminant levels (MCLs), which are
enforceable limits set as close to MCLGs as possible, considering cost
and feasibility of attainment.
The SDWA Underground Injection Control (UIC) program (40 CFR
Parts 144-148) is a permit program which protects underground sources
of drinking water by regulating five classes of injection wells. UIC
permits include design, operating, inspection, and monitoring
requirements. Wells used to inject hazardous wastes must also comply
with RCRA corrective action standards in order to be granted a RCRA
permit, and must meet applicable RCRA land disposal restrictions
standards. The UIC permit program is primarily State-enforced, since
EPA has authorized all but a few States to administer the program.
- The SDWA also provides for a Federally-implemented Sole Source
Aquifer program, which prohibits Federal funds from being expended
on projects that may contaminate the sole or principal source of
drinking water for a given area, and for a State-implemented Wellhead
Protection program, designed to protect drinking water wells and
drinking water recharge areas.
EPA's Safe Drinking Water Hotline, at (800) 426-4791, answers
questions and distributes guidance pertaining to SDWA standards. The
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Hotline operates from 9:00 a.m. through 5:30 p.m., EST, excluding
Federal holidays. ,
Toxic Substances Control Act
The Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) granted EPA authority to
create a regulatory framework to collect data on chemicals in order to
evaluate, assess, mitigate, and control risks which may be posed by
their manufacture, processing, and use. TSCA provides a variety of
control methods to prevent chemicals from posing unreasonable risk.
TSCA standards may apply at any point during a chemical's life cycle.
Under TSCA ง5, EPA has established an inventory of chemical
substances. If a chemical is not already on the inventory, and has not
been excluded by TSCA, a premanuf acture notice (PMN) must be
submitted to EPA prior to manufacture or import. The PMN must
identify the chemical and provide available information on health and
environmental effects. If available data are not sufficient to evaluate
the chemical's effects, EPA can impose restrictions pending the
development of information on its health and environmental effects.
EPA can also restrict significant new uses of chemicals based upon
factors such as the projected volume and use of the chemical.
Under TSCA ง6, EPA can ban the manufacture or distribution in
commerce, limit the use, require labeling, or place other restrictions on
chemicals that pose unreasonable risks. Among the chemicals EPA
regulates under ง6 authority are asbestos, chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs),
and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs).
EPA's TSCA Assistance Information Service, at (202) 554-1404, answers
questions and distributes guidance pertaining to Toxic Substances
Control Act standards. The Service operates from 8:30 a.m. through
4:30 p.m., EST, excluding Federal holidays.
Clean Air Act
The Clean Air Act (CAA) and its amendments, including the Clean Air
Act Amendments (CAAA) of 1990, are designed to "protect and
enhance the nation's air resources so as to promote the public health
and welfare and the productive capacity of the population." The CAA
consists of six sections, known as Titles, which direct EPA to establish
national standards for ambient air quality and for EPA and the States to
implement, maintain, and enforce these standards through a variety of
mechanisms. Under the CAAA, many facilities will be required to
obtain permits for the first time. State and local governments oversee,
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manage, and enforce many of the requirements of the CAAA.
regulations appear at 40 CFR Parts 50-99.
CAA
Pursuant to Title I of the CAA, EPA has established national ambient
air quality standards (NAAQSs) to limit levels of "criteria pollutants,"
including carbon monoxide, lead, nitrogen dioxide, particulate matter,
ozone, and sulfur dioxide. Geographic areas that meet NAAQSs for a
given pollutant are classified as attainment areas; those that do not
meet NAAQSs are classified as non-attainment areas. Under ง110 of
the CAA, each State must develop a State Implementation Plan (SIP) to
identify sources of air pollution and to determine what reductions are
required to meet Federal air quality standards.
Title I also authorizes EPA to establish New Source Performance
Standards (NSPSs), which are nationally uniform emission standards
for new stationary sources falling within particular industrial
categories. NSPSs are based on the pollution control technology
available to that category of industrial source but allow the affected
industries the flexibility to devise a cost-effective means of reducing
emissions.
Under Title I, EPA establishes and enforces National Emission
Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAPs), nationally
uniform standards oriented towards controlling particular hazardous
air pollutants (HAPs). Title III of the CAAA further directed EPA to
develop a list of sources that emit any of 189 HAPs, and to develop
regulations for these categories of sources. To date EPA has listed 174
categories and developed a schedule for the establishment of emission
standards. The emission standards will be developed for both new and
existing sources based on "maximum achievable control technology"
(MACT). The MACT is defined as the control technology achieving the
maximum degree of reduction in the emission of the HAPs, taking
into account cost and other factors.
Title II of the CAA pertains to mobile sources, such as cars, trucks,
buses, and planes. Reformulated gasoline, automobile pollution
control devices, and vapor recovery nozzles on gas pumps are a few of
the mechanisms EPA uses to regulate mobile air emission sources.
Title IV establishes a sulfur dioxide emissions program designed to
reduce the formation of acid rain. Reduction of sulfur dioxide releases
will be obtained by granting to certain sources limited emissions
allowances, which, beginning in 1995, will be set below previous levels
of sulfur dioxide releases. ,
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Title V of the CAAA of 1990 created a permit program for all "major
sources" (and certain other sources) regulated under the CAA. One
purpose of the operating permit is to include in a single document all
air emissions requirements that apply to a given facility. States are
developing the permit programs in accordance with guidance and
regulations from EPA. Once a State program is approved by EPA,
permits will be issued and monitored by that State.
Title VI is intended to protect stratospheric ozone by phasing out the
manufacture of ozone-depleting chemicals and restrict their use and
distribution. Production of Class I substances, including 15 kinds of
chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), will be phased out entirely by the year
2000, while certain hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) will be phased
out by 2030.
EPA's Control Technology Center, at (919) 541-0800, provides general
assistance and information on CAA standards. The Stratospheric
Ozone Information Hotline, at (800) 296-1996, provides general
information about regulations promulgated under Title VI of the CAA,
and EPA's EPCRA Hotline, at (800) 535-0202, answers questions about
accidental release prevention under CAA ง112(r). In addition, the
Technology Transfer Network Bulletin Board System (modem access
(919) 541-5742)) includes recent CAA rules, EPA guidance documents,
and updates of EPA activities.
VLB. Industry-Specific Requirements
Three types of laws govern and/or regulate-the mining of metal
resources. The first type, (i.e., the Mining in National Parks Act and
the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act), define areas that are off-limits to
metal mining. The second type of law, (i.e., the General Mining Law of
1872), defines methods for allocating metal deposits for extraction. The
third type of law, those governing the extraction process and
establishing restrictions ,on the types and amounts of wastes that may
be generated, comprises most of the following discussion.
General Mining Law of 1872
The General Mining Law of 1872 is one of the major statutes that direct
the Federal government's land management policy. The Mining Law
grants free access to individuals and corporations to prospect for
minerals in public domain lands, and allows them, on discovery, to
stake a claim on that deposit. According to staff in EPA's Office of Solid
Waste, roughly 40 percent of U.S. mines operate under this provision.
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The Bureau of Land Management (BLM), under the Department of the
Interior, has authority to regulate these mining claim operations under
the Federal Land Policy and Management Act (FLPMA) of 1976.
FLPMA established BLM's general land management and planning
authority (43 CFR Part 3809), and requires that mining operations on
Federal lands are regulated to prevent "unnecessary and undue
degradation."
While mining operations are subject to varying levels of scrutiny, all
operations must be reclaimed and must comply with all applicable
State and Federal laws, including air and water quality standards such
as those established under the CAA and CWA, and standards for the
disposal of solid waste under RCRA.
In addition to requiring reclamation bond posting, BLM requires
mining operations that involve cyanide leaching to meet the following
standards:
Fencing must be used to ensure protection of the public,
livestock, and wildlife
Facilities must be designed to contain the maximum operating
water balance in addition to the water from a 100-year, 24-hour
storm event; containment ponds must be included in all
containment systems
Leakage detection and recovery systems must be designed for
heap and solution containment structures; monitoring of
ground and surface water through closure and final reclamation
is required
Cyanide solution and heaps must be neutralized or detoxified.
Although BLM has general management authority for the mineral
resources on Federal lands, the Forest Service (FS) also regulates
mining activities on Forest Service land, with a similar mandate to
minimize adverse environmental impacts. The National Forest
Management Act of 1976 provides the Forest Service with authorities
and responsibilities similar to those provided to BLM by FLPMA. Like
BLM's regulations, they require compliance with the Clean Water Act
and other environmental statutes and regulations. FS generally
consults with appropriate agencies of the Department of the Interior,
including BLM, in reviewing technical aspects of proposed mining
operations. FS also conducts environmental assessments of proposed
plans and, if necessary, prepares EISs pursuant to the National
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Environmental Policy Act. FS also specifies standards for reclamation
and may require bond posting.
EPA is currently pursuing a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)
with the Department of the Interior to formally coordinate regulatory
and enforcement efforts concerning mining operations on Federal
lands. Ongoing enforcement efforts are commonly coordinated with
BLM State offices, as part of a broader strategy to simplify and
coordinate oversight of mining operations at the State and Federal
level.
Clean Water Act
Under the Clean Water Act, National Pollution Discharge Elimination
System (NPDES) permits must be acquired before any pollutant can be
discharged from a point source into U.S. waters. EPA has established
national technology-based effluent limitation guidelines for ore
mining and dressing operations (40 CFR Part 440). These include new
source performance standards based on Best Available Demonstrated
Technology (BADT). For mine and mill point source discharges, 40
CFR Part 440 establishes the maximum levels of pollutants that can be
released daily and monthly. The discharger must not exceed the daily
allowance nor the average allowed over an entire month in order to
comply with regulations. For most metals, the monthly averages are
one-half the daily maximums for metal pollutants.
Contaminated storm water runoff from some mining operations has
been documented as causing water quality degradation, according to a
Technical Resource Document on extraction and beneficiation of
copper by EPA's OSW. In the past, point source storm water discharges
have received limited emphasis under the NDPES program. However,
EPA has promulgated regulations that specifically address point source
discharges of storm water from industrial facilities, including active
and inactive/abandoned mine sites (55 PR 47990; November 16, 1990).
These regulations require NPDES permits for all discharges of
contaminated storm water. The Water Quality Act of 1987 added
ง402(p)(2)(B), requiring that point source discharges of storm water
associated with industrial activity (including active and inactive
mining operations) be permitted by October, 1992. This provision
includes discharges from "areas where industrial activity has taken
place in the past and significant materials remain and are exposed to
storm water." The storm water permitting regulations address
discharges from mine sites that occur as a result of precipitation events
where the runoff from those sites is contaminated by exposed
overburden, raw material, intermediate products, finished products,
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i
byproducts, or waste materials resulting from present or past mining
activities.
In .the case of active mine sites, the storm water regulations apply to
both storm water discharges from mining operations as well as to areas
used for the storage and maintenance of material handling equipment,
shipping and receiving areas, and haul roads. For inactive or
abandoned mines, all point source discharges of contaminated storm
water (i.e., storm water that has come into contact with mine facilities,
materials or wastes) must be covered under an NPDES storm water
permit. Some storm water discharges from mine sites are not subject
to NPDES permitting, including storm water that is not contaminated
by contact with overburden, raw material, or waste materials located on
the site of the operation.
The following exhibit highlights examples of discharges from ore
mining and dressing facilities that are subject to 40 CFR Part 440 or to
storm water permitting.
Exhibit 26
Mine Discharges Subject to Permitting
Runoff/drainage discharges subject to 40 CFR Part
440 effluent limitation guidelines ,
Subject to storm water permitting (not subject to
40 CFR Part 440)
Land application area
Crusher area
Spent ore piles, surge piles, ore stockpiles, waste
rock/overburden piles
Pumped and unpumped drainage and mine water
from pits/underground mines
Seeps/French drains.
On-site haul roads, if constructed of waste rock or
spent ore or if wastewater subject to mine
drainage limits is used for dust control
Tailings dams/dikes when constructed of waste
rock/tailings
Unreclaimed disturbed areas
Topsoil piles
Haul roads not on active mining area
On-site haul roads not constructed of waste
rock or spent ore (unless wastewater subject
to mine drainage limits is used for dust
control) ,
Tailings dams, dikes when not constructed of
waste rock/tailings
Concentration/mill building/site (if discharge
is storm water only, with no contact with
piles)
Reclaimed areas released from reclamation
bonds prior to 12/17/90
Partially, inadequately reclaimed areas or
areas not released from reclamation bond
Most ancillary areas (e.g., chemical and
explosives storage, power plant,
equipment/truck maintenance and wash
areas, etc.) '
The concentration of pollutants discharged in mine drainage from
mines operated to obtain copper bearing ores, lead bearing ores, zinc
bearing ores, gold bearing ores, silver bearing ores, or any combination
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of these ores in open-pit or underground operations other than placer
deposits shall not exceed:
Exhibit 27
Mine Discharge Limitations
Effluent
Characteristic
TSS
Cu
Zn
Pb
Hg
PH
*Within the range 6.0
to 9.0
Maximum of any 1
day (mg/1)
30
30
15
6
2
*
Average of daily values for
30 days (mg/1)
20
15
7.5
3
1
*
Source: 40 CFR 440.102(a).
Beneficiation is regulated by the same effluent limitation guidelines as
extraction processes.
The concentration of pollutants discharged from mills that employ the
froth flotation process alone or in conjunction with other processes, for
the beneficiation of copper ores, lead ores, zinc ores, gold ores, or silver
ores, or any combination of these ores shall not exceed:
Exhibit 28
Mill Discharge Limitations
Effluent
Characteristic
TSS
Cu
Zn
Fb
Hg
Cd
PH
*Within the range 6.0
to 9.0
Maximum for any 1 day
30
30
10
6
0.002
10
*
Average of daily values for 30
consecutive days
20
15
5
3
0.001
0.05 . '
*
Source: 40 CFR 440.102(b).
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Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA)
The Safe Drinking Water Act may also apply to mine operations if
primary drinking water sources and Class 3 wells are affected by mine
wastewater releases. EPA regulates cadmium, lead, and arsenic under
' its primary drinking water standards (40 CFR 141.11(b)), and regulates
copper, iron, manganese, and zinc under its secondary drinking water
.- standards (40 CFR 143.3). . '
Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA)
The Bevill Amendment .
In 1980, Congress amended RCRA in the Solid Waste Disposal Act
Amendments, adopting what has been dubbed the Bevill Amendment,
after Representative Tom Bevill of Alabama. The amendment
temporarily exempted from Subtitle C regulation solid waste from ore
1 and mineral extraction, beneficiation, and processing. The
Amendment directed EPA either to develop Subtitle C regulations for
the waste or determine that the exemption should continue, and to
present its findings in a report to Congress.
EPA modified its hazardous waste regulations to reflect the Bevill
exclusion and issued a preliminary, and quite broad, interpretation of
the exclusion's scope. In particular, it interpreted the exclusion as
covering "solid waste from the exploration, mining, milling, smelting
and refining of ores and minerals." Based on this broad interpretation
of the Bevill Amendment, EPA suspended its Subtitle C listing of six
hazardous smelter wastes. ,
In 1985 the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia awarded
judgment to the Environmental Defense Fund.and two public interest
groups that had sued EPA for failing to submit the required report to
Congress and make the regulatory determination by the statutory
deadline. The court imposed two schedules, one for completing
studies of extraction and beneficiation wastes and submitting them in a
report to Congress, and the second for proposing reinterpretation of
mineral-processing wastes. In so doing, the court effectively split the
wastes that might be eligible for exclusion from regulation into two
groups: mineral extraction and beneficiation wastes; and mineral
processing wastes.
In December 1985 EPA submitted a report to Congress on mining
wastes (1985 Report to Congress: Wastes from the Extraction and
Beneficiation of Metallic Ores, Phosphate. Rock, Asbestos, Overburden
from Uranium Mining, and Oil Shale) in which EPA found that some
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mining wastes exhibit hazardous characteristics, that waste
management practices have caused environmental damage, and that
the range of risk from mining waste is broad. In July 1986 EPA
published a regulatory determination, upheld in subsequent court
challenges, that RCRA Subtitle C regulation of extraction and
beneficiation wastes was unwarranted because mining wastes tend to
be disposed of in arid climates, facilities and wastes are located in
sparsely populated areas where human contact is minimal, and waste
volumes are high. It also determined that it should develop a risk-
based, State-run mining waste program under RCRA Subtitle D.
In keeping with its court-ordered directive to reinterpret the Mining
Waste exclusion for mineral processing wastes, EPA proposed to
narrow the scope of the exclusion for mineral-processing wastes to
include only a few specific waste streams. Unable to articulate criteria
for selecting these wastes, EPA later withdrew this proposal and was
subsequently sued by the Environmental Defense Fund. The courts
ruled against EPA, holding that the Agency's interpretation of Bevill
exclusions was overbroad. The court ordered EPA to restrict the scope
of the exclusion as it applied to mineral-processing wastes to include
only "large volume, low hazard" wastes.
In a series of rulernaking notices, EPA reinterpreted the exclusion for
mineral-processing wastes and defined which mineral-processing
wastes met the high-volume, low-hazard criteria. The vast majority of
mineral-processing wastes did not meet both criteria. EPA published
its final regulatory determination in 1991, in compliance with a court-
ordered deadline. The final rule permanently retains the Bevill
exemption for 20 mineral-processing wastes. EPA determined that
regulation under RCRA Subtitle C was inappropriate for these wastes
because of the extremely high cost to industry and the technical
infeasibility of managing them under Subtitle C requirements; 18 of the
wastes are subject to applicable State requirements, while the
remaining two (phosphogypsum and phosphoric acid process waste
water) are currently being evaluated by EPA.
Wastes from the extraction and beneficiation of ores and minerals
remain exempt from Subtitle C requirements, irrespective of their
chemical characteristics; EPA may, in the future, evaluate the
appropriateness of regulating these wastes under RCRA Subtitle D as
an industrial waste. Wastes from mineral processing, however, are not
exempt from Subtitle C unless they are one of the 20 specific wastes
identified in EPA's final ruling.
In addition, only wastes that are uniquely associated with the extraction
and beneficiation of ores and minerals (or one of the 20 listed mineral
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processing wastes) are excluded from hazardous waste regulation.
Non-uniquely associated wastes .are typically generated as a result of
maintaining mining machinery or as a result of other facility activities,
and continue to be subject to Subtitle C regulation. These non-
uniquely associated wastes may include used oil, polychlorinated
biphenyls, discarded commercial chemicals, cleaning solvents, filters,
empty drums, laboratory wastes, and general refuse.
Determining how and under what circumstances the Bevill
Amendment exclusions should be interpreted in regulating mining
wastes continues to be a subject of discussion and study, at least in part
because many beneficiation terms are used to describe activities
common to a wide range of nonexempt industries and to describe
mineral-processing operations that occur at the same location as the
beneficiation operations. Beneficiation and mineral-processing
operations are often closely linked; in order to apply Subtitle C
regulations at a mine site, a regulator often must prove that the waste
is not a beneficiation waste. Because a variety of regulators, at both
Federal and State levels, are independently interpreting the Bevill
rules, the potential for inconsistent interpretations is significant. Staff
in EPA's OSW have suggested the following guidelines for regulators
and the regulated community in distinguishing between exempt and
nonexempt wastes at mines and mineral-processing sites:
Determine whether the material is considered a solid waste
under RCRA.
Determine whether the facility is using a primary ore or mineral
to produce a final or intermediate product and also whether 50
percent of the feedstocks are from secondary sources.
Establish whether the material and the operation that generates
it are uniquely associated with mineral production.
Determine where in the sequence of operations beneficiation
ends and mineral processing begins.
If the material is a mineral-processing waste, determine whether
it is one of the 20 special wastes from mineral processing.
This sequence will result in one of three determinations: 1) the
material is not a solid waste and therefore not subject to RCRA; 2) the
material is a solid waste but is exempt from RCRA Subtitle C because of
the Mining Waste Exclusion; or 3) the material is a solid waste that is
not exempt from RCRA Subtitle C and is subject to regulation.
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Comprehensive Response Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA^
Although Bevill wastes are excluded from regulation under RCRA
Subtitle C, they can be addressed under CERCLA. Mining companies
may be liable under CERCLA for the release or threat of release of
hazardous substances, covering releases to air, surface water,
groundwater and soils. Many mines, where practices did not
incorporate the safeguards now required under the CW A, allowed
runoff from mine and tailings sites to flow into nearby streams and
lakes. Even newer mines, which have been subject to CWA
regulations, have been targeted for CERCLA enforcement. Some of
these mines, such as Colorado's Summitville Mine, have been listed
on the National Priorities List (NPL). Mine owners may also be liable
for damages to natural resources as a result of mining activity.
Clean Air Act
Under ง111 of CAA, New Source Performance Standards (NSPS)
applicable to metallic mineral-processing plants have been established
(40 CFR 60 Subpart LL). These standards regulate emissions of
particulate matter in metal mining operations in crushers, conveyor
belt transfer points, thermal dryers, product packaging stations, storage
bins, truck loading and unloading stations, and rail car loading and
unloading. Although all underground mining facilities are exempt
from these provisions, fugitive dust emissions from mining activities
may be regulated (usually by requiring dust suppression management
activities) through State permit programs established to meet Federal
NAAQSs.
National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)
NEPA requires that all Federal agencies prepare detailed statements
assessing the environmental impact of, and alternatives to, major
Federal actions that may "significantly affect" the environment. An
environmental impact statement (EIS) must provide a fair and full
discussion of significant environmental impacts and inform decision-
makers and the public of the reasonable alternatives which would
avoid or minimize adverse impacts on the environment; EISs must
explore and evaluate all reasonable alternatives, even if they are not
within the authority of the lead agency. NEPA authorities .are solely
procedural; NEPA cannot compel selection of the environmentally
preferred alternative.
Federal actions specifically related to mining that may require EISs
include Federal land management agency (e.g. BLM and Forest Service)
approval of plans of operations for hardrock mining on
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Federally-managed lands. All effected media (e.g., air, water, soil,
geologic, cultural, economic resources, etc.) must be addressed. The EIS
provides the basis for the permit decision; for example, an NPDES
permit may be issued or denied based on EPA's review of the overall
impacts, not just discharge-related impacts, of the proposed project and
alternatives. Issues may include the potential for acid rock drainage,
>aquatic and terrestrial habitat value and losses, sediment production,
mitigation, and reclamation.
Endangered Species Act (ESA)
The ESA provides a means to protect threatened or endangered species
and the ecosystems that support them. It requires Federal agencies to
ensure that activities undertaken on either Federal or non^-Federal
property do not have adverse impacts on threatened or endangered
species or their habitat. In a June 1995 ruling, the U.S. Supreme Court
upheld interpretations of the Act that allow agencies to consider impact
on habitat as a potential form of prohibited "harm" to endangered
species. Agencies undertaking a Federal action (such as a BUM review
of proposed mining operations) must consult with the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service (USFWS); an EIS must be prepared if "any major part
of a new source will have significant adverse effect on the habitat" of a
Federally or State-listed threatened or endangered species.
State Statutes
In addition to Federal laws, State and common laws also affect waste
generation from mining activities. State law generally requires that
permits be obtained prior to commencement of mining activities;
permits may require design, performance, closure, and reclamation
standards, and may impose monitoring requirements. Under common
law, a mine owner may be liable for trespassing if wastes migrate into
and damage another's property, or if the waste impacts the community
as a whole, a miner may be liable for creating a public nuisance. Over
the last five years several States have substantially altered their mining
regulations to prevent the damage caused by past mining operations.
Considerable disagreement remains, however, between mining
industry groups and the environmental community regarding the
effectiveness of these State regulations in preventing damage to the
environment.
Many Western States require mining operations to obtain reclamation
bonds and mining permits that are designed to regulate and monitor
mining activity. States that require bonding and/or permitting include
Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New
Mexico, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming. To
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regulate mining activity in the State of Colorado, for example, the State
requires mining operations to obtain: 1) a performance bond, 2) a
reclamation bond, and 3) a permit. The performance bond outlines
what the mining operation intends to do on the land, and is simply a
promise from the mining operation that it will reclaim the land. This
bond gives Colorado the authority to pursue reclamation costs from
mining operations that fail to properly reclaim the land. The
reclamation bond, also known as a financial warranty, equals the cost
the State would incur if it were to hire someone to reclaim the site
should the mining operation fail to do so. Although performance
bonds are updated periodically, the bonds have not always been
adequate to cover closure costs.
VI.C. Pending and Proposed Regulatory Requirements
Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act
fCERCLA)
The Emergency Planning and Community Right-To-Know Act of 1986
(EPCRA) Section 313 mandates that owners and.operators of facilities
that manufacture, process, or otherwise use a listed chemical report to
EPA their annual releases of these chemicals to any environmental
medium. EPA makes this information available to the public in the
form of the Toxics Release Inventory (TRI). TRI currently requires
reporting from facilities in SIC codes 20-39 that meet various threshold
requirements.
EPCRA Section 313 gives EPA discretionary authority to modify the
coverage of facilities required to report to EPA for inclusion in the TRI.
EPA is considering expanding the TRI through the development of
reporting requirements for additional facilities. These additional
facilities include a list of 25 SIC codes that contribute 99 percent of the
non-manufacturing TRI chemical loadings to the environment. SIC
O code 10 is among these 25 SIC codes. EPA anticipates publication of a
proposed rule in late 1995 or early 1996 requiring additional facilities to
report the use, release, and transfer of TRI chemicals.
ean Water Act (CWA)
A comprehensive bill was introduced in Congress in 1995 to
reauthorize the Clean Water Act. The bill may affect EPA's authority
to require changes in production processes, products, or raw materials
to control emissions of toxins; may require risk assessments for water
quality standards, effluent limitations or other regulatory
requirements; and may require social, economic, and environmental
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benefits to be weighed in establishing regulations. Potentially large
sectors of the mining industry could be affected by this legislation.
Clean Air Act CCAA1
EPA continues to prepare rules for industry sources subject to
hazardous air pollutant standards Under the CAA, as amended. The
sources are those that emit one or more of the 189 substances defined as
hazardous air pollutants (HAPs) under the CAA. The EPA published a
list of these sources in 1992 and has begun to define Maximum
Achievable Gontrol Standards that will apply to them. Although the
timetable for issuing regulatory controls varies, proposed standards for
most mineral industries are due by November 15, 1997.
EPA is also reviewing and updating national 'ambient air quality
standards (NAAQS) for particulate matter, ozone, and sulfur dioxide to
incorporate new scientific and technical information that has become
available since the last reviews. Based on these revised data, EPA will
determine whether revisions to the standards are appropriate. The
metal mining sector will be affected by any revisions to these standards.
Resource Conservation and Recovery Act CRCRA)
The Hazardous and Solid Waste Amendments of 1984 require EPA to
promulgate regulations establishing treatment standards that must be
met before hazardous waste may be disposed on land. An
announcement of new proposed rulemaking was made on October 24,
1991 in 56 CFR 55160. The proposed rulemaking established treatment
standards for certain mineral processing waste and toxicity
characteristic metals. Proposed rulemaking is expected mid-1995 and
final action is expected mid-1996. >
In a July 1986 Regulatory Determination, EPA stated that it was not
appropriate to regulate the extraction and beneficiation wastes covered
in the 1985 Report to Congress: Wastes from the Extraction and
Beneficiation of Metallic Ores, Phosphate Rock, Asbestos, Overburden
from Uranium Mining, and Oil Shale. Among the reasons cited by
EPA for the special treatment of mining wastes were: 1) mining waste
is generated in much larger volumes than industrial wastes (the
average mining waste facility produces 3,000,000 metric tons of waste
annually, while the average RCRA Subtitle C regulated waste producer
produces 50,000 metric tons annually); 2) mining waste sites are
usually much larger than traditional waste producers. The average
tailings pile covers 494 acres and the average mining waste piles cover
126 acres, while the average Subtitle C hazardous waste impoundment
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of landfill is six to ten acres; 3) mining waste streams are believed to
have lower human exposure and risk potential.
As a result, EPA determined that RCRA Subtitle C controls may be
neither technically nor economically feasible, nor at times necessary to
protect human health and the environment. EPA recommended
development of a primarily State-implemented, site-specific, and risk-
based regulatory approach under Subtitle D of RCRA. The result was
the preparation of Strawman I and II proposals, which would regulate
material uniquely associated with mining that the regulatory authority
determines could pose a threat to human health and the environment,
including mill tailings, stockpiled ores, leaching solutions, and water
that may accumulate hazardous constituents.
While the Strawman proposals no longer represent a viable and
current Agency approach to the mining'industry, EPA may in the
future evaluate the appropriateness of regulating mining waste under
RCRA Subtitle D as an industrial waste.
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VII. COMPLIANCE AND ENFORCEMENT PROFILE
Background
To date, EPA has focused much of its attention on measuring
compliance with specific environmental statutes. This approach
allows the Agency to track compliance with the Clean Air Act, the
Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, the Clean Water Act, and
other environmental statutes. Within the last several years, the
Agency has begun to supplement single-media compliance indicators
with facility-specific, multi-media indicators of compliance. In doing
so, EPA is in a better position to track compliance with all statutes at
the facility level, and within specific industrial sectors.
A major step in building the capacity to compile multimedia data for
industrial sectors was the creation of EPA's Integrated Data for
Enforcement Analysis (IDEA) system. IDEA has the capacity to "read
into" the Agency's single-media databases, extract compliance records,
and match the records to individual facilities. The IDEA system can
match Air, Water, Waste, Toxics/Pesticides/EPCRA, TRI, and
Enforcement-Docket records for a given facility, and generate a list of
historical permit, inspection, and enforcement activity. IDEA also has
the capability to analyze data by geographic area and corporate holder.
As the capacity to generate multimedia compliance data improves, EPA
will make available more in-depth compliance and enforcement
information. Additionally, sector-specific measures of success for
compliance assistance efforts are under development.
Compliance and Enforcement Profile Description
Using inspection, violation, and enforcement data frorri the IDEA
system, this section provides information regarding the historical
compliance and enforcement activity of this sector. In order to mirror
the facility universe reported in the Toxic Chemical Profile, the data
reported within this section consist only of records from the TRI
reporting universe. With this decision, the selection criteria are
consistent across sectors with certain exceptions. For the sectors that do
not normally report to the TRI program, data have been provided from
EPA's Facility Indexing System (FINDS), which tracks facilities in all
media databases. Please note that in this section EPA does not attempt
to define the actual number of facilities that fall within each sector.
Instead, the section portrays the records of a subset of facilities within
the sector that are well-defined within EPA databases.
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As a check on the relative size of the full sector universe, most
notebooks contain an estimated number of facilities within the sector
according to the Bureau of Census (See Section II). With sectors
dominated by small businesses, such as metal finishers and printers,
titie reporting universe within EPA databases may be small compared to
Census data. However, the group selected for inclusion in this data
analysis section should be consistent with this sector's general make-
up.
Following this introduction is a list defining each data column
presented within this section. These values represent a retrospective
summary of inspections and enforcement actions, and solely reflect
EPA, State, and local compliance assurance activities that have been
entered into EPA databases. To identify any changes in trends, the EPA
ran two data queries, one for the past five calendar years (August 10,
1990 to August 9, 1995) and the other for the most recent twelve-month
period (August 10,1994 to August 9,1995). The five-year analysis gives
an average level of activity for that period for comparison to the more
recent activity.
Because most inspections focus on single-media requirements, the data
queries presented in this section are taken from single-media databases.
These databases do not provide data on whether inspections are
State/local or EPA-led. However, the table breaking down the universe
of violations does give the reader a crude measurement of the EPA's
and States' efforts within each media program. The presented data
illustrate the variations across regions for certain sectors.1 This
variation may be attributable to State/local data entry variations,
specific geographic concentrations, proximity to population centers,
sensitive ecosystems, highly toxic chemicals used in production, or
historical noncompliance. Hence, the exhibited data do not rank
regional performance or necessarily reflect which regions have the
most compliance problems.
Compliance and Enforcement Data Definitions
General Definitions
Facility Indexing System (FINDS) ~ this system assigns a common
facility number to EPA single-media permit records. The FINDS
1 EPA Regions include the following States: I (CT, MA, ME, RI, NH, VT); II (NJ NY PR, VI); HI
(DC DE MD PA VA WV); IV (AL, FL, GA, KY, MS, NC, SC, TN); V (IL, IN, MI, MN, OH, WI); VI
(AR, LAl- NM, OK, m VnV. KS. MO, NE); VHI (CO, MT, ND, SD, UT, WY); K (AZ, CA, HI,
NV, Pacific Trust Territories); X (AK, ID, OR, WA).
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identification number allows EPA to compile and review all permit,
compliance, enforcement, and pollutant release data for any given
regulated facility.
Integrated Data for Enforcement Analysis (IDEA) ~ is a data integration
system that can retrieve information from the major EPA program
office databases. IDEA uses the FINDS identification number to "glue
together" separate data records from EPA's databases. This is done to
create a "master list" of data records for any given facility. Some of the
data systems accessible through IDEA are: AIRS (Air Facility Indexing
and Retrieval System, Office of Air and Radiation), PCS (Permit
Compliance System, Office of Water), RCRIS (Resource Conservation
and. Recovery Information System, Office of Solid Waste), NCDB
(National Compliance Data Base, Office of Prevention, Pesticides, and
Toxic Substances), CERCLIS (Comprehensive Environmental and
Liability Information System, Superfund), and TRIS (Toxic Release
Inventory System). IDEA also contains information from outside
sources, such as Dun and Bradstreet and the Occupational Safety and
Health Administration (OSHA). Most data queries displayed in
; notebook Section VII were conducted using IDEA.
Data Table Column Heading Definitions
Facilities in Search are based on the universe of TRI reporters within
the listed SIC code range. For industries not covered under TRI
reporting requirements, the notebook uses the FINDS universe for
executing data queries. The SIC code range selected for each search is
defined by each notebook's selected SIC code coverage described in
Section II.
*" .' "
Facilities Inspected - indicates the level of EPA and State agency facility
inspections for the facilities in this data search. These values show
what percentage of the facility universe is inspected in a 12 or 60 month
period. This column does not count non-inspectional compliance
, activities such as the review of facility-reported discharge reports.
Number of Inspections measures the total number of inspections
conducted in this sector. An inspection event is counted each time it is
entered into a single media database.
Average Time Between Inspections provides an average length of
time, expressed in months, that a compliance inspection occurs at- a
facility within the defined universe.
Facilities with One or More Enforcement Actions expresses the
number of facilities that were party to at least one enforcement action
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within the defined time period. This category is broken down further
into Federal and State actions. Data are obtained for administrative,
civil/judicial, and criminal enforcement actions. Administrative
actions include Notices of Violation (NOVs). A facility with multiple
enforcement actions is only counted once in this column (facility with
3 enforcement actions counts as 1). All percentages that appear are
referenced to the number of facilities inspected.
Total Enforcement Actions -- describes the total number of
enforcement actions identified for an industrial sector across all
environmental statutes. A facility with multiple enforcement actions
is counted multiple times (a facility with 3 enforcement actions counts
as 3).
State Lead Actions - shows what percentage of the total enforcement
actions are taken by State and local environmental agencies. Varying
levels of use by States of EPA data systems may limit the volume of
actions accorded State enforcement activity. Some States extensively
report enforcement activities into EPA data systems, while other States
may use their own data systems.
Federal Lead Actions - shows what percentage of the total enforcement
actions are taken by the U.S. EPA. This value includes referrals from
State agencies. Many of these actions result from coordinated or joint
State/Federal efforts.
Enforcement to Inspection Rate - expresses how often enforcement
actions result from inspections. This value is a ratio of enforcement
actions to inspections, and is presented for comparative purposes only.
This measure is a rough indicator of the relationship between
inspections and enforcement. This measure simply indicates
historically how many enforcement actions can be attributed to
inspection activity. Related inspections and enforcement actions under
the Clean Water Act (PCS), the Clean Air Act (AFS) and the Resource
Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) are included in this ratio.
Inspections and actions from the TSCA/FIFRA/EPCRA database are
not factored into this ratio because most of the actions taken under
these programs are not the result of facility inspections. This ratio does
not account for enforcement actions arising from non-inspection
compliance monitoring activities (e.g., self-reported water discharges)
that can result in enforcement action within the, CAA, CWA and
RCRA.
Facilities with One or More Violations Identified -- indicates the
number and percentage of inspected facilities having a violation
identified in one of the following data categories: In Violation or
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Significant Violation Status (CAA); Reportable Noncompliance,
Current Year Noncompliance, Significant Noncompliance (CWA);
Noncompliance and Significant Noncompliance (FIFRA, TSCA, and
EPCRA); Unresolved Violation and Unresolved High Priority
Violation (RCRA). The values presented for this column reflect the
extent of noncompliance within the measured time frame, but do not
distinguish between the severity of the noncompliance. Percentages
within this, column can exceed 100 percent because facilities can be in
violation status without being inspected. Violation status may be a
precursor to an enforcement action, but does not necessarily indicate
that an enforcement action will occur.
Media Breakdown of Enforcement Actions and Inspections - four
columns identify the proportion of total inspections and enforcement
actions within EPA Air,. Water, Waste, and TSCA/FIFRA/EPCRA
databases. Each column is a percentage of either the "Total
Inspections," or the "Total Actions" column.
VILA. Metal Mining Compliance History
The following exhibit provides a summary of five-year enforcement
and compliance data for the metal mining industry. Consistent with
information presented in previous sections, the greatest concentration
of metal mining activity occurs in the Western States, where the
greatest number of inspections and enforcement actions also occur.
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VII.B. Comparison of Enforcement Activity Between Selected Industries
Exhibit 30 highlights enforcement and compliance information across
selected industries. The metal mining industry had one of the lowest
numbers of inspections among those industries represented, as well as
the highest average number of months between inspections.
Exhibit 31 provides enforcement and compliance summary data for
one year for selected industries. Over half of the facilities inspected
were cited for a violation. The metal mining industry also represented
the greatest percentage of facilities with enforcement actions taken, at
19 percent.
Exhibit 32 presents inspection and enforcement data by statute for
selected industries. As discussed previously, water pollution
represents the most common problem associated with the metal
mining industry, followed by air. Thirty-four percent of total
enforcement actions taken were under the Clean Water Act, while 11
percent were under the Clean Air Act.
Exhibit 33 provides a one-year summary of inspection and enforcement
data by statute for selected industries. Again emphasizing the weight
given to water pollution in the .metal mining industry, inspections
under the Clean Water Act represented over 50 percent of total,metal
mining inspections.
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VII.C. Review of Major Legal Actions
This section, provides a listing of major legal cases and supplemental
enforcement projects that pertain to the Metal Mining Industry.
Information in this section is provided by EPA's Enforcement
Accomplishments Reports FY1991, FY 1992, FY 1993 and the Office of
Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. As indicated in the EPA's
Enforcement Accomplishments Report, publications, nine significant
enforcement actions were resolved between 1991 and 1993 for the metal
mining industry. CERCLA violations comprised three of these actions,
the most of any statute. The remaining cases were distributed fairly
evenly with CWA and RCRA cited twice, and CAA, EPCRA, and TSCA
each cited once.
Two of the cases involved cyanide contamination from heap leaching
of gold ores. Each of the settlements, one under CERCLA and one
under the CAA, resulted in monetary penalties. The CERCLA
settlement provided for company reimbursement of the Superfund for
$250,000 in past response costs. Two other CERCLA settlements
resulted in penalties: a penalty for failure to notify authorities of a
release resulted in a $75,000 fine; a judgment in U.S. vs. Smuggler-
Durant Mining Corporation resulted in a $3.4 million award in favor
of the EPA.
Both of the CWA actions cited Section 404 for destruction of-wetlands.
Both instances involved placer mining and resulted in monetary
penalties; one of the actions involved a Supplemental Environmental
Project (SEP) requiring stream/wetland restoration. Another SEP
involved a TSCA violation by Kennecott Utah Copper. In addition to a
monetary penalty, Kennecott agreed to upgrade an "emergency
computer system at an estimated cost of $70,000.
VII.C.l. Supplemental Environmental Projects
This section provides a list of Supplementary Environmental Projects
(SEPs). SEPs are compliance agreements that reduce a facility's
stipulated penalty in return for an environmental project that exceeds
the value of the reduction. Often, these projects fund pollution
prevention activities that can significantly reduce the future pollutant
loadings of a facility.
In December, 1993, the Regions were asked by EPA's Office of
Enforcement and Compliance Assurance to provide information on
the number and type of SEPs entered into by the Regions. The
following chart contains a representative sample of the Regional
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responses addressing the metal mining industry. The information
contained in the chart is not comprehensive and provides only a
sample of the types of SEPs developed for the metal mining industry.
(See Exhibit 34)
Exhibit 34
Supplemental Environmental Projects
Case Name
Sunshine Precious
Metals, Inc.
Kellogg, ID
EPA
Region
X
Statute/
Type of
Action
TSCA
Type of
SEP
Pollution
Reduction
Estimated
Cost to
'Company
$6,588
Expected
Envirorimenta
1 Benefits
Early disposal
ofPCB
equipment
Final
Assessed
Penalty
$6,588
Final
Penalty
After
Mitigation
$3,294
VII.D. EPA Hardrock Mining Framework
EPA is currently developing a multi-media, multi-statute hardrock
mining strategy for existing EPA authorities, resources, and expertise in
order to address the environmental problems posed by mining
activities in the U.S., in concert with other Federal, State, tribal and
local agencies. Some of the driving issues behind the strategy's
development are concerns about overlapping and poorly coordinated
regulatory authorities and actions; liability under CERCLA and other
statutes, which may create a recurring barrier to voluntary remediation
of mine sites; and rapid changes in mining practices that are leading to
new environmental challenges.
The strategy establishes environmental goals, to protect human health
and ecological resources through pollution prevention, control, and
remediation at active, inactive, and/or abandoned mine sites on both
Federal and non-Federal lands; administrative goals, to use available
resources and authorities most efficiently and to focus on the highest
priority concerns; and fiscal responsibility goals, to promote inter- and
intra-governmental efficiency and fiscal responsibility in control of
mining sites, as well as to prevent future unfunded public burdens.
Several objectives have .been defined in support of these goals,
including the following:
Facilitate coordination with co-regulators: employ a range of
approaches to ensure coordination and communication
Use innovative approaches to foster efficiency: wherever
possible, innovative tools (particularly non-regulatory) .will be
employed to help achieve efficient and timely action
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Consolidate priority-setting: establish multi-agency priorities to
maximize scarce resources, help ensure benefits for costs
incurred, and address the most problematic sites first
Promote fiscal/personal responsibility: promote responsibility to
help owners reflect true costs of activities and to avoid incurring
unnecessary and unfunded environmental and financial
burdens for the public
Enhance capabilities of existing tools: use current administrative
authorities to improve environmental problem-solving
capabilities
Be proactive and preventative: ensure that environmental
performance standards are quantified to the maximum extent,
and that assumptions, risks, and uncertainties are identified
Promote protective closure standards and adequate financial
assurances: establish closure performance standards and bonding
requirements that will ensure mines are properly closed and that
adequate post-closure care is performed
Perform timely and environmentally sound clean-up of
abandoned mines: ensure that priority inactive and abandoned
mines are cleaned up in a timely manner, addressing worst sites
first, while avoiding costly efforts addressing mines with little or
no environmental effects.
In compliance and enforcement issues, the strategy promotes multi-
agency compliance approaches, developing a ranking system for
determining inspection priorities, and developing a multi-media
inspection protocol for mine sites. Other compliance and enforcement
measures include:
Promoting use of environmental audits within the regulated
community
Conducting an enforcement initiative to target mine owners and
operators who violate requirements to obtain and comply with
storm water permits
Compiling and circulating within EPA brief descriptions of
successful mining-related enforcement actions brought by the
Agency
Prioritizing action based on the extent of actual human, health
and environmental impacts; the potential for additional
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impacts; the likely success, technical feasibility, and cost
effectiveness of response actions; and the availability of staff,
equipment, and funding
Developing enforcement MOAs with other Federal agencies to
facilitate consultations and joint actions
Improving consultation between EPA and the States to
determine whether violations of Federal and State law warrant
joint enforcement action.
As noted above, however, EPA seeks to strengthen its use of non-
regulatory tools to encourage environmental compliance and clean-up
at mining sites. These tools are intended to complement existing
regulatory programs in addressing mining impacts. Common themes
of most non-regulatory approaches include: active participation by
principal stakeholders, creative use of funding resources, site-specific
flexibility, prioritization of clean-up projects, arid regulatory discretion
to promote creative problem-solving and early implementation of
clean-up projects.
Most non-regulatory approaches have one or more of the following
characteristics:
Financial - Financial support often comes from a variety of
. sources when non-regulatory approaches are used; funds are
often leveraged and budgets are typically tight. Other Federal
agency funds are often used to supplement EPA funds;
State/local partnerships can fill financial holes; and voluntary
efforts by private parties can contribute significantly to clean-up
of inactive or abandoned mine sites.
Institutional - Interagency Agreements (MOUs, MOAs, and
lAGs) are tools" that can be used to streamline the mining
permitting and regulatory processes; more informally,
interagency groups are often used to focus attention on certain
projects or issues. Agreements to encourage consistent Federal
positions are particularly important for siting criteria, operating
criteria, and reclamation and bonding standards.
Technical Assistance and Outreach - Forms of technical
assistance vary and may include dedicating either EPA staff or
contractor hours to directly help a stakeholder; developing
analytic methodologies, such as monitoring and testing
standards; providing education and training; and providing
materials to small business assistance centers.
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EPA has identified several examples of existing approaches to using
non-regulatory tools. Site-specific examples include the Coeur D'Alene
Basin Restoration Project, the Clear Creek Watershed Project, and the
Arizona Copper Mine Initiative. Non-site specific examples include
the CWA non-point source funding approaches; RCRA Subtitle D
Strawman guidelines; Mining Headwaters Initiative; technology
demonstration programs; and the Western Governors' Association
Mine Waste Task Force. .
As part of its hardrock mining strategy, EPA is developing detailed
guidance for regulatory personnel who must apply various regulatory
tools to specific mine sites. This matrix will highlight areas of overlap,
gaps, unused but available authorities, and synergy among the various
regulatory authorities. Envisioned is a document that will present
various sources of pollution, a range of possible associated problems/
concerns/threats, and a short description of the tools applicable to each
situation.
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VIII. COMPLIANCE ASSURANCE ACTIVITIES AND INITIATIVES
This section highlights the activities undertaken by this industry sector
and public agencies to voluntarily improve the sector's environmental
performance. These activities include those independently initiated by
industrial trade associations. In this section, the notebook also contains
a listing and description of national and regional trade associations.
VIII.A. Sector-related Environmental Programs and Activities
-}- .-' .
Compliance Projects ,
Region VIII has introduced "The Mining Initiative," whose goal is to
obtain compliance with the Clean Water Act at active metal mines and
metal mining exploration sites. The Regional NPDES program is in
the process of determining the compliance status of the active metal
mines located in the Region. Most of the mines (98 percent) are located
in Colorado, Montana, and Utah. The States are trying to achieve
deterrence through high profile enforcement actions which remove
the economic advantage of noncompliance by assessing financial
penalties.
The Region VIII Water Division is taking an active role in monitoring
State enforcement actions against mining facilities and State-issued
NPDES permits for mines, encouraging States to apply consistent
requirements to all metal mining facilities. EPA has requested that
each State appoint a contact to work with EPA on this initiative.
The Bureau of Mines Waste. Research Program
In 1988 the debate over the Bevill exclusion wastes and other
environmental issues led the Bureau of Mines to initiate a new,
comprehensive research program to investigate the environmental
problems posed by the mining and minerals processing industry in
managing waste. The new research program was named the
"Environmental Technology Program" and was established to develop
mining technologies that would ameliorate environmental damage
caused by mining activities.
The program's main elements are "Control of Mine Drainage and
Liquid Wastes" and "Solid .Waste Management and Subsidence."
Control of Mine Drainage and Liquid Wastes examines acid mine
drainage and migration of toxic waters from mines and waste disposal
piles that threaten the quality of surface and groundwater. The Solid
Waste Management and Subsidence program has two objectives: to
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investigate management and disposal methods for the solid waste
produced by mining and minerals processing; and, to develop new
technology to mitigate the effects of subsidence and other
environmental hazards caused by underground mining. Under ETP,
National Mine Land Reclamation Centers have also been established
in several regions to investigate the surface effects of mining and the
problems associated with reclaiming abandoned, as well a,s active, mine
lands. An important element of the program is cooperation with
universities, industry, labor, State and Federal government agencies,
and international institutions.
' The Bureau of Mines has also established an Environmental Health
Research Program to focus on monitoring and controlling airborne
dusts and emissions from diesel engines that are inhaled deep into the
lungs, and which can cause respiratory diseases. Under this program, a
dust monitor is being developed that will continuously evaluate dust
conditions during the mineral ore extraction process and will alert
workers to hazardous dust concentrations. Dust control techniques are
primarily directed at reducing concentrations through use of water
sprays, more effective use of ventilation, and modification of mining
machine operations. Current Federal regulatory efforts for mining
operations seek to limit the amount of diesel soot in the mine
environment, while researchers are developing instruments that will
allow diesel soot particulate to be sampled and measured in the
underground atmosphere. The Bureau of Mines is also conducting
research to reduce diesel soot emissions by filtration, ventilation, fuel
modifications, and catalytic conversion techniques. Because of the
confined, dusty, humid, and often hot conditions in the mine
environment, this research will be widely applicable to the most
difficult industrial and environmental dust problems.
i ^
Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) Mines Initiative
Electrical transformers or capacitors containing polychlorinated
biphenyls (PCBs) are often used as power sources in underground
mines. This equipment is regulated by EPA to prevent environmental
release of PCBs, chemicals classified as probable human carcinogens.
Abandoned mines often fill with groundwater, which can cause PCB-
containing equipment, if left in place, to corrode and leak chemicals
into the water; EPA regulations currently require removal of this
equipment prior to mine closure.
EPA and MSHA launched a joint effort in early 1993 to identify all
underground mines using electrical transformers or capacitors that
contain PCBs. During 1993, MSHA inspectors conducted PCB surveys
to identify mines using PCB- or other liquid-filled equipment
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underground. Inspectors, also identified any violations of EPA
regulations governing PCB use, marking, storage, or disposal. A total
of 85 underground mines that may use PCB-containing equipment
were identified. EPA has since used the PCB surveys in its
enforcement efforts, resulting in four mining companies being cited for
PCB mismanagement and facing Federal penalties of up to $317,575.
EPA has settled one of these cases, while filing three additional
complaints.
Mine Waste Technology Program (MWTP)
' In 1991 Congress allocated $3.5 million to establish a pilot program for
treating mine wastes in Butte, Montana. Both bench-scale research and
field demonstrations are conducted through the MWTP. Sponsored by
EPA's Risk Reduction Engineering Laboratory and the Department of
Energy (DOE), the program is implemented by DOE's Western
Environmental Technology Office (WETO) contractor, MSB, and the
University of Montana's Montana Tech. MWTP program goals
include the following:
Identify mine waste problems that are most severely affecting
human health and the environment
Evaluate engineering and economic factors for selected
technologies
Prioritize the most promising mine waste treatment
technologies based on their engineering and economic value
Demonstrate, test, and evaluate the most promising mine waste
treatment technologies
Accelerate the commercialization of selected mine waste
treatment technologies
Transfer knowledge gained from the above through systematic
training of user communities, and the use of workshops, short
courses, video outreach, and graduate study support.
The program focuses on developing and proving technologies that
offer solutions to the remedial problems facing abandoned mines and
the ongoing compliance problems associated with active mines. Other
Federal agencies, such as USBM, BLM, and the Forest Service, are also
participating in various phases of the research. Within EPA, the Butte
program is coordinated and teamed with the Superfund Innovative
Technology Evaluation (SITE) program, and is coordinated with the
. DOIT (Demonstration of Innovative Technologies) Committee of the
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Western Governor's Association to assist in technology outreach and
coordination among the States most affected by mining activities.
The priority areas for research are:
1) Source controls, including in situ treatments and predictive
techniques. Such at-source control technologies as sulfate-rediicing
bacteria, biocyanide oxidation, transport control/pathway interruption
techniques, and AMD production prediction techniques will help
generate permanent solutions to mining waste problems.
2) Treatment technologies. Technologies such as unique reagent
utilization and use of natural and enhanced wetlands are high
priorities for research to protect the environment from immediate
damage until long-range solutions can be developed.
3) Resource recovery. Much of the mining wastes represent a potential
resource, since they contain significant quantities of heavy metals.
Membrane technologies, ion exchange systems, electrochemical
separation processes, selective precipitation, enhanced magnetic
separation, biological treatment/recovery schemes, and advanced
metallurgical processes are techniques that might provide effective and
efficient separation and recovery of the metal values in both liquid and
solid waste streams.
In addition to those cited previously in the profile, specific MWTP
projects include the following:
Nitrate Removal Demonstration Project focuses .on developing
innovative technologies to remove nitrates from effluent and
drinking water through ion exchange, biological denitrification,
and electrochemical ion exchange.
Neutral Chelating Polymers Research Project focuses on treating
acid mine wastewater by using chelates (chemical substances
with more than one binding site on the molecule) to remove
metal ions from wastewater.
Photoassisted Electron Transfer Reactions Research Project
focuses on treating mine wastewaters by using dissolved and
solid photocatalysts to remove toxic cyanide and nitrate anions.
Science and Technology Information Retrieval System (STIRS)
facilitates centralized access to various databases developed by
EPA, DOE, Bureau of Mines, and others, including CD ROM
databases.
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Remote Mine Site Demonstration Project seeks to operate a
water-powered remote treatment facility for acidic metal-laden
mine wastewater, using the Crystal Mine near Basin, Montana.
The facility treats 10-25 gallons of wastewater per minute, using a
series of rip-rap channels, water wheel-powered feeders, and
settling ponds to conduct oxidation, adjust pH levels, and
separate solids and liquids for ultimate disposal.
Biocyanide Demonstration Project focuses on using bacteria to
degrade cyanide and cyanide complexes in mining wastewater.
Western Governors' Association
Over the past few years, EPA has enlisted the assistance of the States in
developing an approach to regulating mining activities under RGRA.
In order to facilitate the States' involvement in this effort, EPA has
provided funding to the Western Governors' Association (WGA), an
independent non-partisan organization of 21 member governors. In
1988, WGA formed a Mine Waste Task Force to coordinate the views of
'member States and to work with the EPA, the-mining industry, the
environmental community, and the public to develop workable mine
waste management programs.
Kansas State University
Kansas State University's Hazardous Substance Research Center
(HSRC) is an EPA-funded center that provides research and technology
transfer services for pollution prevention and other waste
management techniques, including mining waste. HSRC programs
include outreach for industry, assistance to government, education
materials, and workshops on pollution prevention and hazardous
waste remediation.
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VIII.B. EPA Voluntary Programs
EPA sponsors a variety of programs aimed at waste reduction and
pollution prevention. Some research-oriented programs, such as the
Mining Waste Technology Program, are funded through other Federal
and State agencies and are described in previous sections of this profile.
Other programs that may serve the metal mining industry are
highlighted below.
Environmental Leadership Program
The Environmental Leadership Program (ELP) is a national initiative
piloted by EPA and State agencies in which facilities have volunteered
to demonstrate innovative approaches to environmental management
and compliance. EPA has selected 12 pilot projects at industrial
facilities and Federal installations to demonstrate the ELP program
principles. These principles include: environmental management
systems, multi-media compliance assurance, third-party verification of
compliance, public measures of accountability, community
involvement, and mentoring programs. In exchange for participating,
pilot participants receive public recognition and are given a period of
time to correct any violations discovered during these experimental
projects. (Contact: Tai-ming Chang, ELP Director, 202-564-5081 or
Robert Fentress, 202-564-7023)
Project XL
Project XL was initiated in March 1995 as a part of President Clinton's
Reinventing Environmental Regulation initiative. The projects seek
to achieve cost effective environmental benefits by allowing
participants to replace or modify existing regulatory requirements on
the condition that they produce greater environmental benefits. EPA
and program participants will negotiate and sign a Final Project
Agreement, detailing specific objectives that the regulated entity shall
satisfy. In exchange, EPA will .allow the participant a certain degree of
regulatory flexibility and may seek change in underlying regulations or
statutes. Participants are encouraged to seek stakeholder support from
local governments, businesses, and environmental groups. EPA hopes
to implement fifty pilot projects in four categories including facilities,
sectors, communities, and government agencies regulated by EPA.
Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis and projects will move
to implementation within six months of their selection. For additional
information regarding XL Projects, including application procedures
and criteria, see the May 23,1995 Federal Register Notice, or contact Jon
Kessler at EPA's Office of Policy Analysis (202) 260-4034.
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NICE3
DOE and EPA's Office of Pollution Prevention are jointly
administering a grant program called the "National Industrial
Competitiveness through Energy, Environment, and Economics"
(NIGE^). By providing grants of up to 50 percent of total project cost,
the program encourages industry to reduce industrial waste at its
source and to become more energy-efficient and cost-competitive
through waste minimization efforts. Grants are used by industry to
design, test, demonstrate, and assess the feasibility of new processes
and/or equipment with the potential to reduce pollution and increase
energy efficiency. The program is open to all industries, however
priority is given to proposals from participants in the pulp and paper,
chemicals, primary metals, and petroleum and coal products sectors.
(Contact: DOE's Golden Field Office, 303-275-4729)
VIII.C. Trade Association Activity
The metal mining industry's many associations have been active
participants in exploring new avenues of pollution prevention. As
\ noted above, some are participating in Bureau of Mines or MSHA
research. A description of various industry associations is provided in
the following section.
The trade and professional organizations serving the metal mining
industries are primarily organized according to commodity. In light of
the controversy over mining law and the possible legislative reform of
current mining practices, there are also several associations whose sole
intent is to influence the reform process.
National Mining Association
1130 17th St.
Washington, D.C. 20036
Phone: (202) 861-2800
Fax: (202) 861-7535 .
Members: 400
Contact: Richard Lawson
Founded in 1995 with the merger between the American Mining
Congress and the National Coal Association, the National Mining
Association represents producers of domestic coal, metals, and
industrial and agricultural minerals; manufacturers of mining and
niirieral processing machinery, equipment, and supplies;
engineering/consulting firms; and financial institutions that serve the
mining industry. The Association also offers tax, communications,
and technical workshops.
September 1995
115
SIC Code 10
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Metal Mining
Sector Notebook Project
Gold
Coalition for Responsible Mining Law
c/o Coeur D'Alene Mines Corp.
POBoxl
Coeur D'Alene, ID 83816-0316
Phone: (208) 667-3511
Fax: (208) 667-2213 '
Members: 300
Staff:
Budget:
Contact: Justin Rice
The Coalition for Responsible Mining Law (CRML) comprises mining
company executives, exploration geologists, small miners, and others
interested in mining laws, organized as a means of coalescing Western
mining interests behind a proposal to preserve the basic provisions of
the National Mining Law (Mining Law of 1872). The coalition seeks to
raise awareness about the law within the mineral industry, Congress,
and the general public through specialized education. Publications
include a periodic newsletter.
Interstate Mining Compact Commission
459B Carlisle Dr.
Herndon,VA 22070
Phone: (703)709-8654
Fax: (703)709-8655
Members: 17
Staff: 2
Budget: $150,000
Contact: Gregory E. Conrad
The Interstate Mining Compact Commission (IMCC) is comprised of
States engaged in surface mining operations. The commission's
purpose is to bring together State officials to discuss mining problems
of national scope and significance. An effort is made to promote
cooperation between States, private mining groups, and the Federal
government, and to discuss, encourage, endorse, or sponsor activities,
programs, and legislation to advance mined land reclamation. The
IMCC publishes the NASL Newsletter quarterly.
Gold Institute
1112 16th St. NW, Ste. 240
Washington, DC 20036
Phone: (202)835-0185
Fax: (202)835-0155
Members: 66
Staff: 10
Budget:
Contact: JohnLutley
The institute represents gold mining and refining companies,
manufacturers of products containing gold, and others who hold and
supply gold. The institute advances the gold industry's interests by
"developing information from worldwide sources on gold uses,
research, technology, markets, and reference data," and encourages the
development and use of gold and gold products. Publications include
the bi-monthly Gold News.
SIC Code 10
116
September 1995
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Sector Notebook Project
Metal ^Mining
Lead
Lead Industries Association
295 Madison Ave.
New York, NY 10017
Phone: (212) 578-4750
Pax: (212) 684-7714
Members: 70
Staff: 4
Budget:
Contact: Jerome Smith
The Lead Industries Association1 consists of mining companies,
smelters, refiners, and manufacturers of lead products. The association
provides technical information to consumers, maintains a library, and
gathers statistics. Its primary semi-annual publication is LEAD.
Iron and Steel
American Iron and Steel Institute
1101 17th St. NW, Suite 1300
Washington, DC 20036-4700
Phone: (202)452-7100
Fax: (202) 463-6573
Members: 1200
Staff: 44
Budget:
Contact: Andrew G. Sharkey III
Members of the American Iron and Steel Institute operate steel mills,
blast furnaces, finishing mills, and iron ore mines. The Institute
conducts extensive research programs on manufacturing technology,
basic materials, environmental quality control, energy, and fuels
consumption. In addition to technical manuals and pamphlets, the
Institute also publishes the American Iron and Steel Institute-Annual
Statistical Report.
American Iron Ore Association
614 Superior Ave, W
Cleveland, OH 44113-1383
Phone: (216) 241-8261
Fax: (216) 241-8262
Members: 12
Staff:
Budget: $260,000
Contact: George Ryan
The American Iron Ore Association represents iron ore producing
companies in the U.S. and Canada. The organization's goals are to
compile and disseminate statistics concerning the iron ore industry,
and to provide a forum for discussing industry problems. The
Association publishes a Variety of documents, among them annual and
monthly reports that detail significant occurrences in the industry. ,
September 1995
117
SIC Code 10
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Metal Mining
Sector Notebook Project
Aluminum
Copper
Zinc
Aluminum Association
900 19th St. NW, Ste. 300
Washington, DC 20006
Phone:(202)862-5100
Fax: (202) 862-5164
Members: 86
Staff: 27
Budget: $4,300,000
Contact: David Parker
The Aluminum Association consists of producers of aluminum and
manufactures of semi-fabricated aluminum products. The association
represents members' interests in legislative activity and conducts
seminars and workshops. In addition, the Association maintains a
library and publishes various documents, including a monthly
Aluminum Situation.
American Copper Council
2 South End Ave., No. 4C
New York, NY 10280
Phone: (212) 945-4990
Members: 175
Staff: 2 .
Budget: $300,000
Contact: Mary Boland
The American Copper Council consists of producers, fabricators,
merchants, consumers, and traders of copper. The council provides a
forum for exchanging news and opinions between copper industry
executives and government officials. In addition, the council
maintains a relationship with the metal trade press and contributes
data and background information related to copper industry events. A
newsletter is published quarterly.
American Zinc Association
1112 16th St., NW, Suite 240
Washington, DC 20036
Phone: (202) 835-0164
Fax: (202) 835-0155
Contact: George Vary
The AZA is an international association that represents primary and
secondary producers of zinc metal, oxide, and dust from the U.S.,
Canada', Mexico, Australia, Finland, Norway, and Spain, who sell in
the U.S. market the largest single-country zinc market in the world.
The association's primary goal is to promote awareness of and to
educate the public about zinc and its many uses; Zinc Essentials is the
association's newsletter.
SIC Code 10
118
September 1995
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Sector Notebook Project
Metal Mining
IX. CONTACTS/ACKNOWLEDGMENTS/RESOURCE MATERIALS/BIBLIOGRAPHY
General Profile
Encyclopedia of Associations, 27th ed., Deborah M. Burek, ed., Gale Research Inc.,
Detroit, Michigan, 1992.
Mineral Commodity Summaries 1994, Bureau of Mines.
Minerals Yearbook, Metals and Minerals, vol. I, Bureau of Mines, 1992.
Standard Industrial Classification Manual, Office of Management and Budget, 1987.
Sustainable Environmental Law, Ch. 16, Campbell-Mohn, Environmental Law
Institute, 1993.
, U.S. Industrial Outlook 1994, Department of Commerce.
1987 Census of Manufacturers Industry Series 10A: Iron Ores, Bureau of the Census,
April 1990 (MC87-I-10A).
2987 Census of Manufacturers Industry Series 10B: Copper, Lead and Zinc, Gold, and
Silver Ores, Bureau of the Census, April 1990 (MC87-I-10B).
1987 Census of Manufacturers Industry Series IOC: Ferroalloy, Misc. Metal Ores and
Services, Bureau of the Census, April 1990 (MC87-I-10C).
SIC Code Profile 10, Metal Mining, September 1994 U.S. EPA, Office of Pollution
Prevention "and Toxics.
Technical Document: Background for NEPA Reviewers, Non-Coal Mining
Operations, December 1994, U.S. EPA.
Mining Waste Releases and Environmental Effects Summaries, Draft, March 1994,
U.S. EPA.
Hardrock Mining Framework, Draft, March 1995, U.S. EPA.
Acid Mine Drainage from Mines in National Forests, a Management Challenge,
Program Aid 1505,1993, USDA Forest Service. .
September 1995
119
SIC Code 10
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Metal Mining
Sector Notebook Project
Regulatory Profile
CRS Issue Brief, The 1872 Mining Law: Time to Reform?, Marc Humphries,
Environment and Natural Resources Policy Division, Congressional Research
Service, Library of Congress, July 7,1994. (Order Code IB89130).
Enforcement Accomplishments Report, FY 1991, U.S. EPA, Office of Enforcement
(EPA/300-R92-008), April 1992.
Enforcement Accomplishments Report, FY 1992, U.S. EPA, Office of Enforcement
(EPA/230-R93-001), April 1993.
Enforcement Accomplishments Report, FY 1993, U.S. EPA, Office of Enforcement
(EPA/300-R94-003), April 1994.
Technical Resource Document: Extraction and Beneficiation of Ores and Minerals,
Volume 4, Copper, August 1994 U.S. EPA.
Technical Document: Background for NEPA Reviewers, Non-Coal Mining
Operations, December 1994, U.S. EPA.
The Scope of the Bevill Exclusion for Mining Wastes, Van Housman,
Environmental Law Reporter, November 1994.
Mission Support Review of the Aerometric Information Retrieval System (AIRS),
July 1992, U.S. EPA, Office of Information Resources Management.
Hardrock Mining Framework, Draft, March 1995, U.S. EPA.
Unified Agenda, 59 Federal Register, April 1994.
Process Descriptions
Annual Report: Copper, 1992, U.S. Bureau of Mines.
Annual Report: Gold, 1992, U.S. Bureau of Mines.
Annual Report: Iron Ore, 1992, U.S. Bureau of Mines.
Annual Report: Lead, 1992, U.S. Bureau of Mines.
Annual Report: Zinc, 1992, U.S. Bureau of Mines.
Technical Resource Document: Extraction and Beneficiation of Ores and Minerals,
Volume 4, Copper, August 1994 U.S. EPA.
SIC Code 10
120
September 1995
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Sector Notebook Project
Metal Mining
McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of Science & Technology, 6th Edition, McGraw-Hill Book
Company, New York, NY, 1992.
Pollution Prevention . '
Control of Water Pollution from Surface Mining Operations, U.S. Bureau of Mines,
1981. ..'..'
Innovative Methods of Managing' Environmental Releases at Mine Sites, April 1994
U.S. EPA.
Technical Resource Document: Extraction and Eeneficiation of Ores and Minerals,
Volume 4, Copper, August 1994 U.S. EPA.
Technical Document: Background for NEPA Reviewers, Non-Coal Mining
Operations, December 1994, U.S. EPA.
Mining Waste Research in the U.S. Bureau of Mines, Valois Shea-Albin, 1992.
Mining's Future: Meeting the Environmental Challenge, Connolly, R.E., Battelle
Press, 1990.
Mining: Technical Support Document, Internal Training Workshop Principles of
Environmental Enforcement, Draft April 1994 U.S. EPA.
The Use of Constructed Wetlands in the Treatment of Acid Mine Drainage, Perry,
Allen, Cambridge University Press, 1991.
Contacts*
Nai
John Roach
Roger Wilmoth
Mel Shupe
Organization
U.S. Bureau of the Census
U.S. EPA Office of Research
and Development
U.S. DOE, Western
Environmental Technology
Office
Telephone
301-703-7066
513-569-7509
406-494-7205
Many of the contacts listed above have provided valuable background information and comments during the
development of this document. EPA appreciates this support and acknowledges that the individuals listed do not
necessarily endorse all statements made within this notebook.
September 1995
121
SIC Code 10
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Metal Mining
Sector Notebook Project
Name
Melanie Pallman
Dan Tangerone
Ron Clawson
General Information
Division of Mineral
Commodities
Division of Regulatory
and Policy Analysis
Division of Environmental
Technology
Organization
U.S. EPA Region VEI
(inspector)
U.S. EPA Region X (inspector)
U.S. EPA Region IX (inspector)
U.S. Bureau of Mines
U.S. Bureau of Mines
U.S. Bureau of Mines
U.S. Bureau of Mines
Telephone
303-293-1626
206-553-1630
415-744-1888
202-501-9650
202-501-9448
202-501-9732
202-501-9271
EPA Document Availability
Per the March 1,1995 Federal Register, the following technical documents
concerning wastes from non-coal extraction and beneficiation, were issued by the
U.S. EPA, and are available at the RCRA docket, EPA Headquarters, Washington,
D.C., and all EPA Regional Libraries. Copies of most documents may be purchased
from the National Technical Information Service at (800) 553-NTIS. Most
documents are also available electronically on the Internet System, through the EPA
Public Access Gopher Server.
The following technical resource documents (TRDs) have been peer reviewed by
State representatives, Federal land management agencies, mining companies, and
public interest groups:
\
TRD Vol.1: Lead-Zinc (NTIS PB94-170248)
TRD Vol.2: Gold (NTIS PB94-170305)
TRD Vol.3: Iron (NTIS PB94-195203)
TRD Vol.4: Copper (NTIS PB94-200979)
TRD Vol.5: Uranium (NTIS PB94-200987)
TRD Vol.6: Gold Placer (NTIS PB94-201811)
TRD Vol.7: Phosphate & Molybdenum (NTIS PB94-201001)
The documents listed below discuss current mining waste management and
engineering practices, and have been peer reviewed by State representatives, Federal
land management agencies, mining companies, and public interest groups:
Innovative Methods of Managing Environmental Releases at Mine Sites (NTIS
PB94-170255)
Design and Evaluation of Tailings Dams (NTIS PB94-201845)
Treatment of Cyanide Heap Leaches & Tailings (NTIS PB94-201837)
Acid Mine Drainage Prediction (NTIS PB94-201829)
SIC Code 10
122
September 1905
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Sactox Notebook. Project
Metal Mining
WASTE: An Information Retrieval System for Mill Tailings References (not at;
NTIS; available electronically or at RCRA docket)
The following documents provide historical context for EPA's mine waste activities:
Report to Congress on Wastes from the Extraction and
Beneficiation of Metallic Ores, Phosphate Rock, Asbestos>
Overburden from Uranium Mining, and Oil Shale (NTIS PB88-
'.'.' 162631)
Strawman II (NTIS PB91-178418)
.U.S. EPA Mine Waste Policy Dialogue Gommittee Meeting
Summaries and Supporting Material (NTIS PB95-12!2529).
September 1995
123
SIC Code 10
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APPENDIX A - INSTRUCTIONS FOR DOWNLOADING NOTEBOOKS
Electronic Access to the Sector Notebooks via
the Enviro$en$e World Wide Web (E$WWW) and
the Enviro$en$e Bulletin Board System (E$BBS)
The Sector Notebooks are available through two electronic systems, the Enviro$en$e
Bulletin Board System (via modem connection), and the Enviro$en$e World Wide Web (via
Internet). The Enviro$en$e Communications Network is a free, public, interagency-supported
system operated by EPA's Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance and the Office of
Research and Development. The Network allows regulators, the regulated community, technical
experts, and the general public to share information regarding: pollution prevention and innovative
technology; environmental enforcement and compliance assistance; laws, executive orders,
regulations and policies; points of contact for services and equipment; and other related topics. The
Network welcomes receipt of environmental messages, information and data from any public or
private person or organization. This document first provides summary information on E$WWW
access, then provides information on downloading protocols from within the E$BBS.
A. ACCESS THROUGH ENVIRO$EN$E WORLD WIDE WEB
To access the Sector Notebooks through the Enviro$en$e World Wide Web, set
your World Wide Web Browser to the following address:
WWW/INTERNET ADDRESS: http://wastenot.inel.gov/envirosense/
HOTLINE NUMBER FOR E$WWW ONLY: 208-526-6956
.1 EPA E$WWW MANAGER: Myles Morse, 202-260-3161
From the Enviro$en$e home page, click on "Compliance and Enforcement" to
obtain instructions on how to access the Sector Notebooks and how to provide comments.
Names, e-mail addresses, and telephone numbers will also be provided should you require
assistance. The same documents listed below under the E$BBS instructions are available
ontheE$WWW.
B. ACCESS THROUGH THE ENVIRO$EN$E BULLETIN BOARD SYSTEM -
Instructions for Connecting, Registering and Downloading Notebooks
E$BBS MODEM CONNECTION NUMBER: 703-968-2092
HOTLINE FORESEES ONLY: 703-908-2007
MANAGER: BBS Platform: Louis Paley, 202-260-4640
The following instructions are condensed from longer documents that provide
information on the full features of the Enviro$en$e Bulletin Board. Further documentation
is available on-line-in the files that are listed at the end of this Appendix.
A-l
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STEP 1. ESTABLISHING MODEM SETTINGS
Connecting to the ENVIRO$EN$E BBS is done using a modem and
communications software. The modem can be either an internal or external model
connected directly to your computer or part of a modem pool that is accessible through your
Local Area Network (LAN) system. The communications software (&&., CrossTalk,
ProComm, QModem, Microphone, etc.) is what allows you to access and control your
modem. Your software needs to be set to the values noted below (many of these settings
are the standard defaults used):
Telephone number - 703-908-2092 (Tip: Be sure you have entered
the appropriate dialing prefix; e.g., 9 for an outside line, 1 for long
distance...)
Baud rate - up to 14,400 EPS is supported (always select the highest
speed which YOUR modem will support).
Terminal Emulation - BBS, ANSI, VT-100, VT-102 etc. (Tips:
Do not use TTY. After you log in, if you see screen characters appear on
the lines where you need to enter information, chances are that you need to
properly set your terminal emulation. The emulation can normally be reset
before or during communication with Enviro$en$e).
Data Bits - 8 (Eight).
Stop Bits - 1 (One).
Parity - None.
Transfer Protocols - ZModem, YModem, XModem, HS/Link,
BiModem, ASCEE (text files only). If your communications software
supports ZModem, this will increase upload/download efficiency. You
must select the same protocol that BOTH your communications software
and the BBS support so that they can "talk the same language" when
sending and receiving files.
Error correction/data compression protocols - v.32, v.42, and
other older, hardware-dependent ones are supported.
Refer to your communications software manual on how to set and save the
communication parameters noted above (these will generally be the default). Also check to
make sure you know where the communications software will send the files you
download. Due to document sizes it is best not to download Sector Notebooks to floppy
disks.
A-2
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STEP ,2. CONNECTING AND REGISTERING
Connect to E$BBS via a modem, using communications software set to the
above settings by dialing:
(703), 908-2092
NOTE: EPA Employees can access E$ directly via LAN from the Agency Lan
Services Menu or Icon and then follow the instructions below. The end of this
document lists additional resources for accessing E$BBS through the LAN.
Once you are in the BBS, hit the ENTER/RETURN key twice (2) to accept
the default values for the screen.
on successive pages, type your first name and hit
ENTER/RETURN; type your lastname and hit ENTER/RETURN;
and type your password (if you have NOT registered yet,
make one up, and remember it for subsequent logons to
E$) and hit ENTER/RETURN; and
Register (first time only) and immediately receive access to the BBS
for 120 minutes per day;
Type responses to the Registration questions, and hit .
ENTER/RETURN to begin using ENVIRO$EN$E. (Tip: the last
registration question is Country? _____)
You may need to hit ENTER/RETURN several times to move past System
News and Alert messages. .
STEP 3. DOWNLOADING SECTOR NOTEBOOKS
The files that appear on the following table can be downloaded from E$. Most files
cannot be viewed on-screen within the E$BBS. As indicated on the following table, each
document appears in several formats - WordPerfect 5.1 (PC), WordPerfect 6.1 (PC),
Microsoft Word 5. la (Mac) or WordPerfect 2.0 (Mac). Please note that the quality of
formatting and graphics is highest in the file version in which the notebook was originally
created. The high quality versions are underlined on the following list of filenames.
Information on Macintosh/Microsoft Word Files
Available Macintosh files are not compressed. The files are easily identified by the seventh
and eighth position in the filename - which is "MA." The extension They can be directly
downloaded and read using Microsoft Word 5. la, or within other word processing
software that supports conversion of Microsoft Word 5. la documents. Conversion to
other programs may alter formatting and graphics quality.
Information on PC/WordPerfect Files
The WordPerfect files are all compressed ("zipped" files ending with the .ZIP extension)
files that need to be decompressed ("unzipped") after they are downloaded. The notebooks
that are available in WP 5.1 and WP 6.0 are zipped together (this is why the filenames on
the following table are the same). When these files are downloaded and "unzipped," you
will have a version with the extension ".WP5" and one with ".WP6".
A-3
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Available Notebooks, Filenames and File Formats
Profile of the Industry < PC WP 5.1
Dry Cleaning DRYCLNSN.ZIP
Electronics and Computer ELECMPSN.ZIP
Wood Furniture and Fixtures WDFURNSN.ZIP
Inorganic Chemical INRGCHSN.ZIP
Iron and Steel IRONSTSN.ZIP
Lumber and Wood Products LMBRWDSN.ZIP
Fabricated Metal Products FABMETSN.ZIP
Metal Mining METMINSN.ZIP
Motor Vehicle Assembly , MOTVEHSN.ZIP
Nonferrous Metals NFMETLSN.ZIP
Non-Fuel, Non-Metal Mining , NOMTMISN.ZIP
Organic Chemical ORGCHMSN.ZIP
Petroleum Refining PETREFSN.ZIP
Printing PRINTGSN.ZIP
Pulp and Paper PULPPASN.ZIP
Rubber and Plastic RUBPLASN.ZIP
Stone, Clay, Glass and Concrete , STCLGLSN.ZIP
Transportation Equipment Cleaning TRNSEQSN.ZIP
PC WP 6.1
Macintosh
Word 5.1a/WP2.0
DRYCLNSN.ZIP
INRGCHSN.ZIP
IRONSTSN.ZIP
DRYCLNMA
ELECMPMA
.WP2
,WD5
WDFURNMA.WP5
INRGCHMA
IRONSTMA
LMBRWDMA
.WP2
.WP2
.WD5
FABMETMA.WD5
METMINMA.WD5.
MOTVEHMA.WD5
NFMETLMA.WD5
NOMTMIMA.WD5
ORGCHMSN.ZIP
PETREFSN.ZIP
PRINTGSN.ZIP
PULPPASN.ZIP
ORGCHMMA
PETREFMA
PRINTGMA
'PULPPAMA
RUBPLAMA
,WP2
,WP2
,WP2
.WP2
.WD5
STCLGLMA.WD5
TRNSEOSN.ZIP TRNSEQMA.WP2
Note: Underlined files contain the highest quality format/graphics
STEP 3 CONTINUED - PROCEDURES FOR DOWNLOADING
From the E$ Main Menu, select "D" to Download then hit ENTER/RETURN.
Type in the Sector Notebook filename from above that you would like to select for
downloading and hit ENTER/RETURN:
The system will ask you to select a file transfer protocol. Select the file transfer
protocol that matches what you have selected within your PC communications
software (ZModem is recommended) and hit ENTER/RETURN. (Tip: ZModem
users may also be allowed to enter more than one filename to download more than
one document at a time. Simply continue to enter a new filename each time a new,
filename prompt appears on the screen. This option is disabled for other users.)
At this point, you may
begin downlpading by hitting ENTER/RETURN. This should begin the
download if you are using the ZModem transfer protocol. If you don't see
information on the screen showing the progress of the download, follow the
next step. .
If the download does not begin after following the last step, you need to tell your
communications software to start receiving the file. To do this, look for a
"RECEIVE" icon or command on your communications software menu and activate
it This tells your software to begin the download.
A-4
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STEP 4
When the download is completed, a message will appear on the screen to confirm
transmission.
The downloaded file will appear in the folder or directory that you defined in your
communications software. -
Repeat the above procedure to download other notebooks.
Macintosh users can logoff using the [G]oodbye command from the main menu
THE FOLLOWING STEP MUST BE TAKEN BY ALL USERS THAT
HAVE DOWNLOADED ZIPPED FILES (files with a ".ZIP" filename
extension) FROM E$. MACINTOSH USERS CAN SKIP THIS
STEP.
In order to read the zipped file(s) you have downloaded, you
must download the decompression software required to
"unzip" your files. To download the decompression software, follow
the same download instructions given above. Type in the filename
"PKZ204G.EXE" and hit ENTER/RETURN. You only need to download
this file to your hard drive once.
Logoff using the [G]oodbye command from the main menu.
To end the phone connection, the user should use the "hang up" or "terminate call"
option provided with your communications software.
DECOMPRESSING ".ZIP'D" DOWNLOADED FILES (PC Only -
Macintosh files do not need to be decompressed)
After you have downloaded a compressed (".ZIP") file to your PC, you must
decompress it to its original format and size by using the "PKUnzip" file which you
downloaded at the beginning of Step 3. The file which you downloaded;
"PKZ204G.EXE", contains PKZip.EXE and PKUrizip.EXE files. PKUNZIP will
decompress the file, returning it to its original size and format as if it had never been
compressed or transmitted over the BBS. To use the PK commands (pkunzip.exe &
pkzip.exe), you must be at the DOS prompt (third-party software interfaces exist for
Windows). For details on how to use either command, simply type the command at the
DOS prompt (without any parameters, i.e., just type "PKUNZIP") and hit
ENTER/RETURN. Since parameters are required for the PKs to work they will
automatically go into help mode and give you a brief explanation of how they work. If a
user needs more direction, there is full documentation included in the PKZ204G EXE in
the "Hints" file. -
To decompress any file, use PKUNZIP.EXE by taking the following steps:
Go to the DOS C: prompt and type PKUNZIP.EXE; then,
Type "PKUNZIP [Filename]" (e.g.. the filename and the path of the
compressed file you wish to decompress).
NOTE: after the paired files are unzipped, two files will exist, one with the
extension ".WP5" and one with the extension ".WP6.
A-5
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C. COMMENTING OR PROVIDING ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON THE
SECTOR NOTEBOOKS VIA E$BBS
Comments on the Sector Notebooks, or supplemental documents of interest can be
uploaded to the Enviro$en$e BBS. Follow upload instructions that appear on the screen,
or look at the instructions for compressing and uploading documents. The instructional
documents are listed below under Section D of this Appendix. All documents that you
upload will be publicly accessible, and should contain a short abstract (less than 50 words)
that describes the document. It is recommended that this abstract contain the words "Sector
Notebook Comments," the title of the Notebook that the comments are directed toward,
and the words "SIC <
-------
To order other EPA Sector Notebooks
use the form below
United States GQV<
ent
Order Processing Code:
*3212
Charge your order.
It's easy!
Fax your orders (202) 512-2250
Phone yogr orders (202) 512-1800
Qty.
Stock Number
055-000-00512-5
055-000-00513-3
. 055-000-00518-4
055-000-00515-0
055-000-00516-8
055-000-00517-6
055-000-00519-2
055-000-00520-6
055-000-00521-4 .
055-000-00522-2
055-000-00523-1
055-000-00524-9
055-000-00525-7
055-000-00526-5
055-000-00527-3
055-000-00528-1
055-000-00529-0
055-000-00514-1
Title,.
Dry Cleaning Industry, 1 04 pages
Electronics and Computer Industry, 1 60 pages
Fabricated Metal Products Industry, 164 pages
Inorganic Chemical Industry, 1 36 pages
Iron and Steel Industry, 128 pages
Lumber and Wood Products Industry, 136 pages
Metal Mining Industry, 148 pages
Motor Vehicle Assembly Industry, 1 56 pages
Nonferrous Metals Industry, 140 pages
Non-Fuel, Non-Metal Mining Industry, 108 pages
Organic Chemical Industry, 1 52 pages
Petroleum Refining Industry, 160 pages
Printing Industry, 124 pages
Pulp and Paper Industry, 156 pages
Rubber and Plastic Industry, 152 pages
Stone, Clay, Glass and Concrete Industry, 124 pages
Transportation Equipment Cleaning Industry. 84 paaes
Wood Furniture and Fixtures Industry. 1 32 oaaes
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*11.00
* 9.00
* 8.00
* 9.00
* 10.00
M1.00
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* 6.50
*11.00
*11.00
$ 7.50
*11.00
M1.00
< 7.50
$ 5.50
* 8.00
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