United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Office of
Research and
Development
Industrial Environmental Research
Laboratory
Cincinnati, Ohio 45268
EPA-600/7-78-006
January 1978
SITE SELECTION AND DESIGN
FOR MINIMIZING POLLUTION
FROM UNDERGROUND COAL
MINING OPERATIONS
Interagency
Energy-Environment
Research and Development
Program Report
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RESEARCH REPORTING SERIES
Research reports of the Office of Research and Development, U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency, have been grouped into nine series. These nine broad cate-
gories were established to facilitate further development and application of en-
vironmental technology. Elimination of traditional grouping was consciously
planned to foster technology transfer and a maximum interface in related fields.
The nine series are:
1. Environmental Health Effects Research
2. Environmental Protection Technology
3. Ecological Research
4. Environmental Monitoring
5. Socioeconomic Environmental Studies
6. Scientific and Technical Assessment Reports (STAR)
7. Interagency Energy-Environment Research and Development
8. "Special" Reports
9. Miscellaneous Reports
This report has been assigned to the INTERAGENCY ENERGY-ENVIRONMENT
RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT series. Reports in this series result from the
effort funded under the 17-agency Federal Energy/Environment Research and
Development Program. These studies relate to EPA's mission to protect the public
health and welfare from adverse effects of pollutants associated with energy sys-
tems. The goal of the Program is to assure the rapid development of domestic
energy supplies in an environmentally-compatible manner by providing the nec-
essary environmental data and control technology. Investigations include analy-
ses of the transport of energy-related pollutants and their health and ecological
effects; assessments of, and development of, control technologies for energy
systems; and integrated assessments of a wide range of energy-related environ-
mental issues.
This document is available to the public through the National Technical Informa-
tion Service, Springfield, Virginia 22161.
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EPA-600/7-78-006
January 1978
SITE SELECTION AND DESIGN FOR MINIMIZING POLLUTION
FROM UNDERGROUND COAL MINING OPERATIONS
by
Reynold Q. Shotts
Eric Sterett, and Thomas A. Simpson
The University of Alabama
University, Alabama 35486
Contract No. 68-03-2015
Project Officers
Eugene F. Harris
S. Jackson Hubbard
Extraction Technology Branch
Industrial Environmental Research Laboratory
Cincinnati, Ohio 45268
INDUSTRIAL ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH LABORATORY
OFFICE OF RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT
U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
CINCINNATI, OHIO 45268
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DISCLAIMER
This report has been reviewed by the Industrial Environmental Research
Laboratory, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and approved for publica-
tion. Approval does not signify that the contents necessarily reflect the
views and policies of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, nor does
mention of trade names or commercial products constitute endorsement or
recommendation for use.
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FOREWORD
When energy and material resources are extracted, processed, converted,
and used, the related pollutional impacts on our environment and even on our
health often require that new and increasingly more efficient pollution
control methods be used. The Industrial Environmental Research Laboratory -
Cincinnati (IEKL-C1) assists in developing and demonstrating new and improved
methodologies that will meet these needs both efficiently and economically.
This report deals with selection of a site, the manner of mine develop-
ment, the method of extraction of coal, and the proper closure of under-
ground coal mines to insure the minimum pollution of the mine area both
during the life of the mine and after abandonment. It is hoped that those
planning mining operations or studying environmental effects of such oper-
ations may find this report useful.
Further information on this subject may be obtained from the Extraction
Technology Branch.
David G. Stephan
Director
Industrial Environmental Research Laboratory
Cincinnati
iii
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ABSTRACT
The objectives of this study were to determine how best to select a
layout and mining system and also to develop and operate an underground
coal mine while at the same time minimizing pollution of the environment.
Study and data collection were begun in September 1974 at two pre-selected
sites. After six months, work was shifted to a third more suitable site,
Republic Steel Corporation's North River No. 1 mine.
The pre-mining environment was assessed by sampling Cedar Creek above
site 3 and other streams to the east and west of the site. .Analyses of
samples of groundwater into the mine from "dripper" joints, of the water
pumped from the mine sump, and of water from Cedar Creek below the mine at
various distances, made possible the assessment of the area with regard to
water quality. Principal factors associated with mining which affected
downstream water quality were sulfide oxidation and acid formation in the
mine, the quality of the groundwater seeping into the mine, the limestone
used for rock dusting, and the quality of the resettled but not treated mine
and washing plant water carried to the continuous miners for dust suppres-
sion. A sample was also taken toward the end of the miners' holiday when
the continuous miners were idle and rock dusting was not being done.
Pollution downstream from the mine proved to be slight, even when
untreated mine effluent flowed directly into the creek. The quantities of
heavy metal ions contained in the mine influent and effluent were small.
Geological and hydrologic conditions observed along with the analytical
results suggest that water pollution should be minimal during the life of
the mine. If openings are sealed after closure, environmental integrity for
the area should exist indefinitely. At depths of"152-213 m below the sur-
face subsidence should be minimal also.
Deep mines in Alabama's synclinal coalfields, if entered some distance
from the outcrop, or mined down-dip if started on the outcrop, should
produce little surface pollution. Sealing of all openings should insure
minimum pollution far beyond the life of the mines.
This report was submitted in fulfillment of Contract No. 68-03-2015 by
the Civil and Mineral Engineering Department and the Mineral Resources
Institute of the University of Alabama, and the Geological Survey of
Alabama, under the sponsorship of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
This report covers the period June 19, 1974, to December 31, 1976, and work
was completed on December 31, 1976.
iv
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CONTENTS
Foreword ill
Abstract iv
Figures vi
Tables ix
Acknowledgment x
1. Introduction 1
Objectives of the research 1
Criteria for site selection 2
2. Conclusions 3
3. Recommendations 6
4. Data collection and analysis at three sites 7
Geology, geologic structure, and pre-mining
environment data at site 1 7
Geology, geologic structure, and pre-mining
environment data at site 2 21
Geology, geologic structure, and pre-mining
environment data at site 3 33
References 93
Selected bibliographies . . 96
A. Hydrology of site 3 96
B. Water quality and water analyses 97
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FIGURES
Number Page
1 Principal productive coalfields of Alabama showing the
location of sites 1, 2, and 3 4
2 Sketch map, site 1, showing principal streams, geological
structural features, and land ownership 8
3 Map showing the location of diamond drill holes and the
abandoned Hargrove No. 2 slope, site 1 10
4 Sections of the Thompson coalbed on, or near, the
proposed lease area, site 1 12
5 Map showing the location of the 12 water samples
collected at site 1 14
6 Normal down-dip mining procedure 22
7 Alternate (retreat) down-dip mining procedure 23
8 Map of site 2, showing university-owned land, Mary Lee
coalbed outcrop, principal streams, and faults 24
9 Elevation contours drawn on top of the Mary Lee
coalbed, site 2 26
10 Location of the six water samples collected, site 2 31
11 Age of the coalbeds, Warrior and Cahaba coalfields 34
12 Graphic logs, lower part of two drill holes near North River
No. 1 mine 36
13 Published logs of four drill holes north, northwest,
and west of North River No. 1 mine 37
14 Map showing North River No. 1 mining area, principal
streams, and location of drill holes used to construct
stratigraphic sections 38
vi
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Number Page
15 An early map of North River No. 1 mine, showing the
direction of the dominant joint system in roof rock 41
16 Example of room-and-pillar panel mining with
pillar recovery (ref. 17) 52
17 Graphical representation of water quality in
a probable pre-mining environment 59
18 Graphical representation of water quality of
mine influent 64
19 Graphical representation of water quality of
mine influent; mine operating and mine idle 69
20 Graphical representation of water quality in post-
mining environment (Cedar Creek watershed), site 3 73
21 Changes in acidity (as mg/1 CaC03) with direction
and distance, Cedar Creek 76
22 Changes in acidity (as mg/s CaCO ) with direction
and distance, Cedar Creek 76
23 Changes in alkalinity (as mg/1 CaCOo) with direction
and distance, Cedar Creek 77
24 Changes in specific conductance (mmhos/cm) with
direction and distance, Cedar Creek 77
25 Changes in suspended solids (mg/1) with direction
and distance, Cedar Creek 78
26 Changes in pH with direction and distance, Cedar Creek 78
27 Changes in Fe ion concentration (mg/1) with direction
and distance, Cedar Creek 79
28 Changes in Al ion concentration (mg/1) with direction
and distance, Cedar Creek 79
29 Changes in Ca ion concentration (mg/1) with direction
and distance, Cedar Creek 80
30 Changes in Mg ion concentration (mg/1) with direction
and distance, Cedar Creek 80
31 Changes in K ion concentration (mg/1) with direction
and distance, Cedar Creek 81
vii
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Number Page
32 Changes in Na ion concentration (mg/1) with direction
and distance, Cedar Creek 81
33 Changes in Mn ion concentration (mg/1) with direction
and distance, Cedar Creek 82
34 Changes in SO^ ion concentration (mg/1) with direction
and distance, Cedar Creek 82
35 Changes in Cl ion concentration (mg/1) with direction
and distance, Cedar Creek 83
36 Sequence of reactions in the oxidation of pyrite 84
37 Subsidence as a function of the ratio, opening width
to depth below the surface for full caving (ref. 18) 88
38 Quick setting double bulkhead seal,
Clarksburg, W.'Va. (ref. 21) 89
39 Cross section of a typical shaft seal (ref. 21) 91
40 Shaft seal with concrete slab (ref. 21) 92
viii
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TABLES
Number Page
1 Water Sampling Locations , Site 1 15
2 Test Results: Site 1 Sampled November 22, 1974 16
3 Test Results: Site 1 Sampled February 14, 1974 18
4 Test Results : Site 2 Sampled October 22, 1974 29
5 Geologic Units and Their Water-Bearing Characteristics 43
6 Test Results, Water Samples Collected by the Geological
Survey of Alabama, Republic Steel Mine at Berry, Alabama .... 46
7 Mobile River Basin: 2464000 North River Near Samantha,
Alabama, Discharge in Cubic Feet Per Second, Water Year
October, 1973 to September, 1974 48
8 Test Results, Water Samples Representing Pre-Mining
Environment, Site 3 54
9 Calculated Flow Values, Cedar Creek at Tuscaloosa, County
Highway No. 63 Bridge, near North River No. 1 Mine,
Discharge in Cubic Feet Per Second, Water Year Record
October, 1974 to September, 1975 57
10 Number, Analytical Laboratory and Sample Location, Mine
Influent, Site 3 60
11 Test Results of Water Samples of Mine Influent, Site 3 61
12 Mean Milliequivalent Weight per liter of Ions in Solution,
Mine Influent Samples, Site 3 65
13 Mean Values for Certain Parameters of Mine Water Effluent,
Site 3 67
14 Metal Ion Concentrations of Mine Water Effluent Samples:
Mean Values for Mine in Operation and One Value for
Mine Idle 68
15 Test Results of Water Samples Collected from Cedar Creek
Downstream from Mine, Site 3, Post-Mining Environment 71
16 Range, Mean Values and Percentage Change of Water Quality
Parameters, Mine Operating and Mine Idle, Site 3 74
ix
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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
This report was prepared for the Extraction Technology Branch, Indus-
trial Environmental Research Laboratory, Cincinnati, Environmental Protec-
tion Agency, by members of the staffs of the Civil and Mineral Engineering
and the Geology Departments of The University of Alabama. The Geological
Survey of Alabama, through a subcontract, prepared the material on the
hydrology of the North River No. 1 area.
The final report was prepared by Reynold Q. Shotts, Professor of Min-
eral Engineering and by Eric Sterett, graduate assistant in Civil Engineering,
Department of Civil and Mineral Engineering. The section on the hydrology
of site 3 was written by Thomas A. Simpson, former Assistant State Geologist,
Geological Survey of Alabama, and now Associate Professor of Mineral Engi-
neering in The Department of Civil and Mineral Engineering. Written contri-
butions on the geology of the three sites by Dr. Stephen Stow, Professor of
Geology, were incorporated in the report.
All water analyses were made by Mr. Sterett, and Jack Davis, former
graduate assistant, Department of Civil and Mineral Engineering, except for
five analyses made by the Geological Survey of Alabama. At various times,
graduate assistants employed on the project were David Sutley and Edgar
Hirschberg, Department of Geology, and David Ramsey, Department of Civil and
Mineral Engineering. Undergraduate assistants were James M. Patterson, Jr.,
and Lawson M. Cannon, Department of Civil and Mineral Engineering.
The EPA project officer during the first few months was Eugene F. Harris
and, during the remainder of the project, was S. Jackson Hubbard.
Invaluable contributions to the study of site 3 were made by the
Republic Steel Corporation, particularly August F. Hilleke, General Super-
intendent, Southern Coal Mines, and John Matthews, Mining Engineer.
Valuable information concerning acid mine water in conventional and longwall
mining sections was contributed by G. L. Barthauer, Vice President, Environ-
mental Affairs, Consolidation Coal Company, Willard E. Ward and George W.
Wood, Land Department, University of Alabama, and Calvin Jones, land owner
and former mine operator in the Cahaba coalfield, also contributed data and
opinion, as did Alice S. Allen, U. S. Bureau of Mines, Washington.
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SECTION 1
INTRODUCTION
OBJECTIVES OF THE RESEARCH
The broad objectives of this research were stated in the Project
Proposal as follows:
The objective of this investigation will be (1) to select two
coal mining sites that will be developed in the near future, (2) to
evaluate state-of-the-art techniques to be applied to these sites
which will minimize pollution from underground coal mining operations,
and (3) to design mining programs prior to mining that will utilize
the most favorable technology available to prevent pollution. This
investigation will encompass studies in physiography, water quality,
geology, hydrology, and other pertinent factors that will influence
the pollution potential of the sites during and after mining.
In order to evaluate and design alternative mining techniques
for minimizing pollution, it will be necessary to critically evaluate
the state-of-the-art as applied to these techniques, and to use this
information as a foundation upon which to build additional environ-
mental safeguards.
It became evident that a project as described would be one of
studying every aspect of the mining operation itself and that measures
to minimize or eliminate pollution sources would actually be a by-
product of this study and of a study of the natural conditions that
surround the mine in three dimensions.
In this study, minimum emphasis was placed on the internal
environment of the mine itself as it affects the work force on the
job (miner health and safety) and maximum emphasis on the effects of
the mining operation on the environment external to the mine. The
time frame of concern with the external environmental extends beyond
that of the life of the mine. Inasmuch as the environment outside the
mine may be affected by both the underground and surface operations,
the latter cannot be altogether neglected; however, pollution con-
tributed by the surface operation and that from underground operations
must be evaluated separately. Operations at, and beyond the surface
outside the mine have been investigated extensively by others and are
not within the scope of this research.
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CRITERIA FOR SITE SELECTION
In the project proposal two possible sites for the research were
suggested. The reasons for selecting the two sites were:
(1) Both sites were partly or wholly on land owned, in fee, by
the University of Alabama. This would mean ready access to the land
and to all existing data on the land.
(2) The two sites presented greatly dissimilar mining conditions.
Site 1 is in the long, narrow, synclinal Cahaba coalfield with steep
coalbed dips near the margins and coalbeds of variable thickness. Site
2 is in the larger Warrior coalfield, where the coalbeds dip only
slightly and are more uniform in thickness.
(3) The sites were selected at the height of the "coal boom" and
were believed to be the two on University-owned land most likely to be
mined soon.
As the project proceeded with no increase in the prospects for the
immediate start of mining at either proposed site, it was decided to
direct the project efforts to a mine already under construction or with
construction scheduled immediately. Two companies were approached.
Within a short time one of these, Republic Steel Corporation, agreed to
cooperate with the project at a mine that had just started coal pro-
duction near Berry, Alabama, only about 35 miles from the campus. On
completion of a verbal agreement with Republic Steel Corporation, work
on the two original sites was dropped and attention turned to site 3.
Site 3 is} geologically, more like site 2 than site 1. The coal-
bed is a member of the Pratt group of coalbeds, the group next above the
Mary Lee group, which occurs at site 2. The Corona (Pratt) coalbed at
site 3 is 1.25 - 1.50 meters (4-5 feet) thick, and is only slightly
dipping. It does not crop out on or near the site and its depth of
about 152 meters (500 feet) is greater than the coalbed at site 2 and
shallower than most of the coalbed area at site 1. Its prime advantage
was, however, that it was being mined.
Ideally, the pre-mining environment should have been studied prior
to the construction of the mine so that later studies could have more
precisely evaluated any environmental changes produced by mining. The
mine was constructed and had begun production, however, before this
could be done. Normally, this would mean no opportunity to detect
deterioration in the environment that might be produced by the mining
operation. Observation indicated that effect on the environment at
this stage was minimal.
North River Mine was opened in a very thinly inhabited area. The
topographic map, field-checked in 1967, shows a density of houses of
fewer than 5 per land section (259 hectares or 640 acres). Section 32,
T16S, R10W, in which the surface plant of the mine is located, had only
four houses. The area is heavily wooded. There is some cleared and
partly cultivated farm land in the alluvial flood plains of the streams.
2
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To the west and north of the mined area, most of the cleared land is
on the interstream divides, and in the other directions there is little
cleared land at all. For this reason and because of the total absence
of industry, the characteristics of the air, water, and natural habitat
are as nearly natural as in any nonwilderness area.
Until 1975, the closest mining activity was at some small surface
mines northeast of North River Mine about 11.3 km (7 miles) from the
site. This year one small surface mine started about 5.5 km (3 1/2
miles) southwest and another, about 10 km (6 miles) southwest. It is
doubtful if these small operations affect the environment in the
vicinity of North River No. 1. Samples have been collected from Cedar
Creek upstream from the mine; from North River northwest and southwest;
and from Tyro Creek, to the southeast. It is believed that these samples
yielded water quality very similar to that existing before the mine
started. Samples collected downstream from the mine, on Cedar Creek,
are the only ones likely to be affected by the mining operation to date.
For these reasons, it is believed that no serious handicap is inherent
in the late start made in data collection.
Figure 1 is a map of the coalfields showing the location of sites
1, 2, and 3.
SECTION 2
CONCLUSIONS
(1) Only Site 3, the North River No. 1 mine, was investigated
fully. In the present early stages of mining the site is not being
seriously polluted by mining operations. Only Cedar Creek, a small
stream no more than 19.3 km (12 miles) long, which flows past the mine,
is affected, downstream from the mine. Increases in alkalinity, pH,
suspended solids, specific conductance, Fe, Mg and Cl were noted. pH
may decrease slightly after 10 or 12 mining units are activated rather
than the 5 to 6 operating at the time of sampling.
(2) The depth of the coalbed below the surface, the absence of
any outcrop, and the moderate relief and intermediate regional slopes
of the topography insure that) the only way mine water will reach the
surface during the life of the mine, will be by pumping. As long as the
effluent is delivered to one or a few points, any required treatment
would be easy.
(3) Examination of table 14 suggests that the bulk of the Al,
Fe, Mg, K, and much of the Na in the mine effluent was in the suspended
solids-(clay, etc.) and not as dissolved ions. All the Cr, Cu, Pb, and
Ni was in suspended matter. Concentrations of suspended solids were
high in all water sampled as it was pumped from the mine,
(4) Suspended solids content and turbidity were low in all sam-
ples of water collected from Cedar Creek below the mine, indicating
either that (a) the volume of water pumped from the mine is only a
relatively small fraction of the flow in Cedar Creek, below the mine,
3
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EXPLANATION
Study Site
O City or Town
Figure 1. Principal productive coalfields of Alabama showing the location of sites 1, 2, and 3.
4
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or (b) the suspended solids pumped from the mine settle readily. If
it had been possible to make a water volume balance of the mine, or to
estimate the flow of Cedar Creek, the proper alternative explanation
would have been deducible. No stream gauging stations have ever been
located on Cedar Creek.
(5) When the time comes for permanent closure of the mine, sealing
the slope and two shafts should insure that the surrounding environment
is not polluted by mine drainage. Any post-sealing outflow should be
intermittent and should come only from the slope. Effluent would thus
be convenient for treatment, should that procedure prove necessary.
(6) Although no observations could be made regarding future
subsidence, some inferences can be made regarding the problem. At a
mining depth of 150 - 200 m (490 - 650 feet) and with thick, competent
sandstones in the roof strata, areas where pillars are left should have
no subsidence. Present mining plans call for complete pillar removal
in most of the mine. In such areas, subsidence should be slight, but
uniform, and cracks or surface damage minimal. Only if the relatively
sparsely settled area were to be extensively developed in the next 30
years, would there likely be significant surface damage and probably
not then.
(7) The two incompletely investigated sites (sites 1 and 2) were
in areas where mining had been done previously. At site 1, one large
underground mine has been abandoned, and more recently strip mining
has been done farther up streams flowing through the site. At site 2
some small-scale underground mining and some surface mining has been
done upstream. Yet the flowing waters in both areas are relatively
uncontaminated, including waters from the abandoned underground mine
at site 1. These facts, coupled with the relatively low pollution from
early mining at site 3, suggest the possibility that: (a) because of
climatic conditions in the Alabama coal fields, high rainfall, little
freezing or snow, and high mean temperatures, mining may contribute only
minimal pollution when all other factors are equal, and (b) down-dip
mining, as practiced in Alabama's synclinal basins, even shallow ones,
via drift, slope, or shaft, may also contribute to less pollution.
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SECTION 3
RECOMMENDATIONS
(1) There is the strong possibility that mine acid formation and
drainage may be proportional to the sulfur content or form, in the coal
or in the superadjacent strata. Certainly, if all other factors are
equal, this should be true. Investigation of this factor is warranted.
(2) Room-and-pillar mining, with complete pillar extraction, and
long-wall mining are both high-recovery methods. It would be interesting
to determine which of these two methods produces the least pollution.
At least one large eastern mining company has observed a possible water
pollution advantage for longwall mining.
(3) Weather and climate should be investigated as factors in acid
mine water pollution. The rather high annual rainfall of 132-142 cm
(52-56 inches), the lack of appreciable precipitation as snow which
soaks in on melting, perhaps the distribution of rainfall throughout the
year, and high mean temperatures, may all be partly responsible for the
apparent lack of severity of acid mine drainage in Alabama as compared
to that in Northern Appalachian areas in which chemically and geologically
similar coals are mined. Obviously, if there is a climatic effect, it
probably will be more pronounced in surface and shallow drift mines,-
than in deeper underground mines.
(4) In the future, it may be found that if coal is to be recovered
in areas that are more than sparsely inhabited and industrially or
residentially developed, subsidence may prove to be as serious a problem
as will acid mine drainage. Trouble may be avoided by sacrificing much
marginally recoverable coal. Studies of this problem have been made
for many years in Europe where it has been an environmental as well as
a mine safety problem. As underground coal mining increases, especially
in less primitive areas, environmental effects of subsidence will become
increasingly important.
(5) There may be a connection between geological structure in the
form of faults and joints and sulfides in the strata overlying the coal-
bed which may combine to produce flows of polluted water into the mine
and hence out of it. Although jointing was pronounced in the North River
No. 1 mine, inflow of sulfur and iron-bearing water was minimal. This
may have resulted from the absence of pyrite-bearing strata above the
coalbed or from the location of the inflow water sources with respect
to the joints. Investigation of joint systems and overlying strata in
a number of places might result in determination of the extent to which
acid formation is limited to the coalbed itself.
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SECTION 4
DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS
GEOLOGY, GEOLOGIC STRUCTURE, AND PRE-MINING
ENVIRONMENT DATA AT SITE 1
Geology and Geologic Structure
Site 1 was chosen because it presented mining problems of a
variably dipping coalbed that would be substantially different from
those of a nearly horizontal one. Presumably, mining methods and
steps required to achieve maximum freedom from pollution might differ
also from those of a nearly level coalbed.
Site 1 is located in Sections 8, 9, 16, and 17 T24N R10E. The
land in Section 8 belongs to the University of Alabama and the United
States Steel Corporation; that in Section 9 and 17 to the First
National Bank of Birmingham (1961). It was assumed that the land
could all be leased for a mining unit in case some company became
interested.
Figure 2 shows the site, the principal streams, the nearest
abandoned coal mine, and the two principal folds that cause the rel-
atively complex geologic structure.
From the orientation of streams in the northern part of site 1
the Tocoa anticlinal axis can be constructed generally perpendicular
to the creek direction. The Cahaba River roughly parallels the axis
and the principal creeks cut across it, so that smaller creeks generally
furnish the criteria. The axis as shown in figure 2 follows closely
the alignment of Butts^ that has been used previously. With reference
to the axis of the anticline, joints and faults at site 1 are generally
aligned from N40°W to N45°W. Thrust faults have directions between
N40°E and N45°E. Coal cleat has the same orientation as the joints
and faults of the surrounding beds and therefore should show the same
directions underground.
In order to lay out working areas in the mine and accurately cal-
culate coal resources and recoverable product, it is necessary to have
isopach maps of the coalbed and a contour map of the top or bottom of
the coalbed. A .drilling program would be necessary to verify the
indicated configuration, where direct data are missing.
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Figure 2. Sketch map, site 1, showing principal streams, geological structural features, and land ownership.
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Such drilling of site 1 would be expensive and time consuming.
Massive sandstone beds appear to make up a large proportion of the
strata over the Thompson coalbed at this site, and drill holes as deep
as 150 to 470 m (492 to 1,542 feet) would be required. More holes would
be needed because of the rapid dips that prevail in some areas. In one
known drill hole, (M 443), for example, the depth to the top of the
Thompson coalbed is 473 meters (1,500 feet).
Because there are insufficient data on site 1 from which to con-
struct a verifiable contour map of the top of the coalbed or an isopach
map of the Thompson coalbed, some assumptions were made:
Cl) The plunge of the axis of the Belle Ellen Syncline, as traced
on the top of the Thompson coalbed, can be determined from drill holes
M 427 and M 443, figure 3. The plunge is 72 m per km or 381 feet per
mile. The same rate of plunge is assumed for the Tocoa anticline from
the outcrop in SE 1/4 of the SW 1/4 Section 9 T24N R10E to a hypothetical
drillhole near the SE corner of the NE 1/4 of the SW 1/4 Section 17
T24N R10E. The plunge, at the assumed rate, is 120 m (395 feet). The
sea level elevation at the intersection of the Tocoa axial plane and the
Thompson coalbed is estimated from the topographic map to be about 152
m (500 feet). When the plunge is subtracted, a sea level elevation of
32.6 m (107 feet) is indicated. The surface elevation is estimated to
be only about 79 m (260 feet) where the axis crosses into section 17
T24N R10W so that the depth of a hole to verify the plunge of anticline
axis at the top of the Thompson coalbed is a shallow 46.6 m (153 feet).
Of course, the plunge of the coalbed on top of the anticline may be more
or less. This figure is used, however, as the basis for a coal surface
contour map .
gives a general section for the Thompson coalbed in the
abandoned Hargrove No. 2 mine. For the purpose of an isopach. map, it
is assumed that this is the section at the Hargrove No. 2 portal,
C2) The section at a point where the anticlinal axis enters
Section 17 is assumed. It is the general section for the abandoned
Coleanor mine, given by Butts^. The Coleanor mine opening lies about
6.45 km (4 miles) northeast of this point. Between the two points lies
abandoned Piper Nos. 1 and 2 mines. From descriptions, these two mines
carried Thompson coal of about( the same thickness and quality as did
Coleanor but no typical or specific sections have been found. The
westermost works of Piper No. 2 are within a mile of Section 17.
Extrapolation of this section to Section 17 thus is based upon indirect
assumptions.
The sections at drill holes M 427 and M 443 are from holes drilled
by a coal mining company (figure 3) . They indicate the condition and
depth below the surface of the Thompson coalbed. Over much of Bibb and
Shelby counties the Thompson coalbed is split into the Upper and Lower
Thompson. In the upper part of the Blocton Basin, Sections 4, 5, and 6
T24N R10E northward, the bed is not badly split into two beds although
there are partings present. The same is true of the area east of the
Tocoa anticline and south of T22N where Coleanor and the two Piper mines
are located.
-------
Freeman Line
DDHM-443
DDH-338 ^
DDHM-422 <
7
DDHM-427
ui
/
/
18
"
PROPOSED
17
LEASE AREA
T.22S.
T.24N.
4
33°05'N.
SLOPE, HARGROVE NO. 2 MINE
I
16
Figure 3. Map showing the location of diamond drill holes and the abandoned Hargrove No. 2 slope, site 1.
10
-------
Along the same outcrop, northeastward, beginning just north of the
Garnsey mine in Section 12 T22S R5W, the split widens and the two beds
become too far apart to mine together. Drill hole M 427 is in the split
zone which seems to run northeast across T24N R9E, the Tocoa anticline
in T22S R5W where the Thompson coalbed has been removed by erosion, and
into T22N R4W and, thence, to T21N. Drill hole M 443 either is south
of the split zone or the hole was drilled only through the upper
Thompson coalbed, which at that point carries 81 cm (32 inches) of coal
and 12.7 cm (5 inches) of parting.
Figure 4 shows bed sections at the three points and the assumed
section on the east side of Section 17. It is evident that if there
are no other local changes between the four points, some assumptions
must also be made concerning the changes in thickness of the usually
lenticular partings.
One assumption could be that the thickness of the principal parting
decreases uniformly from its considerable thickness at drill hole M 427
(figure 4) eastward to only 14 cm at Hargrove No. 2 and southwestward
to drill hole M 443 where it is only 13 cm. Such a concept is plausible
but generally such partings are lens-like and not wedge-like. There-
fore, in the absence of any drill data between points to settle the
question, an arbitrary thickness rate change was assumed.
On the basis of the meager data collected and the assumptions
made, maps were prepared of coalbed thickness (isopach map), thickness
of principal parting, and elevation of the top of the coal. These
maps are not shown but were used to approximate the quantity of coal
available for mining on the property. Total area to be mined is 376.6
hectares (930.6 acres). Of this total, both benches of the coalbed
would be mined under 275.4 hectares (680.5 acres) and only the top
bench will be mined under an additional 101.3 hectares (250.3 acres).
Coal available in the full seam area is 5,181,000 metric tons (5,711,000
short tons) and in the top bench area, 990,000 metric tons (1,091,000
short tons), for a total of 6,171,000 metric tons (6,802,000 short tons).
The average quantity of coal is 16,386 metric tons per hectare or 7,310
short tons per acre. This gives an approximate average coalbed thick-
ness of 1.237 meters (4.06 feet). The average thickness in the full-bed
mining area is 1.566 meters (5.14 feet) and in the upper-bench area,
less than one meter (3.2 fjeet) .
Pre-Mining Environment
The pre-mining environment of the proposed mine site was easily
determined. The area is uninhabited, rather rugged, part of it plateau-
like and heavily wooded. It is doubtful whether there is an inhabited
house within 3.22 km (2 miles) of the site. The West Blocton. area is
4.8 to 6.4 km (3 to 4 miles) from the site, but there is little industry
in West Blocton;-aor have any mine or gob pile fires been observed in the
area. One coal washing plant and a coal loading facility are unlikely to
produce airborne dusts that would be carried that far to the southeast*
Thus:, the. air is as pure as is ordinarily found in any rural area.
11
-------
Rock
8cm
Rock
14cm
Abant
No. 2 1
Coal
20cm
Coal
94cm
Rock
295cm
Rock
1143cm
Coal
48cm
Joned Hargrove
Mine
^
^
Coal Rock
65cm 13cm
Coal 8 cm
(bony)
Coal
30cm
Coal
51cm
DDH M-443
Coal 61 cm
Lower
Thompson
DDH M-427
"Rash"
5cm
Rock
8cm
Coal
28cm
Coal
26cm
Coal
99cm
Abandoned Coleanor
Mine
Figure 4. Sections of the Thompson coalbed on, or near, the proposed lease area, site 1.
12
-------
There are several possible sources of water pollution in the area:
(1) The old Hargrove No. 2 rock slope is but two or three hundred
feet (61 to 91 meters) from a proposed rock slope opening site and not
much farther from another possible shaft site. It is filled with water
and, except in dry weather, overflows into the Cahaba River, about 0.4
km (0.25 mile) to the southeast.
(2) Strip mining operations, a coal preparation plant, and a coal
loading facility are situated within the Cahaba River drainage, 4.8 to
16 km (3 to 10 miles) north and northwest of the site. Any pollution
from these sources will be greatly diluted by the time it reaches the
proposed mining area.
(3) Numerous abandoned underground mines drain and overflow into
Caffee, Big Ugly, Little Ugly, and Cain creeks and into Bear Branch, all
of which are tributaries of the Cahaba River above the proposed site.
(4) A few abandoned strip pits and abandoned underground mines
may drain into the headwaters of Pratt Creek, which flows across the
western part of the proposed mine site and into the Cahaba River south
of the site.
In order to determine pre-mining water quality on, and near, the
proposed mining property, 12 water samples were collected. The first
six were collected during a generally dry fall season (November 22, 1974)
when there was no visible drainage from the Hargrove No. 2 slope. A
rain, one or two days previously, however, had made the Cahaba River so
muddy that no sample was collected. There was no outflow from the
Hargrove No. 1 slope, and Pratt and Caffee creeks carried only moderate
flows.
Flow rates were generally higher when samples 7-12 were taken.
An intermittent stream was flowing from the Hargrove No. 2 slope.
Figure 5 shows the 12 sampling locations, and table 1 gives brief
descriptions. Analyses of the first six samples are given in table 2
and of the last six, in table 3.
None of the 12 analyses indicates serious pollution. pH was in the
acid range for only one sample, that obtained in the high flow period
from the Hargrove No. 2 slope (pH 6.2). All other samples had a pH of
seven or above. The Cahaba River carried the highest pH, while Pratt
and Caffee creeks were not far behind. All these streams probably carry
some mine drainage and flow over no calcareous beds until outside the
coalfield. Samples 4 and 12 were taken after the streams reached pos-
sible limestones. No known limestones or dolomites are present in the
Pennsylvanian strata of the Cahaba coalfield; however, since the boundary
(Helena) fault probably thrust carbonate rocks over the Pennsylvanian
strata, carbonates would have been carried into Pennsylvanian strata by
circulating ground water as the previously overlying rocks were being
eroded. It has been reported that ash from commercial coals from the
Piper No. 1 and No. 2 mines had an appreciable lime content. A published
ash analysis of a Thompson coalbed at Garnsey mine, which is about 3.5
13
-------
HARGROVE NO. 1 MINEX
HARGROVE NO. 2 MINEX?
22
Figure 5. Map showing the location of the 12 water samples collected at site 1.
14
-------
TABLE 1 - WATER SAMPLING LOCATIONS, SITE lab
Sample Number Site Location
1 Hargrove No. 2 air shaft
2 Hargrove No. 2 mine slope
3 Hargrove No. 1
4 Pratt Creek
5 Caffee Creek located about 250 yards from
Hargrove No. 1
6 Small pool in wet weather stream supporting
aquatic life (fish) that drained from Har-
grove No. 2 area to Cahaba River, approxi-
mately 200 yards from the Cahaba River
7 Hargrove No. 2 slope opening
8 Cahaba River at mouth of small intermittent
stream flowing from Hargrove No. 2 slope
9 Cahaba River, SW 1/4 Section 9 T24N R10E,
upstream from Hargrove No. 2 slope
10 Pratt Creek just south of its entry into
proposed mine area (Section 17 T24N R10E)
11 Pratt Creek upstream from where it flows
off proposed mine area (Section 17 T24N
R10E)
12 Cahaba River near where it flows south of
proposed mine area, SW 1/4 of SW 1/4 Section
16 T24N R10E
a Samples were taken after a big rain up the river
b Arsenic and BOD results omitted. BOD sample bottles were
accidentally emptied before analysis. The analytic procedure
for As was suspect so the results were omitted.
15
-------
TABLE 2 - TEST RESULTS: SITE NO. 1, SAMPLED NOVEMBER 22, 1974
cr>
Parameter
ACIDITY
as mg/1 CaC03
ALKALINITY
as mg/1 CaC03
AMMONIA
as mg/1 N
BIOCHEMICAL OXYGEN DEMAND,
mg/1 (5 days @ 2QOC)
CHLORIDE
as mg/1 Cl
DISSOLVED OXYGEN,
mg/1
HARDNESS
as mg/1 CaC03
PH
SPECIFIC CONDUCTANCE,
Hmhos/cm
SULFATE
as mg/1 804
TURBIDITY ,
JTU
ALUMINUM
as mg/1 Al
ANTIMONY
as mg/1 Sb
ARSENIC
as mg/1 As
CADMIUM
as mg/1 CA
1
31.2
58.6
0.26
2.1
1.07
11.1
50.9
7.3
92.8
3.0
13.0
NDa
ND
ND
2
31.7
56.5
0.18
3.1
1.6
4.7
50.9
7.0
91.5
2.0
3.7
ND
ND
ND
3
Sample
82.41
134.2
0.22
1.0
1.07
7.8
127.2
7.17
265
26
108
ND
ND
ND
4
Point
5.03
44.7
0.23
3.2
1.6
8.6
67.8
7.67
122
24
7.6
ND
ND
ND
5
4.5
53.3
0.21
3.2
4.29
7.8
3.3
7.75
234
40
9.1
ND
ND
ND
6
7.04
97.8
0.21
2.3
17.18
8.5
38.2
7.7
188
3.5
1.5
ND
ND
ND
a None detectable
-------
TABLE 2 (Continued)
Parameter
CALCIUM
as mg/1 Ca
CHROMIUM
as mg/1 Cr
COPPER
as mg/1 Cu
IRON
as mg/1 Fe ~
LEAD
as mg/1 Pb
MAGNESIUM
as mg/1 Mg
MANGANESE
as mg/1 Mn.
MERCURY
as mg/1 Hg
NICKEL
as mg/1 Ni
POTASSIUM
as mg/1 K
SODIUM
as mg/1 Na
TIN
as mg/1 Sn
ZINC
as mg/1 Zn
SUSPENDED SOLIDS,
as mg/1
1
9
ND
ND
ND
ND
2.5
ND
ND
ND
1.3
6
ND
ND
13.2
2
8
ND
ND
ND
ND
2.5
ND
ND
ND
1.5
6.5
ND
ND
4.0
3
Sample
23
ND
ND
1 ppm
ND
10
0.5
ND
ND
4.9
11
ND
0.1
67.5
4
Point
10
ND
ND
ND
ND
7
ND
ND
ND
1
4
ND
ND
2.0
5
25
ND
ND
1 ppm
ND
13
0.2
ND
ND
2.5
5.5
ND
ND
4.4
6
2.5
ND
ND
ND
ND
2.5
ND
ND
ND
2.0
15
ND
0.1
1.6
-------
TABLE 3 - TEST RESULTS: SITE NO. 1, SAMPLED FEBRUARY 14, 1975
00
Parameter
ACIDITY
as mg/1 CaC03
ALKALINITY
as mg/1 CaCC>3
AMMONIA
as mg/1 N
BIOCHEMICAL OXYGEN DEMAND,
mg/1 (5 days @ 20°C)
CHLORIDE
as mg/1 Cl
DISSOLVED OXYGEN,
mg/1
HARDNESS
as mg/1 CaC03
pH
SPECIFIC CONDUCTANCE,
Hmhos/cm
SULFATE
as mg/1 SO^
TURBIDITY
JTU
ALUMINUM
as mg/1 Al
ANTIMONY
as mg/1 Sb
ARSENIC
as mg/1 As
CADMIUM
as mg/1 Cd
7
2.57
5.25
0.32
1.43
9.2
14.38
6.2
27.1
2.7
11
NDa
ND
ND
8
2.06
42.5
0.16
2.43
10.6
68.2
7.6
144
22.9
12
ND
ND
ND
9
Sample
1.57
40.9
0.22
2.62
10.8
76.3
7.9
139
25.6
10
ND
ND
ND
10
Point
2.57
12.2
0.44
1.207
10.9
37.7
7.66
72
18.8
7.5
ND
ND
ND
11
1.57
9.45
0.48
1.43
10.5
24.4
7.6
56.5
12.9
9.2
ND
ND
ND
12
1.02
16.15
0.20
1.92
10.5
76.3
7.92
120.5
21.2
13
ND
ND
ND
a None detectable
-------
TABLE 3 (Continued)
Parameter
CALCIUM
as mg/1
CHROMIUM
as mg/1
COPPER
as rag/1
IRON
as mg/1
LEAD
as mg/1
MAGNESIUM
as mg/1
MANGANESE
as mg/1
MERCURY
as mg/1
NICKEL
as mg/1
POTASSIUM
as mg/1
SODIUM
as mg/1
TIN
as mg/1
ZINC
as mg/1
SUSPENDED
as mg/1
Ca
Cr
Cu
Fe
Pb
Mg
Mn
Hg
Ni
K
Na
Sn
Zn
SOLIDS
7
1.0
ND
ND
0.5
ND
1.8
0.045
ND
ND
0.6
1.7
ND
ND
4.66
8
24.0
ND
ND
0.375
ND
10
0.126
ND
ND
1.2
5
ND
ND
20.5
9
Sample
22.0
ND
ND
0.3
ND
10
0.189
ND
ND
1.4
5.2
ND
ND
22.6
10
Point
8.0
ND
ND
0.35
ND
4.5
0.099
ND
ND
1.5
1.9
ND
ND
7.0
11
6.5
ND
ND
0.85
ND
5
0.068
ND
ND
0.7
1.6
ND
ND
5.32
12
14.5
ND
ND
0.5
ND
10
0.189
ND
ND
0.8
2.2
ND
ND
24,6
TEMPERATURE AT SITE
OF
57.5°
52°
52°
520
52°
52°
-------
miles (5.6 km) from the boundary fault, contained 4.3 percent CaO and
1.7 percent MgO. These were the highest CaO and the second highest
MgO content of 16 analyses reported for Alabama coals.^
The Hargrove No. 2 air shaft and slope are connected not far
underground, and the abandoned works of Hargrove No. 1 and 2 are
physically connected, although the principal openings are separated
by about 2.4 km (1.5 miles). It would be no surprise, therefore, if
the analyses of all three samples were similar. Analyses 1, 2, and
7 were indeed similar. Differences in the rate of outflow (flushing)
could have caused the difference between samples 1 and 7. As expected,
differences between water samples from the slope and air course at
Hargrove No. 2 were insignificant. The water at Hargrove No. 1 was
visibly turbid the day the sample was collected. This was verified
by greater acidity and alkalinity expressed as mg/£ of CaC03, greater
turbidity, greater hardness, greater specific conductance, and more
suspended material. It is assumed that the water in Hargrove No. 1
slope had been locally stirred in some way, perhaps by a rock fall
not far inside the slope or by an inflow of surface water.
Most heavy metal ions were not present or the content was low.
If pyrite oxidation is occurring in these flooded mines (presence of
dissolved oxygen indicates the possibility) then it must be precipi-
tated as fast as formed or oxygen circulates very slowly from inflow.
Both mines are full of water. Sulfates and iron ions are moderate to
scarce.
Sulfates were highest in the Caffee Creek and Hargrove No. 1
slope samples. Caffee Creek carries effluent from both strip pits and
abandoned underground mines.
Proposed Mining Plan and Layout
Historically, all underground mines in the Cahaba coalfield have
been developed down the dip. Consideration of Site 1 did not proceed
far enough to consider mine layout but it is likely that downdip develop-
ment would have been chosen. A comparatively short rock slope to the
coal and a ventilation shaft, or two or three vertical shafts of moderate
depths, probably represent the choices. In order to develop the mine
updip, it would be necessary to sink two or more shafts near the south-
west corner of the property. The required depth would be about 470 m
(1,542 feet) deep, which would make it a very expensive development.
Further, these shafts would tap the coalbed in an area where it is not
very thick, whereas a downdip opening would be in an area of maximum
thickness.
It has been demonstrated that downdip mining generally produces on
the order of 10-fold less acidity than does updip mining. Drainage is
minimal, and after abandonment, the water-filled mine produces a minimum
of oxidation of iron sulfides as indicated by the water analyses from
Hargrove No. 1 and 2 mines.
20
-------
Mining in all Alabama underground coal mines is done by the room
and pillar system. Longwall methods are not used, but a so-called
"modified longwall" was once used at Boothton and perhaps at other
Cahaba field mines.6 Boothton was closed in 1952. Longwall retreat
mining would require developing entries to the boundaries of the pro-
perty before mining begins, whereas longwall advancing would not.
Longwall advancing and room and pillar mining could be laid out so that
all water in the mine, except that in downdip rooms, would flow to the
main entries for pumping. This layout is possible not only because the
area to be mined dips southwestward toward the axis of the Belle Ellen
syncline (figure 3) but also because the axis of both folds plunge
south-southwest.
Figures 6 and 7, from a recent publication' show schematically
how a downdip mining system may be developed.
Quality and Control of Mine Effluent
Development, operation, and maintenance of the abandoned mine should
produce no more than minimal pollution of air and water. Surface sub-
sidence also should be minimal because of the thick, competent sandstones
in the strata overlying the Thompson coalbed and the depth of most of
the mined area below the surface.
GEOLOGY, GEOLOGIC STRUCTURE, AND PRE-MINING
ENVIRONMENT DATA AT SITE 2
Geology and Geologic Structure
Site 2 is located in Walker County and in the Warrior coalfield.
The land outlined heavily in figure 8 is owned in fee or by mineral
rights only by the University of Alabama. Three other areas of unknown
ownership in sections 1, 10, and 11 T16N R6,7W were included in the
logical mining unit because they can best be mined from openings on
University of Alabama land:
(a) The area west of the coal outcrop north of the river, in the
NW 1/4 of Section 10 and bounded on the west by a fault. To mine this
area, which is too small for a separate mine, would require entry from
University land, mining across the fault from Section 9 and part of
Section 10 west of the fault, or mining under the river from the south
half of Section 10.
(b) The area west of the river in Section 1. This area must be
mined from University land or from the east side of the river. The long-
abandoned Colta Mine lies east of the river in this area.
(c) The non-University land inside the Shepherd Bend loop lies in
Sections 11 and 12. Any mining from other areas would require a drift
under the river because this land tract hardly seems large enough for a
separate deep mine.
21
-------
Step A
StepB
,:^m^j;:^m~-^
:i£ix
StepC
LEGEND
Property Line
Limit of Mining
*->»- Working Face (
Infiltration
Potential Inundation
Direction of Production)
Figure 6. Normal down-dip mining procedure.
22
-------
S N
Step A
\
StepB
^T^^ "
Property Line
Limit of Mining
> Working Face (f-
StepC
LEGEND
[.;-.;':.\;:-7\ Infiltration
|^r2^r| Potential Inundation
-^-Direction of Production)
Figure 7. Alternate (retreat) down-dip mining procedure.
23
-------
UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA
LAND
Figure 8. Map of site 2, showing University-owned land, Mary Lee coalbed outcrop,
principal streams, and faults.
24
-------
Coalbeds available for underground mining in the area are the Mary
Lee and the Blue Creek. The Mary Lee coalbed can be entered through a
drift at an elevation of 91.5 - 94.5 m. The fault shown in the south-
west part of the site precludes mining of about 30.5 hectares of reserves
unless a rock slope is driven downward from the main portion of the pro-
perty. The vertical displacement of this fault is about 61 m (200 feet).
The entire site is drained by short streams that flow into the Mulberry
Fork of the Warrior River, which is at an elevation of 76 m (250 feet)
in the area. If the Mary Lee coalbed is entered at 91.5 m elevation,
the mine will drain into the river, since the dip is toward the river.
Known coalbed thickness averages about 80 cm (31.5 inches). The
coal has a volatile matter content of about 32.7 percent and an ash
content of 10 percent.
The Blue Creek coalbed, lying about 3.5 - 7.5 meters below the
Mary Lee, is similar, but the bed is only about 56 cm thick.
The New Castle coalbed is about 7.5 meters above the Mary Lee.
Average ash content is about 12 percent, and sulfur content, 1.7 per-
cent. The bed is about 33 cm thick.
The total Mary Lee coal available for mining, including the areas
not owned by the University of Alabama, has been estimated for site 2.
The areas inside the outcrop and the property boundaries were measured
carefully, several times, with a planimeter. About 14.2 hectares (35
acres) of the tract were excluded because it is on the downthrown side
of a fault with enough displacement to make it impractical to mine from
an opening located on the upthrown side. Another 41.4 hectares (102.5
acres) were deducted for a 30.5 m (100 foot) barrier pillar around the
property. The law requires a 61 m (200 foot) pillar but it was assumed
that adjoining, unmined properties will furnish the other half. The
net mineable area is 676.2 hectares (1,670 acres).
The average thickness of the Mary Lee coalbed in the area is only
79.76 cm (31.4 inches). The standard United States Geological Survey
and United States Bureau of Mines figure used in calculating the bulk
density of bituminous coal in place is 1,800 tons per acre-foot, or in
metric units 132.4 X 10s kg/hetetare-meter. Using 0.8 meter for averag-
coalbed thickness gives .4.08 X 10^ kg/hectare. Calculations based on
the USBM average of 57 percent recovery for modern underground mining
and a measured area of 676 hectares (1,670 acres), give 4.08 X 10" kg
(45 X 10^ tons) recoverable coal. Any second mining of pillars or
longwall mining should increase this figure. It would appear that a
small-to-medium sized mine, designed for a maximum annual production
rate of 4.08 X 10^ metric tons (4.5 X 10^ short tons), would have a
life of about 10 years from construction to sealing.
Analysis, and mapping of the data reveal that site 2 has a more
complex structure than was originally thought. Figure 9 is one inter-
pretation of the structure on top of the Mary Lee coalbed, based upon
maps and other information from the Alabama By-Products Corporation,
which has done the only known exploration in the area. The presence of
25
-------
Figure 9. Elevation contours drawn on top of the Mary Lee coalbed, site 2.
26
-------
the "high" through the center of the tract would have considerable in-
fluence on a mine layout. If the high-angle fault across Sections 10,
3, and 4 does not continue as indicated, the east-west ridge still is
partly faulted. If the fault is continuous, as suggested, the structure
should be similar to that shown. In the Warrior coalfield, the numerous
NW-SE trending normal faults have maximum displacement near the center
rather than at one end. Blair^ states that maximum displacement is
about 200 feet. The length of the fault is roughly proportional to the
amount of displacement, a fault of 100 feet displacement having a length
of about 2 miles (3.2 km). The faults occur in echelon and are com-
monly parallel to each other. "Graben" faults are common. Faults
usually occur near folding axes and often are roughly perpendicular to
them. The axis of the asymmetric Warrior syncline lies across the pro-
perty, as shown. Blair's map does not show this fault. As added support
for the interpretation shown in the figure, Blair also says: "The
structure produced by faulting of this type resembles closely....a short
slit or tear in a horizontal sheet of paper on which, if lateral pressure
is applied, there is a movement along the tear, producing a bisected
dome on the high side with a corresponding basin on the low side, the
axes of the fold corresponding with the point of greatest displacement
on the break."* Direct confirmation of the northward extension of the
fault was sought in the field and on the aerial photographs. The
search was not completed.
Overburden is generally thin, and much of the coal on the proposed
mining property is strippable. Stripping would allow mining of the
Pratt and America coalbeds , which occur in a ridge across Sections 2, 3,
and 4, and also of the Mary Lee, Blue Creek, and New Castle coalbeds
nearer the river. If strip mining is possible up to the 30.5 m cover
line, the property would be almost cut in two. It would be narrowed
drastically also in the southwest quarter of Section 2. In view of the
quantity of coal that could be strip-mined, the size of an underground
mine on the remaining area would be much smaller than indicated by the
reserves unless it were found practical to extend mining to the west of
the fault in Sections 3 and 4.
Pre-Mining Environment
Field visits were made and water samples taken in order to evaluate
the pre-mining environmentJ
The area is rural. The nearest industry is at Cordova, over 8 km
(5 miles) to the north. The Alabama Power Company has a large coal-fired
electric generating plant located at Gorgas, also about 8 km southwest
of site 2. Prevailing westerly winds could carry any effluent from the
stacks toward site 2. The coal burned in the Gorgas steam plant contains
about 1.5 percent sulfur and releases about 552 gm (1.20 Ib) of sulfur
or 1,104 gm (2.40 Ib) S02 per million btu of heat produced. Because the
stacks are equipped with mechanical or electrostatic precipitators, the
quantity of particulate matter deposited 8 km distant should be low and
particle size very fine. Several abandoned and active strip mines lie
near High Level about 3.2 km (2 miles) directly to the west of site 2
and others lie northwest at slightly greater distances. One large under-
ground mine and three coal preparation plants are in the vicinity of
27
-------
Gorgas. It is doubtful that dust produced by these operations would
affect site 2.
There are no local sources of air pollution. The 1971 topographic
map indicates 19 structures on the 676.2 hectares (1,670 acres), and
most of these may be camp houses or summer houses on the Warrior River
in the northwest 1/4 of Section 10. One structure is shown in Section
2 and one in Section 3.
Possible sources of water pollution are fairly numerous. The
small industries in Cordova about 8 km (5 miles) up-river from site 2
may discharge effluents into the river. There are numerous abandoned
mines, most of them small, on both sides of the river as far as Cordova.
There are others on the river 14.5 - 16 km above Cordova in the Empire-
Sipsey area. Some of the strip-mines north of High Level drain into
streams that empty into the Warrior River north of site 2. Oxidation
of coal in the natural outcrops of the Pratt, America, New Castle, Mary
Lee and Blue Creek coalbeds, of course, also pollutes the river and
tributary streams.
In order to check the condition of the local waters, six samples
were taken on October 22, 1974. None of these were on the site itself
because no running streams were found at that time.
All samples were taken by boat on the Warrior River. The sampling
locations are shown in figure 10. Sample 1 was taken where the river
reaches the proposed mining tract. It should characterize the river
water quality, at fairly low flow rates, as it reaches the mining pro-
perty.
Samples 2, 3, 4, and 5 were taken from the north side of the river
opposite drainage from site 2. Note that 2, 3, and 4 are on the up-
thrown side of the fault that re-exposes the Mary Lee coalbed outcrop
for nearly a mile along the river in Sections 2, 3, and 10. Sample 5
was taken at the mouth of the largest drain on the property but on the
down-thrown side of the fault where the Mary Lee coalbed is well below
drainage. These four localities should measure any pollution flowing
into the river from site 2.
Sample 6 was taken from the mouth of Mosquito Creek. The eastern
tributaries of this creek partly drain the west end of site 2 while the
remainder of its watershed drains the America and Pratt coalbed strip
mines at High Level. The quality of the river water here should char-
acterize the quality of the river just past site 2 and differences
between samples 1 and 5 or 6 should reflect any pollution from site 2.
Table 4 shows the analyses of the 6 samples. The figures indicate
that for the large number of potential pollution sources, the Warrior
River water is fairly pure and flow past site 2 produces little or no
detectable changes. All pH values are between 7 and 8, except that
value from sample 6; sample 6 contained drainage from some strip mines
and had a pH of 8.05. Sulfates are low. The more common metal ions,
Al, Fe, Ca, and Mg, apparently were not determined and rarer ions, like
Sb, As, Cd, Cu, Pb, Mn, Ni, Sn, and Zn were not detected. Turbidity was
low. Specific conductance was quite uniformly low.
28
-------
TABLE 4 - TEST RESULTS: SITE NO. 2, SAMPLED OCTOBER 22, 1974
VD
Parameter
ACIDITY
as mg/1 CaC03
ALKALINITY
as mg/1 CaC03
AMMONIA
as mg/1 N
BIOCHEMICAL OXYGEN DEMAND,
mg/1 (5 days @ 20°C)
CHLORIDE
as mg/1 Cl
DISSOLVED OXYGEN,
as mg/1
HARDNESS
as mg/1 CaC03
PH
SPECIFIC CONDUCTANCE,
p mhos /cm
SULFATE
as mg/1 804
TURBIDITY
JTU
ALUMINUM
as mg/1 Al
ANTIMONY
as mg/1 Sb
ARSENIC
as mg/1 As
CADMIUM
as mg/1 Cd
1
2.31
21.83
0.35
2.18
4.30
8.40
20.72
7.72
59.0
11.2
3.10
NDa
ND
ND
2
2.51
18.10
0.35
1.18
3.76
8.0
24.68
7.15
66.0
12.0
2.30
ND
ND
ND
Sample
3
2.05
17.25
0..20
1.64
6.44
7.70
21.55
7.40
65.0
11.6
3.50
ND
ND
ND
Point
4
3.08
17.25
0.20
2.00
4.30
7.30
24.68
7.11
65.0
13.0
2.90
ND
ND
ND
5
2.56
15.98
0.22
1.27
3.76
7.50
22.79
7.23
64.8
13.0
3.30
ND
ND
ND
6
2.26
15.44
0.20
1.64
4.30
8.10
29.0
8.05
65.0
12.0
2.25
ND
ND
ND
a None detectable
-------
TABLE 4 (Continued)
Parameter
3 4
Sample Point
u>
o
CALCIUM
as mg/1 Ca
CHROMIUM
as mg/1 Cr
COPPER
as mg/1 Cu
IRON
as mg/1 Fe
LEAD
as mg/1 Pb
MAGNESIUM
as mg/1 Mg
MANGANESE
as mg/1 Mn
MERCURY
as mg/1 Hg
NICKEL
as mg/1 Ni
POTASSIUM
as mg/1 K
SODIUM
as mg/1 Na
TIN
as mg/1 Sn
ZINC
as mg/1 Zn
ND
ND
ND
ND
ND
ND
ND
ND
ND
ND
ND
ND
ND
ND
ND
ND
ND
ND
ND
0.95
1.95
'ND
ND
ND
0.975
1.80
ND
ND
ND
0.95
1.80
ND
ND
ND
1.0
1.80
ND
ND
ND
0.95
1.80
ND
ND
ND
1.80
ND
ND
-------
UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA
LAND
Figure 10. Location of the six water samples collected, site 2.
31
-------
Proposed Mining Plant and Layout
Work on site 2 did not proceed far enough for consideration of
details of mine lay-out. It was assumed that the mine would be opened
by a drift from the outcrop, probably in the northwest 1/4 of the south-
west 1/4 of Section 2 T16S R6W. The main slope would be driven approx-
imately north, or up the dip. If, however, all the coalbeds were first
strip-mined with a 30.5 m (100 foot) highwall, the underground opening
could be as far north as the northeast 1/4 of the northeast 1/4 of
Section 3. Left entries would mine the accessible areas in Sections 3
and 4 and right entries, those in Sections 1, 2, 11, and 12. Because
these entries would be so near the north line of the property, most of
the area would be mined south and down dip. Strip-mining of the shallower
coal would produce acid drainage which would all flow into the Warrior
River. By properly channeling and treating this drainage, the river would
probably be protected from excessive pollution until the restored spoil-
banks were revegetated and most of the acidity flushed away. The
average sulfur percent in the Mary Lee coalbed is about 0.7, in the
Blue Creek, about 0.8, and in the New Castle, about 1.7, so that acid
pollution may not be a serious problem at any time. The quality of the
Warrior River water, with the many abandoned mines upstream, lends
support to this possibility.
A possible alternative to conventional stripmining, at least where
cover is greater than 25 - 40 feet (7.6 - 12.2 m), might be "longwall
stripping", which has been used to some extent in West Virginia.H By
this method the mining face, under shallow cover, is advanced and the
roof is supported, near the face, as in the longwall advancing system.
On advancing the mechanical roof supports, the roof settles to the floor
behind them with minimum breaking. The resulting terrain would then
not differ from its original condition except for some slight subsidence.
An objection to this method, from the standpoint of resource conser-
vation, is that the underlying Blue Creek coalbed and the overlying New
Castle coalbed would be lost. The fairly-high-sulfur New Castle coal
would be left in the partly fractured ground where it could more readily
reached by oxygen-bearing surface water than it was before mining.
Coiality and Control of Mine Effluent
If acid mine water proves to be a problem, the effluent from the
underground mine should be easy to handle. Some drainage probably would
issue from the drift entries and from the small mining area where updip
mining is done, but the greater part of the mining area would be mined
downdip. Any drainage collecting along the face could be pumped updip'
and across to the main entries, but it would be simpler to pump the water'
to the surface through shallow drill holes. All underground drainage
could be collected and treated, if necessary. After the mine is exhausted,
a seal on the entries should hold easily because the slight southward dip
of the narrow strip north of the entries would insure a very low head of
trapped water.
32
-------
GEOLOGY, GEOLOGIC STRUCTURE, AND PRE-MINING
ENVIRONMENT DATA AT SITE 3
Geology and Geologic Structure
The topography of the area that encompasses the North River mining
district is one of relatively low relief, with rather sluggish larger
streams meandering across broad alluvium- covered valleys. The hills
which rise from 30.5 km to 61 km (100 to 200 feet) above the principal
streams are deeply dissected. The elevations of the larger hills range
from 152 km to 183 km ( 500 to 600 feet), and are usually capped by
Cretaceous sands and gravels of the Coker formation, a member of the
Tuscaloosa group.
The Cretaceous age Coker formation lies un conformably over the
massive coal-bearing Pottsville formation of Pennsylvanian age. The
formation consists of sands and gravels and is a member of the Tuscaloosa
group. Within the Coker formation are two members, only one of which
is of concern. This is the Eoline member which is divided into a lower
sand unit and an upper clay-rich unit. The Eoline sands consist of
white to light gray to tan, fine to coarse gravel, and cross-bedded,
micaceous sands. These sands generally weather to a dark red color.
Interbedded with the sands are clay balls which vary in color from light
to dark gray and may be as large as 12.5 cm (6 inches) in diameter. The
thickness of these sands varies, but the maximum noted was about 25 m
(82 feet).
The Eoline sands grade upward into the Eoline clays. These clays
are illitic, thinly laminated, and range in color from green to purple
to gray. They are interbedded with fine, cross-bedded glauconitic
sands. Thin ironstone layers are common throughout the Eoline clay.
The coalbeds and their enclosing rocks are of Pennsylvanian age.
The U. S. Geological Survey^2 and the Alabama Geological Surveyl3 have
termed the Alabama Pennsylvanian rocks the "Pottsville formation" and
have divided this formation into upper, middle and lower. Figure 11,
from Shotts^, as modified only slightly from Butts, shows these divi-
sions. The exact point qf separation is somewhat indefinite but gen-
erally the limit of the .lower Pottsville is just under the Black Creek
coal in the Warrior coalfield and near the Gould coalbed inlhe Cahaba
coalfield. With this division, there is no upper Pottsville in the
Warrior coalfield.
On the basis of sections and well logs from Eastern
Kentucky to Mississippi, also divided the Pottsville into three parts
and introduced the division names of Pocahontas , New River, and Kanawha,
currently used in Kentucky. Stearns places the Pocahontas-New River
division at the Rosa coal and the New River-Kanawha division just above
the Pratt coal. Thus, the Warrior coalfield has four coalbed groups in
the Kanawha: the Gwin, Cobb, Utley and Brookwood. See Culbertson and
Shotts12*16 for the Utley group, not recognized earlier by McCalley17.
The coalbed mined at North River No. 1 Mine is in the Pratt group.
33
-------
Uf
cc.
tit
fc
CAHABA FIELD
m
Q.
Ill
O
o
WARRIOR FIELD
I DOVLC\SS
I
I
IGMTER CML
,IW1« CML
COAL
[RIOA OOAL
ILLESflE OOAL
ROSA OOAL
TIDlAflt OOAL
Ill
_l
J
>
ON
Q.
Ul
O
( F F 1-
POLECAT COJIL
UPPC* UAVLEHE OOAL
LOHCN UAYLCNC. GOAL
LOVELADV OOAL
WOOTEN GOAL
LUKE OOAL
«TEIN OOAL
^OOGWOOO COAL
AIR SHAFT 0«AL
IHONTEVALLO COAL
YCUUO (ft COAL
HELENA COAL
rauMOBLOOD (DOM) COAL
UOXCOAl
HMP COAL
H« MHZ 6OAt-
.ffOVU} MOUP
Figure 11. Age of the coalbeds, Warrior and Cahaba coalfields.
34
-------
It is the equivalent of the Pratt coalbed itself , but in the western
Warrior coalfield, it is usually referred to as the Corona coalbed.
McCalley18 says: "The Cardiff (Fire Clay) and Pratt seams come together
and form the Corona...". The "coming together" occurs near Oakman,
Alabama. Just west of Oakman, the Pratt, Cardiff (Fire Clay, Nickel
Plate) and America are present south of the Southern Railroad, but
north of it, only the Corona is found. The Corona is the only coalbed
of the Pratt group that is of any importance in the North River area.
Figure 12 is a log of a hole drilled approximately one mile south-
southeast of the slope of the North River No. 1 mine. Apparently one
other coalbed overlies the Corona coalbed at this point. The Cobb Upper
coalbed was mapped by McCalley as cropping out in Cedar Creek valley, a
few feet above the stream1^. This thin bed does not appear in figure
12 although the drill hole apparently was started well above the horizon.
The 74-cm (29-inch) coalbed at 130 m (428 feet) is the one mapped by
McCalley20 as the Cobb Lower. For that reason, the thick sandstone
immediately underlying the coalbed is the Camp Branch sandstone of
Butts21. See also figure 11. The Camp Branch sandstone is distributed
widely in the western Warrior coalfield^.
The Corona coalbed lies 75 m (245 feet) below the Cobb Lower. The
intervening strata are largely shale. Much of it is sandy or contains
sandstone bands. The immediately overlying "sandstone with shale bands"
is giving roof control problems in the new mine.
All strata apparently were deposited in freshwater under rather
rapidly shifting environmental conditions and at varying distances from
sediment sources. There are no limestone beds, and apparently no dis-
tinctive fossil zones were encountered except for the fossil plant
matter of the coalbeds themselves. Alternating bands of "fire clay",
coal and bone coal in the Corona coalbed itself indicated a fluctuating
depositional environment.
The Mary Lee and Black Creek coal groups underlie the Corona coal-
bed in this area and there may also be coal in the pre-Black Creek zones
(Rosa or Bear Creek zone). The logs of the two nearby Bessemer Coal, Iron,
and Land (Sinclair Oil) holes shown in figure 13^3 indicate mineable coal
at the Black Creek and possibly at the Mary Lee horizons. The horizon
labeled "Black Creek" could be'the underlying Bear Creek zone instead,
depending on the completeness of the Pocahontas section in the area.
From subsurface data obtained from diamond drill exploration by the
Joy Manufacturing Company for Republic Steel Corporation, two cross-
sections were drawn. These cross-sections are wholly within the property
limits for the Republic Steel Corporation and represent the general sub-
surface stratigraphy of the North River mining district. The exact
location of both cross-sections can be found on the aerial map of the
North River No. 1 mine property, figure 14.
The east-west cross-section was drawn to best represent the strat-
igraphy perpendicular to the general dip of the region. The north-south
cross-section, therefore, best represents the stratigraphy parallel to
the general dip of the region, which is slightly west of south. The
35
-------
130m
140m
150m
160m
170m
180m
190m
200m
210m
=^=
L
u./
Cobb coalbed, 76
6.3 ss
0.6 sh
7.9 ss
3.4 s sh
23.8 sh/ss
3.4ssh
16.8 sh/ss
3.0 s sh
3.0 s sh
5.6 ss/sh
I Corona coalbed
13Q r_43h A f r>
^^^m
Cobb coalbed , ,
51c,14sh
1.8ssh
8.5 ss
0.6 ssh
6.4 ss
9.2 ss/sh
21 .3 ssh
5.8 sh/ss
11.1 sh
1.2ss
4.0 sh
5.8 ss/sh
0.71 fc
SE1/4Sec. 5.T.17S, R 10 W
Corona coalbed
114c, 9b, 13, sh
0.9 fc
SE1/* Sec. 32, T 16 S, R10W
Sandstone, ss
Shale, sh
Sandy shale, s sh
Shale with
sandstone
streaks, sh/ss
Sandstone with
shale streaks, ss/sh
Bone, b
Fireclay
(underclay), fc'
Depth: meters, m
Bed Thicknesses:
centimeters, cm
Figure 12. Graphic logs, lower part, of two drill holes near North River No. 1 mine.
36
-------
ELEVATION, m
+152m
SOUTHWEST
Sea Level
-152 m
-305m
-457m
-610m
-762m
-915m
-1067m
^^^^
61cm
56cm
152cm
\
61cm
122cm
^%«
**~*
/>
122cm
^
^'
S
61 cm
61cm
61 cm
f
1
/
f
1
( '
/
'"*"*
X
X
No. 1 ^
N
NE'AofNEVi V
S6C.11T.17S.R.11W.
V-
«*V
m***
16cm
61 cm
30cm
30cm
/
/
/
>*%*
^**
16cm
Cobb
_j 30cm Corona
' 30 cm
30cm
t=d Black Creek
Berry No. 2
Top, "Millstone Grit"
Berry No. 1
/
NW'/40f SEV4, Sec. 17T. 16S. R. 10 W.
/
Coal Streaks
Bottom Pennsylvania)!
Bangor Limestone Fm
Pennington Fm
No. 2 NEV4 of NW/4.
Sec. 25 T. 16 S.
Figure 13. Published logs of four drill holes north, northwest, and west of North River No. 1 mine.
37
-------
Township 16 South
Township 17 South
TUSCALOOSA COUNTY
PNR42
in i ' ' 3
Figure 14. Map showing North River No. 1 mining area, principal streams, and location
of drill holes used to construct stratigraphic sections.
38
-------
cross-sections are not shown, but they reveal general stratigraphic
trends in the area.
The Pottsville formation generally consists of alternate beds of
shale and sandstone with two coalbeds. In the northern part of Fayette
County the thickness of the Pottsville is about 305 m (1,000 feet).
The thickness increases southward; in the Sinclair No. 1 well, Section
11 T17S R11W (figure 13), the base of the Pottsville was encountered at
a depth of 843 m (2,765 feet). The basal 30.5 m (100 feet) of the
Pottsville is a coarse conglomeratic sandstone containing white quartz
pebbles 0.5 to 1.0 cm in diameter24.
In the east-west cross-section, perpendicular to the general
regional dip, there is a repeated pattern of sandstone and sandy shale.
This pattern repeats itself about three times within this cross-section.
On the surface there are a couple of hills that are capped with the
Eoline member of the Cretaceous Coker formation. These are typical
sands and clays, weathered to a red color. Except for these sands and
clays of the Coker formation, the remainder of the cross-section is
made of the sandstones and shales of the Pottsville formation with its
two prominent coalbeds.
Both cross-sections shown that the Cobb coalbed is based on the
very persistent Camp Branch sandstone of Butts'^ throughout the section.
It has a projected thickness in the east of 9.1 to 12.2 m (30 to 40
feet) and follows a lensoid pattern to the west that reaches maximum
thickness of 24.4 to 27.4 m (80 to 90 feet). Above the Cobb coalbed
there is a shale member of the Pottsville formation that keeps a uni-
form thickness of about 10.7 to 12.2 m (35 to 40 feet).
The Pratt coalbed has a sandstone member of the Pottsville for-
mation forming its roof-rock. This sandstone ranges in thickness from
a moderately thin 3 m (10 feet) in the east to about 7.6 to 9.1 m (25
to 30 feet) in the west. In general, the east-west cross-section shows
a very uniform succession of the various members of the Pottsville
formation, as one would expect from a section parallel to the strike of
the beds.
In the north-south cross-se'ction, the beds of sandstone and shales
are not so uniform as in the east-west section. This cross-section was
drawn parallel to the dip direction, and the general trend is for each
of the individual lithologic units to have gradual increase in thickness
in the downdip direction to the southwest.
Again in this cross-section, the sandstone unit underlying the Cobb
coalbed decreases in thickness to the south. As in the first cross-
section discussed, a sandstone unit forms the roof-rock above the Pratt
coalbed. The sandstone forming the roof of the Pratt coalbed pinches out
to the south where the Pratt is overlain by a bed of shale with a thick-
ness of 30.5 to 36.6 m (100 to 120 feet).
Several small units of sandstone and shale disappear in the north-
south cross-section and do not persist from drill hole to drill hole.
39
-------
If a closer spacing of drill-hole information had been available, local
disappearances such as these could have been mapped more precisely. It
appears highly probable that stratigraphic unit thicknesses fluctuate
considerably throughout the area.
Structure
The structure of the North River area is not believed to be complex.
A structure map was made by the Sinclair Oil Company and was published
by Semmes26. Structure was mapped on top of the Utley No. 1 coalbed
which is a thin., generally uneconomic, but persistent, coal horizon
higher than the Cobb coalbeds. The two notable features of the map
are: (a) a gentle but slightly varying dip to the south or southwest and
(b) two parallel NW-SE faults with a graben between them, lying about
1.2 km (2 miles) west of North River No. 1 mine. Exploratory drilling
has been done near the faults in order to delineate them and to deter-
mine their effect on future mining.
The company is already encountering the principal joints in the
area. Because of the depth of weathering, it would be almost impossible
to map the jointing system on the surface. The principal joints are
often filled with water and drain rather rapidly when encountered.
After the stored water drains, inflow is modest. Signs of biological
contamination of the inflowing water have been noticed in the mine.
Figure 15 shows the principal set of joints mapped to date. They
trend east, about 30°N, although they are obviously not all parallel.
The dip of the beds appears to be more nearly south than are the joint
directions.
The Corona coalbed at the North River mine does not yield coal of
coking quality (the Pratt coalbed makes excellent coke in Jefferson
County). The entire output is under contract to the Southern Electric
Generating Company for utility fuel. The reported production of coal
for the Alabama State fiscal year 1975 was 307,072 tons (278,574 metric
tons). Part of this may have been unwashed coal because the preparation
plant was finished late. Thus 1975 finds the mine just getting into
production. Five or six mining units are now working out of a planned
ten to twelve, toward a 1 1/2 to 2 million ton (1,361,000 to 1,814,000
metric tons) annual production rate.
The coal mine was developed with a belt slope 565 m (1,852 feet)
long, a man shaft and a ventilation shaft. The surface elevation of the
slope mouth is about 110 m (360 feet), and the hoist and air shafts are
at 129 m (423 feet) and 128 m (420 feet), respectively. The coal is
roughly 28 m (92 feet) below sea level. The depth of the coalbed in-
creases toward the south and west.
40
-------
Figure 15. An early map ot North River No. 1 mine, showing the direction of the dominant joint system in roof rock.
41
-------
HYDROLOGY OF THE NORTH RIVER NO. 1 MINE,
REPUBLIC STEEL CORPORATION, BERRY, ALABAMA, SITE 3*
Introduction
The Republic Steel Corporation, North River No. 1 mine near Berry,
Fayette County, Alabama, is mining coal from the Pratt coalbed under
about 120 to 150 m (400 to 500 feet) of cover. The mine, when in full
production, will produce 1.8 million metric tons (2 million tons)
annually for steam power generation.
The purpose of this report is to provide basic water data for the
mine area. These data are on the occurrence and movement of surface
and ground water as well as on the quality of these waters so that
plans for pollution abatement and control can be formulated to minimize
pollution effects from underground mining operations.
Water Availability
Ground Water
The quantity and movement of ground water is controlled by the
subsurface rocks. The physical characteristics and chemical composition
of the geologic formations are major factors that affect the quantity of
water available, and the quality and the vertical areal distribution of
ground water.
The data collected on the availability of water for the area have
been taken from reports of the Geological Survey of Alabama and from
field studies.
In the mine area, ground water occurs in openings along fractures,
bedding planes, rock contacts in sandstone units of the Pottsville
Formation, in sand and gravel of the Coker Formation, terrace deposits,
and in the alluvium. In the mine area, deposits of sand and gravel cap
only some of the higher points of elevation and are therefore limited in
areal extent, thickness and water availability. The Pottsville Formation
is the principal water-bearing geologic unit. See table 5.
The Pottsville in the mine area consists of sandstone, shale, silt-
stone, conglomerate, clay, limestone, and coal, and ranges in thickness
from 300 to 920 m (1,000 to 3,000 feet). The most productive water-
bearing openings generally occur in the sandstone beds. Some solution
openings may occur in the limestone beds, but the beds are thin and
non-persistent.
The nature of the occurrence of the different rock units of the
Pottsville as an alternating sequence of beds of shale, sandstone,
limestone, siltstone, conglomerate, clay, and coal beds place impermeable'
beds of shale and clay above or below permeable beds of sandstone, thereby
*Prepared by Thomas A. Simpson, Assistant State Geologist,
Geological Survey of Alabama, University of Alabama. Publication
authorized by the State Geologist.
42
-------
TABLE 5 - GEOLOGIC UNITS AND THEIR WATER-BEARING CHARACTERISTICS*
System
Series
Quaternary
Holocene and
Pleistocene
Cretaceous
Upper
Geologic
Unit
Terrace
deposits
and
alluvium
Coker
Formation
Thickness
(feet)
0-25
0-80
Lithology
Lenticular
poorly sorted
beds of sand,
gravel , and
clay.
Varicolored,
unconsolidated
Water -Bearing
Properties
Wells generally
produce less
than 5 gpm
(19 1/min).
Aquifier probably
will yeild less
Quality
of water
Water generally
reported to be
soft and low in
mineral content.
Water is reported
to be soft and
Cretaceous
lenticular beds
of clay, sand,
and gravel. The
coarser sand beds
and beds of gravel
are near the base
of the formation.
than 5 gpm (19
1/min) in western
edge of county.
Cretaceous eroded
over much of
Tuscaloosa County.
low in mineral
content.
Pennsylvanian
Lower and
Middle
Pennsylvanian
Pottsville
Formation
1,000 -
3,000
Sandstone, brown
to red, dark gray
micaceous, conglo-
meratic, shale,
and coal.
Sandstone generally Water is soft to
yields less than 10
gpm (38 1/min) to
individual wells.
Weathered sandstone
may yield up to 50
gpm (190 1/min).
hard and locally
may contain ob-
jectionable
amounts of iron.
After O'Rear, et al., 1972.
-------
limiting the vertical movement of water. However, where these beds
have been fractured by faulting, folding, and jointing the vertical and
lateral movement of ground water is affected. Ground water also moves
laterally along bedding planes and at the contact between different
rock types.
The Pottsville does not provide high yields to wells; generally, a
flow of 5 gpm (19 1/min) is considered to constitute a good well. How-
ever, yields of 50 to 125 gpm (189 to 473 1/min) have been developed
in some areas. The amount of water available depends upon the number
and size of water-bearing openings penetrated. Generally the number
and size of openings decrease with depth, and below 100 m (330 feet)
little additional water can be expected.
Ground water in sand and gravel in the Coker Formation is very
limited and shallow wells yield less than 5 gpm (19 I/sec).
The alluvium and terrace deposits are not important sources of
ground water because of their limited areal extent and thickness. The
flood plains of major streams may be suitable for a domestic source.
Most of the springs in the area flow less than a liter per second,
but they may be adequate for a domestic source.
Mine Water Sources
The major source of ground water in the mine is from water-bearing
fractures and joints. The workings are dry except when occasional
water-bearing "slips" or joints are penetrated by the mine openings.
The water "make" for the mine is probably no more than 100 to 200 gpm
(6 to 13 I/sec).
The initial penetration of a water-bearing opening usually releases
a large inflow of 200 to 300 gpm (13 to 19 I/sec) , but after draining
over a period of time, flow decreases to a trickle. This indicates
that the fracture system is serving as a storage reservoir and that
movement through the system both vertically and laterally is very
restricted. Much of the jointing observed in the back was "healed"
or filled in with a cementing material of some kind.
The structure of the rocks in the mine area is relatively simple,
and rocks dip generally southward a few feet per mile. However,
faulting, folding, and jointing exist in some areas and near large-
scale structural features water flows of greater magnitude can be
expected.
Ground Water Quality
The chemical character of ground water depends on several variables,
such as the composition of the aquifer, distance from recharge areas,
time the water has been in contact with the aquifer, and the overall
pattern of ground water circulation. Ground water collected from water
wells in the Coker Formation generally contains less than 100 mg/1
44
-------
dissolved solids, less than 40 mg/1 chloride, and is soft. Ground
water collected from water wells in the Pottsville Formation generally
contains more than 100 mg/1 dissolved solids, less than 40 mg/1
chloride, and ranges from soft to very hard. Locally, ground water
contains iron in excess of 0.3 mg/1 and objectionable amounts of
silica.
In contrast to the chemical quality of ground water from wells,
water samples collected underground at four different points show the
water to be a sodium bicarbonate type. The results are shown in table
6. One sample from a "slip" at Northwest Main was very turbid. The
results indicate storage over a long period of time in the fracture
system.
Surface Water
The major drainage system in the mine area is the North River, and
the nearest recording station with the longest period of record is at
Samantha, Tuscalocsa County. The records for 1974 are given in table
7 that follows.
Environmental Considerations
One of the most serious water pollution problems associated with
coal mining is acid mine water. Ground water in the mines, on coming
in contact with coal or rocks containing a high sulfide content and
in the presence of oxygen, becomes acid. On hydrolysis of oxygenated
metal salts, a gelatinous mass of red5 brown, and yellow iron oxides
and hydroxides, termed "yellow boy", is precipitated.
This situation can also occur when rainfall runs off waste piles
on the surface.
Preventive measures should be undertaken to channel mine water
effluent and runoff from waste piles to tailings ponds where the water
can be held and treated before being allowed to flow into the surface
drainage system in the area.
See appendix A for special references for this section of the.
report.
Mine Plan and Layout
The mining plan and layout of North River No. 1 was prepared long
before the present project was shifted to site 3; therefore, it is
impossible to know the extent to which potential environmental impact
was considered in selecting a mining system. Because the mining system
is similar to that used in most underground mines in Alabama, it is
suspected that experience factors were used. It is not believed that
in the past, environmental considerations have weighed very much in
decisions regarding mining method. If this is a fact, it does not
reflect an anti-environmental bias but simply the fact that it was
not known how, or to what extent, potential pollution from mining
operations is affected by choice of mining method or layout.
45
-------
TABLE 6 - TEST RESULTS: WATER SAMPLES COLLECTED BY THE GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF ALABAMA
REPUBLIC STEEL BERRY MINE AT BERRY, ALABAMA
Constituent
Specific Conductance
(vimhos/cm)
Iron, total
-------
TABLE 6 - (.Continued)
Constituent
Calcium
(mg/1)
Magnesium
(Hg/D
Sodium
(pg/D
Potassium
(Hg/l)
Residue,
total filterable
at 180°C
Bicarbonate
(yg/D
Carbonate
(ug/1)
Sulfate
(Pg/D
Chloride
(ug/i)
Hardness,
total (mg/1)
Ammonia
NH3 (fflg/l)N
Turbidity
JTU
Main south track North 75° 1 flat
dripper, No. 1 North, No. 2
8/7/75 8/7/75
1000 hr. 1100 hr.
1.1
0.3
380
2.0
890
720
54
78
4
0.64
5
Northwest main,
No. 3
8/7/75
1045 hr.
1.7
0.5
510
2.5
1270
850
31
240
6
0.70
55
Northeast of
elevator shaft
No. 4, 8/7/75
1140 hr.
1.0
0.3
370
1.7
855
720
39
82
4
0.50
2
North River
at Samantha
6/26/75
1300 hr.
3.3
2.6
2.8
1.3
__
14
12
2.2
19
a Not enough water for complete analysis
k Material specifically analyzed for, but not detected
-------
CO
TABLE 7 - MOBILE RIVER BASIN
02464000 North River Near Samantha, Alabama
Discharge, in Cubic Feet Per Second, Water Year October, 1973 to September, 1974
Day
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
Oct
131
69
50
40
35
30
27
25
24
23
21
20
19
23
81
60
43
34
27
25
23
22
21
20
20
Nov
31
31
28
27
30
33
31
116
600
262
145
106
89
76
68
62
54
49
47
, 45
439
486
246
182
156
Dec
347
258
203
258
352
246
195
169
153
142
123
116
111
104
100
91
81
78
73
178
347
262
225
203
2,580
Jan
778
792
1,260
2,060
1,320
2,130
4,470
2,370
1,990
3,120
3,550
3,180
1,470
1,040
1,220
1,090
857
670
551
606
1,030
772
857
1,300
2,010
Feb
697
625
575
462
384
631
2,710
2,430
1,220
835
637
520
445
C 422
1,360
2,340
1,580
907
1,160
900
724
3,130
2,050
951
650
Mar
332
294
262
237
218
199
185
172
156
150
150
241
188
159
148
142
136
128
136
683
1,080
765
538
405
322
Apr
738
3,510
2,680
4,370
4,040
1,410
864
758
600
462
389
1,300
7,810
4,490
2,290
1,500
1,100
850
770
700
660
640
1,290
650
480
May
210
178
185
166
188
172
148
131
131
128
172
1,860
806
457
400
676
509
367
284
266
307
289
600
354
271
Jun
457
538
332
250
237
284
284
275
221
229
162
136
241
207
162
136
118
100
106
98
81
73
80
106
81
Jul
43
40
37
35
34
34
41
57
53
49
41
46
38
35
35
33
30
27
30
31
27
26
45
60
48
Aug
29
26
25
35
31
25
27
183
72
44
36
34
45
51
53
42"
49
43
35
30
27
24
23
21
20
Sep
223
427
359
156
119
90
76
4,930
3.140
1,450
804
451
358
451
295
218
158
137
112
96
83
73
52
57
58
-------
TABLE 7 - (Continued)
Day
26
27
28
29
30
31
Total*
Mean
Max
Min
Cfsm
In.
Oct
19
19
22
30
31
31
1,065
34.4
131
19
0.16
0.18
Nov
145
606
2,780
9.14
491
8,375
279
2,780
27
1.
1.
Dec
12,500
8,220
1,720
974
772
765
31,946
1,031
12,500
73
27 4.
42 5.
Jan
1,590
1,690
2,150
3,300
1,520
929
51,672 29
1,667 1
4,470 3
551
71 7.61
43 8.78
Feb
515
433
378
,671
,060
,130
378
4.
5.
Mar
289
254
233
3,150
2,130
951
14,433
466
3,150
128
84 2.
04 2.
Apr
394
332
284
250
233
45,844
1,528
7,810
233
13 6.
45 7.
May
4,160
4,500
1,510
857
613
457
21,382
690
4,500
128
98 3.15
79 3.63
Jun
66
59
53
47
46
5,235
175
538
46
0.80
0.89
Jul
38
47
72
53
40
33
1,258
40.6
72
26
0.19
0.21
Aug
19
20
32
33
35
152
1,321
42.
183
19
0.
0.
Sep
69
78
74
68
60
14,842
6 495
4,930
57
19 2.26
22 2.52
a Calendar Year 1973: total 219,520; mean 601; maximum 12,500; minimum 14; cubic feet per square mile 2.74; inches 37.29
Water Year 1974: total 227,044; mean 622; maximum 12,500; minimum 19; cubic feet per square mile 2.84; inches 38.57
Location: Lat 33°28'45", long 87°35'50", in SW 1/4 sec. 16, T18S, R10W, Tuscaloosa County, about 200 feet (61 m)
downstream from bridge on county road, 1.2 miles (1.9 km) upstream from Cripple Creek, 4 miles (6 km)
north of Samantha, and at mile 36.9 (59.4 km).
Drainage Area: 219 mi2 (567 km2)
Period of record: December, 1938 to September, 1954; October, 1968 to current year.
Gage: Water-stage recorder. Datum of gage is 232.39 ft. (70.832 m) above mean sea level. Prior to Jan. 25, 1939,
nonrecording gage 40 ft. (12 m) downstream at same datum.
Average Discharge: 21 years (1939-1954, 1968-74), 366 ft3/s (10.4 m3/s), 22.70 in/yr (577 mm/yr).
-------
TABLE 7 - (Continued)
Extremes: Current year: Maximum discharge, 13,400 ft3/s (379 m3/s) Dec. 26 (gage height, 24.85 ft. or 7.574 m);
minimum, 19 ft3/s (0.54 m3/s) Oct. 26, 27 28 (gage height, 1.66 ft. or 0.506 m).
Period of record: Maximum discharge, 25,000 ft3/s (722 m3/s> Mar. 20, 1970 (gage height, 35.08 ft. or
10.692 m); minimum, 0.1 ft3/s (0.003 m3/s) Sept. 5 - 8, 13 - 15, 1954.
Floods of July, 1916 and February, 1936 reached a stage of about 31 ft. (9.5 m), from information by local residents.
Remarks: Records good.
Revisions: (Water years) WSP 1304: 1939 (M); Drainage area.
TABLE 7a - PEAK DISCHARGE (BASE, 5,000 CFS)
Date
12-26
1-07
4-04
Time
0900
0700
1900
G. H.a
24.85
11.60
14.58
Discharge
Units
13,400
5,080
6,580
Date
4-13
5-26
9-08
Time
0900
2100
1600
G. H.a
17.94
17.07
15.85
Discharge
Units
8,750
8,190
7,390
Source Table 7 and Table 7a:
Gage height
Water Resources Data for Alabama, 1974.
Part 1, Surface Water Record, United States Geological Survey.
-------
As in all Alabama mines, a room-and-pillar system is in use. It is
designed as a full recovery system, using continuous mining machines.
Givan says :
The growing use of high-capacity loading and continuous mining units
has resulted in increasing departure from the long line (pillar line) con-
cept. Now the general practice is to work section by section extracting
pillars, as a rule, as soon as places, or groups of places, are driven to
their limit. Mining may be done on the retreat on one or both sides or on
the advance on one side and retreat on the other seldom full advance.2?
This apparently is descriptive of the basic method being used at North
River No. 1. Figure 16, which is Givan's figure 12-33, closely resembles
the North River No. 1 system.
At North River No. 1, the mains are nine entries driven north and south
from the slope. Each entry is 6.1 m (20 feet) wide on 26 m (85 foot)
centers (measured from map). East and west flats are turned off the mains,
also as nine entries, about every 2,100 m (6,800 feet). Rights and lefts
off the main entries are not opposite each other, however. Butt entries
are turned off the flats for first mining. They are on 363 m (1,190 feet)
centers and are separated by chain pillars 156 m (510 feet) wide. Since
mining was begun, some dimensions have been changed to improve roof control.
Experimentation with dimensions will probably be continued for some time,
and with varying roof conditions in the mine, it is possible that room and
other dimensions may differ.
After rooms are driven up and bleeder entries established, pillar
mining in a finished room goes on simultaneously with first mining in the
next one. Apparently, mining will be away from the main entries at North
River No. 1, rather than toward them as in figure 16.
Figure 15 shows that in early driving of the mains northward, crosscuts
between places were driven opposite each other. Since that time, they have
been staggered in the hope that roof support will be improved.
As now laid out, at North River No. 1:
(a) Main entries and butt entries are almost parallel to coalbed dip
and flat entries are parallel to strike;
(b) Mining will be both up-dip and down-dip. The location of the
portal, relative to the reserves dedicated to Mine No. 1, indicates that
most of the mining area lies east of the mains and that much more down-dip
than up-dip mining will be done.
(c) Butt entries are all to be mined up-dip.
All entry haulage in North River No. 1 is by belt, with shuttle cars
being used from the face to the nearest belt.
51
-------
naaaooaaaaaaaQaoDaa
Figure 16. Example of room-and-pillar panel mining with pillar recovery (ref. 27).
52
-------
Pre-Mining Environment
The quality of water in the locale of the North River Mine before
mining operations began was determined by selecting specific sample
points based upon the probability of influence on water quality by
mining operations. Points on Cedar Creek upstream from the mine should
be free from the influence of mine operations, as should those on North
River upstream from its confluence with Cedar Creek.
Because of the geological characteristics of the area and the
depth of the mine, the only possible samples that could have been
influenced by mine operations were the samples taken downstream from
the mine in Cedar Creek or North River. This assumption was made be-
cause at a mine depth of 152 m, the only possible way for polluting
substances to reach the surface would be by pumping. Once these
polluting substances reached the surface and were allowed to follow
a natural drainage path, the only possible route of flow was into
Cedar Creek, downstream from the mine. It should be noted that this
is what actually occurred, because at the time each sample of mine
effluent was taken, there was a break in the pipeline to the settling
pond, and all of the mine effluent actually did drain directly into
Cedar Creek.
Eight sample analyses represent pre-mining conditions. They are
given below as reported in the monthly progress reports with respective
dates and locations.
Sample 2 taken May 23 from Cedar Creek, approximately
3.3 river miles above the mine.
Sample 3 taken May 23 from Cedar Creek, approximately
4.2 river miles above the mine.
Sample 4 taken May 23 from North Elver below bridge
where Highway 18 crosses North River.
Sample 8 taken June 20 from North River above its
confluence with Cedar Creek.
Sample 13 taken August 7 from Tyro Creek, the principal
drainage basin east of the mine.
Sample 15 taken August 25 from Cedar Creek, same
location as sample 2.
Sample 17 taken September 11 from Cedar Creek,
approximately 0.15 km above the mine.
North River at Samantha taken by USGS as reported in
table 6 of Hydrology of the North River No. 1 Mine,
Republic Steel Corporation, Berry, Alabama, Sits 3.
The analyses are given in table 8.
53
-------
TABLE 8 - TEST RESULTS: WATER SAMPLES REPRESENTING PRE-MINING ENVIRONMENT, SITE 3
m
Parameter
ACIDITY
as mg/1 CaC03
ALKALINITY
as mg/1 CaC03
BICARBONATE
as mg/1 CaC03
CARBONATE
as mg/1 GaC03
AMMONIA
as mg/1 N"
BIOCHEMICAL OXYGEN
DEMAND
mg/1 (5 days @ 20°C)
CHLORIDE
as mg/1 Cl
DISSOLVED OXYGEN,
fflg/1
HARDNESS
as mg/1 CaC03
PH
SUSPENDED SOLIDS ,
mg/1
SULEATE
as mg/1 SO^
TURBIDITY,
JTU
ALUMINUM
as mg/1 Al
ANTIMONY
as mg/1 Sb
ARSENIC
as mg/1 As
2
4.15
23.9
23.9
0
0.1
2.0
2.57
23.2
7.01
0.8
9.3
NDa
ND
ND
3
5.18
22.9
22.9
0
0.2
1.3
1.206
21.2
6.0
0.8
8.8
ND
ND
ND
Sample Point
4 8
4.15
15.6
15.6
0
0.16
0.7
0.938
16.2
6.54
0.7
9.2
ND
ND
ND
4.15
86.3
86.3
0
0.23
0.3
0.943
8.0
5.94
7.02
8.5
1.0
12.0
ND
ND
ND
13
3..12
19.8
19.8
0
1.3
0.4
0.47
8.7
14.8
7.07
3.2
= 0.4
8.5
ND
ND
ND
15
3.32
32.2
32.2
0
0.04
1.8
1.62
8.2
31.4
7.27
9.6
0.02
5.8
0.25
ND
ND
17
2.6
41.1
41.1
0
0.7
1.2
3.72
8.6
4.8
7.07
21.0
13.0
24.0
0.3
ND
ND
North River
at Samantha
__
14.0
14.0
0
__
2.2
_«
19.0
6.2
12.0
-------
TABLE 8 - (Continued)
Parameter
CADMIUM
as mg/1 Cd
CALCIUM
as mg/1 Ca
CHROMIUM
as mg/1 Cr
COPPER
as mg/1 Cu
IRON
as mg/1 Fe
SPECIFIC CONDUCTANCE,
Vimhos/cm
TEMPERATURE
C°
LEAD
as mg/1 Pb
MAGNESIUM
as mg/1 Mg
MANGANESE
as mg/1 Mn
MERCURY
as mg/1 Hg
NICKEL
as mg/1 Ni
POTASSIUM
as mg/1 K
SODIUM
as mg/1 Na
TIN
as mg/1 Sn
ZINC
as mg/1 Zn
2
ND
4.0
ND
ND
0.8
45.0
22.0
ND
2.5
ND
ND
ND
1.6
5.5
ND
ND
3
ND
1.25
ND
ND
0.75
35.0
22.5
ND
2.25
ND
ND
ND
1.0
3.0
ND
ND
Sample
4
ND
1.1
ND
ND
0.85
25.7
22.0
ND
1.5
ND
ND
ND
1.0
0.7
ND
ND
Point
8
ND
0.5
ND
ND
0.6
41.0
24.0
ND
1.5
ND
ND
ND
1.2
1.8
ND
0.05
13
ND
2.5
ND
ND
0.5
39.1
22.0
ND
2.7
0.1
ND
ND
0.88
2.02
ND
ND
15
ND
5.75
ND
ND
0.61
74.0
28.2
ND
2.45
0.17
ND
ND
2.54
7.2
ND
0.13
17
ND
10.9
ND
ND
0.6
130.0
31.0
ND
6.08
0.15
ND
ND
7.5
1.6
ND
0.112
North River
at Samantha
0
3.3
50.0
0
0.1
0.0002
1.3
2.8
ND
0.008
a None detectable
-------
In table 9, approximate flow values for Cedar Creek at the bridge
where Highway 63 crosses Cedar Creek are shown. This represents sample
point No. 17 in the analyses. These values were obtained by taking the
flow values from North River near Samantha, Alabama, from October, 1974
to September, 1975, as reported by the U. S. Geological Survey and
shown in table 7. Each flow value was multiplied by (20 * 219) or
0.0913. The value of 8.1 hectares (20 acres) represents the drainage
area of Cedar Creek at the junction of Highway 63 and the value of 88.6
hectares (219 acres) represents the entire drainage area of North River
above the gauging station at Samantha. The approximation was made on
the assumption that the flow values at the Samantha station include
the contribution of flow from Cedar Creek and that contribution is some
definite portion of the recorded values at Samantha. The amount of
actual contribution is left up to judgement, but because of the similar
geological characteristics of the specific area, the amount of water
added to Cedar Creek and North River by percolation and rainfall and
removed by addition to underground water supply, evaporation, and
transpiration, will yield similar flows for each basin on a unit
volume/second/unit area basis.
The water sampled was relatively pure. In figure 17, sample No.
17, taken on September 23, was analyzed for milliequivalents per liter
in solution as cations and anions and plotted to show the contribution
of each ion. The plot shows that the principal anions are S0|, Cl~,
HCO", and that the principal cations are Ca+2 , Mg"1"2 , K+, Na+, with
trace amounts of NHJ, Fe+2 , Zn+2, Al+3 , Mn+2. This concentration
represents a moderately low flow condition. From table 9, the September
11 flow is 3.38 ft-Vsec as opposed to a minimum low flow of 2.10
ft-* /sec for September, and a maximum low flow rate of 34.7 ft^/sec for
February.
Figure 17 represents only the dissolved ions in solution. The
water also had the following characteristics (table 8):
(1) low acidity value, maximum of 5.18 mg/£ as
(2) average BOD's for natural waters, range from 0.7. to 2.0 mg/£;
(3) high concentration of dissolved oxygen;
(4) low chloride concentration, maximum of 3.72 mg/X, of Cl ;
(5) neutral pH, ranges from 6.0 to 7.07;
(6) low suspended solids, maximum of 21.0 mg/S,.
Sources and Quality of Mine Influent
To evaluate the quality of the mine influent, six sets of data were
analyzed. Three sets were collected and analyzed by Eric Sterret,
graduate assistant, and three sets by the Geological Survey of Alabama
Water Quality Resources division. Sample numbers and locations are
given in table 10. The numbers are as they appear in table 6, in the
section on Hydrology of North River No. 1 Mine, Republic Steel
Corporation, Berry. Alabama. Results of analyses are given in tab.le 11.
A mean value was calculated for each parameter and is so designated.
56
-------
TABLE 9 - CALCULATED FLOW VALUES, CEDAR CREEK
AT TUSCALOOSA COUNTY HIGHWAY NO. 63 BRIDGE, NEAR NORTH RIVER NO. 1 MINE.3
DISCHARGE IN CUBIC FEET PER SECOND; WATER YEAR RECORD OCTOBER, 1974 TO SEPTEMBER, 1975
Day
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
Oct
4.84
4.29
3.65
3.47
3.29
3.29
3.29
3.20
3.01
2.92
2.74
2.74
2.65
2.65
2.92
13.70
10.78
6.76
5.30
4.47
4.11
3.84
3.56
3.38
3.20
Nov
2.65
2.65
2.65
2.65
4.66
5.48
4.02
3.29
2.92
2.83
3.56
5.84
4.84
3.74
3.56
3.38
3.65
4.84
5.11
21.74
23.20
14.70
11.23
9.41
9.13
Dec
9.59
9.95
8.95
8.13
7.58
7.21
11.96
38.45
27.21
19.82
16.62
15.53
13.33
11.51
10.87
11.05
9.95
8.95
8.95
9.59
8.95
8.31
8.40
275.80
323.29
Jan
102.28
63.74
52.05
52.60
42.28
36.80
31.78
47.76
78.54
322.37
762.56
439.27
223.74
130.59
88.22
66.85
54.70
47.21
48.49
65.48
54.52
47.58
41.83
40.09
265.75
Feb
34.70
41.00
134.25
223.74
196.35
145.21
91.05
66.58
56.26
47.03
41.19
60.09
47.67
39.73
35.34
254.79
269.41
294.98
463.93
179.91
103.20
74.98
129.68
206 . 39
110.50
Mar
44.11
40.55
36.35
33.79
31.42
29.22
28.49
26.48
23.65
25.66
27.95
26.39
193.61
610.05
276.71
113.24
77.99
155.25
313.24
151.60
87.12
62.10
49.41
115.07
90.05
Apr
59.54
47.49
44.84
33.97
28.40
24.93
22.37
20.55
27.12
42.74
30.59
24.95
21.64
69.50
127.85
69.59
50.96
39.09
31.60
25.84
20.37
18.26
16.44
15.71
14.98
May
14.25
11.05
10.50
10.50
11.32
11.60
24.38
38.81
30.14
66.39
38.08
25.02
18.54
14.98
208.22
273.06
107.76
63.01
42.74
31.23
24.29
19.18
15.71
13.52
11.51
Jun
7.76
7.12
6.03
5.30
4.75
10.78
11.60
10.05
7.67
8.68
22.10
32.97
13.42
8.86
23.93
18.17
10.78
8.04
6.58
7.03
23.20
36.44
16.53
10.41
7.76
Jul
10.32
5.94
5.39
4.66
4.20
4.57
20.55
66.12
20.55
12.42
11.69
12.97
10.78
8.13
6.94
6.03
5.30
12.51
10.41
7.95
8.95
11.51
7.95
6.48
14.06
Aug
277.63
231.05
105.02
67.95
63.01
56.53
42.19
30.78
24.75
22.01
22.83
17.81
13.70
11.23
9.95
13.97
19.18
19.91
16.26
17.53
13.24
10.41
8.95
8.31
7.95
Sep
4.11
3.74
3.47
3.29
3.11
3.38
3.47
3.47
3.20
2.92
3.38
2.83
2.56
2.28
2.10
2.10
2.37
2.92
3.20
3.01
2.65
3.01
21.46
65.48
23.93
-------
TABLE 9 - (Continued)
01
CO
Day
26
27
28
29
30
31
Mean
Max
Min
Oct
3.11
3.01
2.92
2.83
2.74
2.74
4.05
13.70
2.65
Nov
9.13
8.13
7.40
6.94
7.03
6.68
23.20
2.65
Dec
181.74
87.58
91.32
128.77
282.19
179.00
59.36
323.29
7.21
Jan
153.42
87.85
64.47
52.15
44.47
39.18
117.72
762.56
31.78
Feb
74.06
60.46
51.32
126.48
463.93
34.70
Mar
58.17
47.12
38.90
36.99
109.59
91.32
99,00
628.31
23.65
Apr
14.52
13.15
11.78
11.60
13.79
33.15
127.85
11.60
May
10.14
8.95
8.13
7.58
8.95
8.58
38.45
261.84
7.58
Jun
6.67
6.21
5.75
5.66
6.21
11.87
36.44
4.75
Jul
120.55
82.28
53.15
29.41
20.55
59.82
21.37
120.55
4.20
Aug
6.67
5.75
5.48
4.93
4.57
4.29
37.52
277.63
4.29
Sept
14.34
10.78
8.68
7.12
6.21
7.49
65.48
2.10
a Site: Township 16 South, Range 10 West, Section 32; Drainage area: 20 square miles
-------
3.0
2.0
cc
HI
cc
III
a.
1.0
in
a
UJ
0.0
ci-
HCO3-
NH4+
K+
Fe++ Zn++ A1+++ Mn++
Mg++
Ca++
ANIONS
CATIONS
Figure 17. Graphical representation of water quality in a probable pre-mining environment.
59
-------
TABLE 10 - NUMBER, ANALYTICAL LABORATORY, AND SAMPLE LOCATION, MINE INFLUENT, SITE 3
Sample Number Lab Performing Analysis Location
1 Geological Survey of Alabama Main South
Track Dripper
2 Geological Survey of Alabama North Main
West
3 Geological Survey of Alabama Northeast of
Elevator Shaft
6 University of Alabama North Face
Main Track
7 University of Alabama Main Track Heading
South, First Junction
South of Slope Bottom
19 University of Alabama North Flat Number 1
Right
-------
TABLE 11 - TEST RESULTS: WATER SAMPLES, MINE INFLUENT, SITE 3
Parameter
ACIDITY
as mg/1 CaC03
ALKALINITY
as mg/1 CaC03
BICARBONATE
as mg/1 CaCC>3
CARBONATE
as mg/1 CaCC>3
AMMONIA
as mg/1 K
CHLORIDE
as mg/1 Cl
HARDNESS
as mg/1 CaC03
PH
SUSPENDED SOLIDS
mg/1
SPECIFIC CONDUCTANCE,
U mhos /cm
TEMPERATURE ,
°C
SULFATE
as mg/1 804
TURBIDITY,
JTU
ALUMINUM
as mg/1 Al
ANTIMONY
as mg/1 Sb
CADMIUM
as mg/1 Cd
1
774.0
720.0
54.0
0.64
78.0
9.0
890.0
1330.0
-.
ND3
5.0
0.06
ND
<0.001
3
881.0
850.0
31.0
0.70
240.0
8.7
1270.0
1870.0
ND
55.0
0.01
ND
<0 . 001
Sample
4
___
759.0
720.0
39.0
0.50
82.0
8.9
855.0
1290.0
20.5
ND
2.0
0.03
<0.001
<0.001
Number
6
__
46.8
38.2
3.6
0.32
179.2
5.94
9.0
11.5
1550.0
24.0
ND
17.0
ND
ND
ND
7
__
43.7
34.8
3.5
0.28
77.3
2.97
9.03
16.1
110.0
,
ND
7.1
ND
ND
ND
19
681.6
600.59
74.42
0.36
105.5
11.6
9.12
1.0
1100.0
_
ND
3.9
0.24
ND
ND
Mean
531.0
493.9
34.25
0.47
127.0
7.5
8.96
507.3
1208.3
22.5
-
15.0
0.057
<0. 00016
<0.0005
-------
TABLE 11 - (Continued)
to
Parameter
CALCIUM
as mg/1 Ca
CHROMIUM
as mg/1 Cr
COPPER
as mg/1 Cu
IRON
as mg/1 Fe
LEAD
as mg/1 Pb
MAGNESIUM
as mg/1 Mg
MANGANESE
as mg/1 Mn
MERCURY
as mg/1 Hg
NICKEL
as mg/1 Ni
POTASSIUM
as mg/1 K
SODIUM
as mg/1 Na
TIN
as mg/1 Sn
ZINC
as mg/1 Zn
1
1.1
ND
0.001
0.08
0.002
0.3
ND
<0.0002
0.001
2.0
380.0
ND
0.018
3
1.7
ND
0.002
0.4
0.002
0.5
ND
<0.0002
0.001 r
2.5
510.0
ND
0.024
Sample
4
1.0
ND
0.005
0.06
0.003
0.3
ND
<0.0002
0.002
1.7
370.0
<0.001
0.013
Number
6
1.75
ND
ND
ND
ND
1.0
ND
ND
ND
3.5
192.0
ND
0.04
7
0.25
ND
ND
ND
ND
0.5
ND
ND
ND
2.9
180.0
ND
0.05
19
2.27
ND
ND
0.33
ND
0.45
ND
ND
ND
1.14
104.4
ND
0.067
Mean
1.35
0.0013
0.145
0.0012
0.51
<0.0001
0,0007
2.29
289.4
<0. 00016
0.035
a None detectable
-------
The analyses of the water indicated that it contained primarily
Na A C1~f HCO > and C0= ions with trace amounts of Ca+2 Mg+2 Fe+2
Zn+2, NK£, K^, Hg+2, Cd+2, Cu+2, Pb+2, Ni+2, Sn+4, Al+3, and Mn+2 ions.
In figure 18, a graphical representation of ions in solution is
given. The vertical scale represents mean milliequivalents per liter
of anions or cations which are summed vertically to give a total
concentration. The milliequivalent weight, per liter, of each
constituent is given in table 12. In principle, the total of cations
should equal the total of anions, but because of probable analytical
error, a difference of 1.359 milliequivalents/liter was obtained. This
difference is represented by the shaded area on the right side of the
graph.
As taken from figure 18 and table 11, the water flowing into the
mine shows the following characteristics:
(1) high pH: an average value of 8.96;
(2) high alkalinity: an average value of 531.0 mg/J. CaC03 ,
primarily as HCC>3;
(3) high concentrations of Na+ and Cl~ ions in solution;
(4) low hardness: an average value of 7.5 mg/fc as CaCO^;
(5) high specific conductance: caused principally by high
concentration of salts of Na as indicated in figure 35;
(6) zero acidity; and
(7) trace concentrations of the metals Al, Cd, Ca, Cu, Fe,
Pb, Mg, Hg, Ni, K, Sn, and Zn.
Sources and Quality of Mine Effluent
The effluent from the mine was sampled four times from May to
August of 1975. All samples were taken at the same place, i.e., at
the pump outlet on the surface near the ventilation shaft. The route
of the water sampled is from the interior of the mine to a collection
tank and then to a settling pond. At the sampling point chosen, the
outflow had not yet had an opportunity to settle.
As given in the monthly reports, the dates and corresponding
samples are:
May 23 Sample 1
July 25 (end of miner's holiday) Sample 9
August 7 Sample 11
August 25 Sample 14
Samples 1, 11, and 14 represent effluent during operation of the mine
whereas sample 9 represents effluent during an idle period. Sample 9
was taken at the end of the miner's holiday which represents a two-
week period during which only maintenance was done. No water was
pumped into the mine for dust suppression around the continuous miners.
63
-------
14
ir
10
tr
UJ
5 8
cc
UJ
CL
<0
£ 6
UJ
-------
TABLE 12 - MEAN MILLIEQUIVALENT WEIGHT, PER LITER,
IONS IN SOLUTION, MINE INFLUENT SAMPLES, SITE 3
Cations and anions
CATIONS :
Na+
Ca+2
,,+
K
Mg+2
NH£
Fe+2
Zn+2
Hg+2, Cd+2, Cu+2, Pb+2^ Ni+2 } Sn+4 , Al+3
Total
ANIONS :
HCOcj
cof
ci-
meq/1
12.588
0.06593
0.05856
0.0418
0.0258
0.0052
0.0011
0.00019
12.78700
9.878
0.685
3.583
Total
14.146
65
-------
A summary of results Is reported in tables 13 and 14. Table 13
gives the specific tests done and mean values for each test, with the
exception of the metal analyses, which are reported separately in
table 14. The values of table 13 are confined to samples 1, 11, and
14. In table 14, the operating conditions are representative of
samples 1, 11, and 14, and the idle conditions by sample 9. In figure
19, the data of table 14 are shown in bar graph representation to
indicate how mine operation affects concentration of total metals.
The physical description of the water at the time of sampling was
that of a gray sludge-like fluid. This was reflected in the experimental
analysis by the high values for turbidity and suspended solids.
On analysis, the water proved to be a highly buffered system with
a high concentration of dissolved salts and total metals.
The water had a total alkalinity of 559.3 and was slightly alkaline
with a pH of 8.63. The high alkalinity value was caused primarily by
HC05 and to a lesser extent by 003.
The high salt content can be seen in the high concentrations,
primarily, of Cl~, Na, and K+ and high specific conductances. The
average conductance value was 1923.3 micromhos, and concentrations of
Cl~, Na+, and KT in solution were respectively 336.1, 165.5, and 6.97
mg/2,.
Total metals, including material in suspension, are plotted in
figure 19. The primary contributors are Al, Na, K, Fe, Mg, Ca, with
trace amounts of Cu, Zn, Cr, Mn, Pb, and Ni. The following trends are
noted:
(1) Of the 16 metals analyzed, all except Ca and Na showed
substantial decreases when the mine was not operating.
(2) The idle condition yielded a sample with a lower ratio of
total to dissolved metals. For example, in the case of Fe,
during operation a ratio of total to dissolved metals was
109.4 / 3.3, or 33 to 1. When the mine was idle the ratio
was much lower at 2.4 / 1.25, or approximately 2 to 1.
(3) In the operational mode, trace amounts of elements such as
Cr, Cu, Pb, and Ni are noted. In the non-operational mode,
these elements were absent with the exception of Sb which
occurred in the dissolved state.
Post-Mining Environment
The effects of mine operation on water quality in the area were
observed from the samples that were taken below the drainage area of the
mine. As previously mentioned, all samples taken below the mine of
Cedar Creek and North Elver were assumed to be affected by mining
operations.
66
-------
TABLE 13 - MEAN VALUES FOR CERTAIN PARAMETERS
OF MINE WATER EFFLUENT, SITE 3
Parameters Me an
ACIDITY ,
mg/1
ALKALINITY,
mg/1 CaC03 559.3
AMMONIA,
as mg/1 NH.3 .62
CHLORIDE ,
mg/1 as Cl 336.1
HARDNESS ,
mg/1 as CaC03 67.5
pH 8.63
SPECIFIC CONDUCTANCE,
units 1923.3
SULFATE ,
units 14.4
TURBIDITY ,
JTU 7688.3
SUSPENDED SOLIDS,
mg/1 3713.3
TEMPERATURE ,
°C 23.0
67
-------
TABLE 14 - METAL ION CONCENTRATIONS OF MINE WATER EFFLUENT SAMPLES:
MEAN VALUES FOR MINE IN OPERATION AND ONE VALUE FOR MINE IDLE
Parameter (mg/1)
Al
Sb
Cd <
Ca
Cr
Cu
Fe
Pb
Mg
Mn
Hg
Ni
K
Na
Sn
Zn
total
dissolved
total
dissolved
* total
dissolved
total
dissolved
total
dissolved
total
dissolved
total
dissolved
total
dissolved
total
dissolved
total
dissolved
total
dissolved
total
dissolved
total
dissolved
total
dissolved
total
dissolved
total
dissolved
Operating Conditions
360.0
2.19
NDa
ND
ND
ND
9.25
16.1
1.33
ND
0.32
ND
109.4
3.3
0.42
ND
67.2
13.2
0.2
0.16
ND
ND
0.53
ND
234.3
6.87
282.3
165.5
ND
ND
0.91
0.81
Non-Operating Conditions
28.0
4.8
ND
0.8
ND
.ND
8.5
12.5
ND
ND
ND
ND
2.4
1.25
ND
ND
11.5
ND
ND
0.043
ND
ND
ND
ND
12.5
3.83
183.0
182.0
ND
ND
0.025
0.17
a None detectable
68
-------
400
300
cc
LJJ
CC
HI
Q_
to 200
cc
o
100
| | OPERATING
\///A IDLE
Al
Na
Fe
Mg
CuMn
CrZn
PbNi
Ca
V///S
Figure 19.--Graphical representation, water quality, mine effluent, mine operating and mine idle.
69
-------
In the experimental analysis, the samples that were affected and
their respective sampling dates and location are:
Sample 5 taken May 23 from Cedar Creek, 3.1 miles
below the mine and just above the confluence of
North River and Cedar Creek.
Sample 10 taken July 16 from Cedar Creek, 1.9 miles
below the mine. (This sample represents the down
condition of the mine.)
Sample 12 taken August 7 from Cedar Creek, 2.8 miles
below the mine.
Sample 16 taken August 25 from the same location as
12 and 18.
Sample 18 taken September 11 from the same location
as 12 and 16.
The results are given in table 15.
A representative sample of the water, sample 18 taken on September
11, is plotted graphically, figure 20, to show the concentrations of
ions in milliequivalents/liter of solution. The primary anions are
HC03, Cl~, and 504, and the primary cations are Na+, Ca+2, Mg+2, Al+3
with trace amounts of Fe+2. Mn+2, K+i and Sn+2.
The water also has the following characteristics:
(1) low acidity value: maximum of 4.15 mg/£ as CaC03;
(2) average BOD for natural waters ranging from 0.5 to 1.45 mg/A;
(3) high concentration of dissolved oxygen;
(4) low chloride concentration: maximum of 21.8 mg/Jl;
(5) neutral pH, ranging from 6.32 to 7.14; and
(6) low dissolved solids: maximum of 36.5 mg/£.
Influence of Mining Operations on Water Quality
During mine operation, the only potential polluting mechanism was
the mine waste that was pumped to the surface. This assumption is made
because at the depth of 500 feet, there should be no observable effects
on subsurface ground water quality.
To examine the actual differences in mine effluent when the mine
was operating or idle, a comparison was made. Table 16 shows average
condition, range, and percent change of condition. The data in table 16
were derived by taking mean values of each parameter as reported in
their respective sections.
70
-------
TABLE 15 - TEST RESULTS: WATER SAMPLES COLLECTED FROM CEDAR CREEK
DOWNSTREAM FROM MINE, SITE 3, POST-MINING ENVIRONMENT
Parameter
ACIDITY
as mg/1 CaC03
ALKALINITY
as mg/I CaC03
BICARBONATE
as mg/1 CaC03
CARBONATE
as mg/1 CaC03
AMMONIA
as mg/1 N
BIOCHEMICAL OXYGEN DEMAND
mg/1 (5 days @ 2QOC)
CHLORIDE
as mg/1 Cl
DISSOLVED OXYGEN,
mg/1
HARDNESS
mg/1 CaC03
PH
SUSPENDED SOLIDS,
mg/1
SPECIFIC CONDUCTANCE
jjmhos/cm
TEMPERATURE,
°C
SULFATE
aa mg/1 SO^
TURBIDITY
JTU
5
4.15
26.0
26.0
0.12
0.5
1.74
29.3
6.32
11.5
60.0
22.0
1.5
13.0
10
2.08
53.8
53.8
NDa
1.1
5.4
8.0
31.6
7.14
36.5
180.0
ND
33.0
Sample Point
12
2.6
34.3
34.3
0.7
0.7
3.79
8.5
23.5
7.14
5.32
91.4
22.0
0.7
17.0
16
2.59
28.2
28.2
0.06
0.8
3.75
7.8
32.4
7.12
32.5
108.0
26.5
5.4
13.0
18
3.6
80.0
80.0
0.88
1.45
21.8
7.1
4.15
7.0
21.0
275.0
25.0
12.0
24.0
-------
TABLE 15 - (Continued)
Parameter
ALUMINUM
as mg/1 Al
ANTIMONY
as mg/1 Sb
CADMIUM
as mg/1 Cd
CALCIUM
as mg/1 Ca
CHROMIUM
as mg/1 Cr
COPPER
as mg/1 Cu
IRON
as mg/1 Fe
LEAD
as mg/1 Pb
MAGNESIUM
as mg/1 Mg
MANGANESE
as mg/1 Mn
MERCURY
as mg/1 Hg
NICKEL
as mg/1 Ni
POTASSIUM
as mg/1 K
SODIUM
as mg/1 Na
TIN
as mg/1 Sn
ZINC
as mg/1 Zn
5
ND
ND
ND
4.0
ND
ND
1.0
ND
2.5
5
ND
ND
ND
1.6
5.5
ND
ND
10
2.3
ND
ND
7.3
ND
ND
ND
ND
3.8
ND
ND
ND
3.05
14.2
ND
0.03
Sample Point
12
1.5
ND
ND
6.8
ND
ND
0.7
ND
3.1
0.15
ND
ND
1.65
9.14
ND
ND
16
0.7
ND
ND
6.25
ND
ND
0.64
ND
2.5
0.04
ND
ND
1.6
9.3
ND
0.4
18
1.62
ND
ND
14.6
ND
ND
1.05
ND
6.38
0.09
ND
ND
1.4
33.7
ND
1.3
a None detectable
-------
3.0
2.0
or
LU
cc
LJ
0.
UJ
<
5
a
LU
1.0
0.0
SO4=
Cl-
HCO3-
Na+
ZirH-
Fe++
Mg++
Ca-H-
ANIONS
CATIONS
Figure 20. Graphical representation of water quality in post-mining environment (Cedar Creek watershed), site 3.
73
-------
TABLE 16 -
OF WATER QUALITY
RANGE, MEAN VALUES AND PERCENTAGE CHANGE
PARAMETERS, MINE OPERATING AND MINE IDLE, SITE 3
Parameter
ACIDITY
as mg/1 CaC03
ALKALINITY
as mg/1 CaC03
AMMONIA
as mg/1 N:NH3
BIOCHEMICAL OXYGEN DEMAND,
mg/1
DISSOLVED OXYGEN,
mg/1
HARDNESS
as mg/1 CaC03
pH
SUSPENDED SOLIDS,
mg/1
SPECIFIC CONDUCTANCE,
)jmhos/cm
SULFATE
as mg/1 SO^
CHLORIDE
as mg/1 Cl
TURBIDITY,
JTU
ALUMINUM
as mg/1 Al
CALCIUM
as mg/1 Ca
IRON
as mg/1 Fe
MAGNESIUM
as mg/1 Mg
MANGANESE
as mg/1 Mn
POTASSIUM
as mg/1 K
SODIUM
as mg/1 Na
ZINC
as mg/1 Zn
Mine
Range
3.1 -
15.6 -
0.1 -
0.3 -
8.0 -
4.8 -
6.0 -
3.2 -
Operating
Mine Idle
Mean Range
5.2
86.3
1.3
2.0
8.7
23.2
7.07
21.0
25.7 - 130.0
0.02 -
0.5 -
8.5 -
0.0 -
0.5 -
0.5 -
1.5 -
0.0 -
0.88 -
0.7 -
0.0 -
0.8
2.6
24.0
0.3
10.9
0.85
6.1
0.15
7.5
5.5
0.112
3.89
34.95
0.448
0.98
8.43
15.02
6.7
10.9
52.3
0.47
1.721
11.97
0.05
3.38
0.68
2.76
0.05
2.07
2.489
0.024
2.6
26.0
0.0
0.5
7.1
4.2
6.3
5.32
60.0
0.0
1.74
r:.
13.0
0.0
4.0
0.0
2.5
0.0
1.4
5.5
0.0
4.2
- 80.0
- 0.88
- 1.45
- 8.5
- 32.4
- 7.14
- 36.5
- 180.0
- 13.0
- 21.8
- 33.0
2.3
- 14.6
1.05
6.4
0.15
3.1
33.7
1.3
Mean
3.0
44.7
0.352
0.71
7.85
24.19
6.94
21.36
141.04
4.12
7.296
20.0
1.53
7.8
0.85
3.66
0.056
1.86
14.37
0.35
%
increase
idle
-22.9
27.2
-21.5
-27.8
- 6.9
61.1
3.6
96.0
169.8
799.0
323.9
67.1
2950.0
130.8
24.1
32.7
12.0
-10.0
477.3
1323.0
-------
Figures 21 through 35 are graphical representations of acidity,
alkalinity, specific conductance, suspended solids, pH, Fe44", Al444",
Ca++, MS++, K4, Na+, Mn++, Zn44", SO^ , Cl~ concentrations as functions
of river miles. The ordinate represents river miles on Cedar Creek,
with the positive values corresponding to sample points above the
mine and negative values corresponding to sample points below the mine.
The zero point, or point of discharge, represents the location of the
mine. The actual distance represented is 4.2 miles above the mine and
3.1 miles below the mine or a total of 7.3 river miles. The abscissa
represents concentration of parameter as specified on each graph.
Actual water flow is from right to left on each graph. In figure 22,
the rate at which a unit quantity of acidity as CaC03 flows past a
given point is shown in ing/sec.
Combining the data in table 16 and figures 21 through 35 and
relating this to the quality of mine effluent (tables 13 and 14) , a
direct influence of mining operations on Cedar Creek was observed. All
parameters in figures 21 through 35 showed an increase with the
exception of acidity, which decreased. The most pronounced increases
were observed in Na+, Cl~ , 504, Al444, Zn4"*, and Ca4"4, with mean
increases of 477.3, 323.9, 799.0, 2950.0, 1323.0, and 130.8 percent,
respectively. The value for acidity decreased 22.9 percent, and
alkalinity increased 27.2 percent.
The most important inference made from the data is that there
appears to be a "freezing" of acid-producing reactions at the point
of discharge. This is shown in the graphs for acidity, alkalinity,
pH, Fa44", and SO^ (figures 21, 22, 23, 26, 27, and 34, respectively).
A simplified model for the production of acid mine drainage from
pyritic sulfur is given by the following four reactions :
(1) FeS2(s) + 7/2 02 + H20 -> Fe+2 + 2S04-2 + 2H4"
(2) Fe+2 + 1/2 02 + 2H4" > Fe+3 + H20
(3) Fe+3 + 3H20 -* Fe(OH)3 (s) '+ 3H+
(4) Fe(s) 4- 14Fe+3 + 25= + 8H20 -> 15Fe+2 + 2SC>42 + 16H+
These reactions describe the oxidation of iron pyrite and show that
the concentration of sulfate or acidity in the water is directly related
to the amount of pyrite dissolved. For each mole of iron pyrite
dissolved four equivalents of acidity are released.
The sequence with which the reactions occur is shown in figure 36.
The first reaction (a) is the oxidation of iron pyrite by air or
the dissolving of iron pyrite followed by oxidation (a1). The Ferrous
iron is then oxygenated slowly (b) and the resultant ferric iron is
rapidly reduced by pyrite (c) releasing more acidity and seeding reaction
(b) with more Fe(II). The end product is the production of Fe(OH)3
(s)(d).
75
-------
5.0 r
S 4.0
U
is
U
3.0
2.0
-6.4
-4.0
-3.2
-2.0
0
0
+3.2
+2.0
Distance
+6.4 +9.7 Kilometers
+4.0 +6.0 Miles
Figure 21.-Changes in acidity as CaCOs mg/liter, with direction and distance, Cedar Creek.
3000
O
U2000
.$'1000
."2
'8
-6.4
-4.0
-3.2
-2.0
0
0
+3.2
+2.0
Distance
+6.4 +9.7 Kilometers
+4.0 +6.0 Miksf'
Figure 22. Changes in acidity (as mg/sec. CaCOg) with direction and distance, Cedar Creek.
76
-------
20
-6.4
-4.0
-3.2
-2.0
0 +3.2
0 +2.0
Distance
+6.4
+4.0
+9.7 Kilometers
+6.0 Miles
Figure 23. Changes in alkalinity (as mg/1 CaCOs) with direction and distance, Cedar Creek.
300i-
-6.4
-4.0
-3.2
-2.0
0 +3.2-
0 +2.0
Distance
+6.4
+4.0
+9.7 Kilometers
+6.0 Miles
Figure 24. Changes in specific conductance (mmhos/cm) with direction and distance, Cedai Creek.
77
-------
35
W)
E-25
cfl
TJ
"3
O
U
e
U i c
a, 15
C/3
CO
-4.0
-3.2
-2.0
0 +3.2 +6.4
0 +2.0 +4.0
Distance
+9.7 Kilometers
+6.0 Miles
Figure 25. Changes in suspended solids (mg/1) with direction and distance, Cedar Creek.
7.25 r
6.0
-6.4
-4.0
-3.2
-2.0
+6.4
+4.0
+9.7 Kilometers
+6.0 Miles
0 +3.2
0 +2.0
Distance
Figure 26. Changes in pH with direction and distance, Cedar Creek.
78
-------
l.OOr-
0.90
|P 0.80
8
0.70
0.60L
6.4
4.0
-3.2
-2.0
0 +3.2
0 +2.0
Distance
+6.4
+4.0
+9.7 Kilometers
+6.0 Miles
Figure 27. Changes in Fe ion concentration (mg/1) with direction and distance, Cedar Creek.
to
a
s
a
'i
2.00
1.00
0.00
-6.4
-4.0
-3.2
-2.0
cl
21
Si
cul
i!
0 +3.2
0 +2.0
Distance
+6.4
+4.0
+9.7 Kilometers
+6.0 Miles
Figure 28. Changes in Al ion concentration (mg/1) with direction and distance, Cedar Creek.
79
-------
I4.0r
12.0
8.0
B
U
4.0
~
"a
O
o'.o
-6.4
-4.0
-3.2.
-2.0
0
0
+3.2
+2.0
+6.4 +9.7 Kilometers
+4.0 +6.0 MilSs
Distance
Figure 29. Changes in Ca ion concentration (mg/1) with direction and distance, Cedar Creek.
8.0r
6.0
3
00
n)
2
2.0
-6.4
-4.0.
-3.2
-2.0
0
0
+3.2.
+2.0
+6.4 +9.7 Kilometers
+4.0 +6.0 Miles
Distance
Figure 30. Changes in Mg ion concentration (mg/1) with direction and distance, Cedar Creek.
80
-------
3.0r
0.0
-6:4
4.0
-3.2
-2.0
0 +3.2
0 +2.0
Distance
+6.4
+4.0
+9.7 Kilometers
+6.6 Miles
Figure 31. Changes in K ion concentration (mg/1) with direction and distance, Cedar Creek.
I6.0r
-12.0
"eu
o
8.0
4.0
-6.4
-4.0
-3.2
-2.0
0 +3.2 +6.4
0 +2.0 +4.0
Distance
j
+9.7 Kilometers
+6.0 Miles
Figure 32. Changes in Na ion concentration (mg/1) with direction and distance, Cedar Creek.
81
-------
0.204
0.136
s
u
8
§ 0.068
OQ
c
0.000
-6.4
-4.0
-3.2
-2.0
0 ^-3.2 +6.4
0 +2.0 +4.0
Distance
+9.7 Kilometers
+6.0 Miles
Figure 33. Changes in Mn ion concentration (mg/1) with direction and distance, Cedar Creek.
+9.7 Kilometers
+6.0 Miles
Distance
Figure 34, Changes in 804 ion concentration (mg/1) with direction and distance, Cedar Creek.
82
-------
+9.7 Kilometers
+6.0 Miles
Distance
Figure 35. Changes in Cl ion concentration (mg/1) with direction and distance, Cedar Creek.
83
-------
FeS2(s) + O2
+02
So4'2 + Fe (II)
+02
Slow
+FeS2 (s)
i d
Fe(III) ^ Fe(OH)Hs)
Figure 36. Sequence of reactions in the oxidation of pyrite.
84
-------
Relating the process for the oxidation of pyrite to all the
figures, and to the fact that the actual mine waste was alkaline with
low sulfate (14.4 mg/1) , high total Fe (109.4 mg/1), and low dissolved
Fe (3.3 mg/1), the "freezing" effect can be explained.
The Fe and acidity graphs show an increase of concentration down-
stream. The alkalinity graph shows an increase and then a decrease, as
does the SO^ graph. What appears to be occurring is that the addition
of lime from rock dusting to the mine water causes a stoppage of acid
production by not allowing reaction (1) to occur. This is justified
by the low concentration of SOJ2 and dissolved Fe++ and high concentration
of total Fe. The actual makeup to total Fe is not known, but the mining
of a medium sulfur content coal probably contributes some FeS2 to the
mine wastewater. After the effluent is diluted and traveling downstream,
reaction (1) begins to occur releasing H+, S0£2, and Fe+2. This effect
is noted in each graph.*
PREDICTED FUTURE ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS
Mine Water Effluent
The samples of mine effluent, reported herein, were taken relatively
early in the history of mining at North River No. 1 and the effluent
appears net to pollute the present hydrologic system of the area unduly.
This is a favorable circumstance, but it leads to questions regarding
probable environmental effects as the mine reaches full production,
becomes a mature mine, then an old one, and finally an abandoned and
sealed mine. None of the data really answer the question; therefore,
an answer must come by deduction from available data and from the
configuration of the abandoned mine.
The potential for acid mine water pollution is certainly present
because Corona (Pratt) bed ccal mined at North River No. 1 averages
around 2.0 percent sulfur (medium sulfur coal).
Conditions at North River No. 1 during the life of the mine and
probably after closing are:
(1) Probably no part of the mine will be under less than 130 m
(430 feet) of cover, and 160 m (520 feet), on up, will be a
much more common figure.
(2) The coal is being mined down-dip, up-dip and along strike.
When abandoned, the mine will completely fill with water at
the coalbed level, because the water table everywhere lies
well above the Corona coalbed.
(3) The slope and two shafts should be the only openings to
the surface unless one or more additional air shafts are
sunk in the future, as the mined area increases.
See selected Bibliography B for special references used in this and
other sections dealing with water quality.
85
-------
Since the top of shafts and slope, are at about 130 m (430 feet)
above sea level, the coalbed is at 0 to -30 m (0 to -100 feet), the
nearest hills around the openings go to no more than 170 m (560 feet)
elevation and are about 0.4 km (1/4 mile) away, the water table should
stand, in normal weather, everywhere below the top of the shafts, and
probably below the top of the slope. There is a possibility that in
wet weather the openings might overflow, so that for this reason, as
well as for reasons of safety, all openings should be securely sealed.
With the mine effectively sealed and filled with water, little or
no oxygen should enter. Surface waters slowly co-mingling with
circulating ground water should provide a minor source of pyrite
oxidation. Even if some acid is produced in the mine, as long as
there is no surface outflow, the environment of the surface should be
unaffected. If there is occasional outflow from a drain pipe in the
sealed drift, the limited access of oxygen to the mine water should
make any overflow harmless. If this proves not to be the case,
neutralization of such overflow should prove easy and relatively
inexpensive.
Mine Subsidence
North River No. 1 is not old enough for any data to be taken on
the problem of possible surface subsidence and damage to the surface.
Any projections regarding subsidence will not, therefore, be based
upon field observation or model experiments, but upon deductions from
the coalbed thickness, method of mining, depth below surface, and the
nature of the overlying strata.
Stefanko" has recently summarized present theory and observation
concerning subsidence and ground movement. A longer and more detailed
review can be found in two reports by Braeurier^9,30.
Broken rock occupies a larger volume than the same mass of solid
rock. The increase of volume, on breaking, is dependent upon the size
distribution of broken rock. After abandonment and support removal
from entries or narrow rooms, successive falls of rock result in filling
of the voids and the broken rock eventually begins to support the mass
above until, finally, if there is sufficient depth, further subsidence
ceases. Subsidence may cease before completion of a full arch if a
very strong and competent stratum, like a massive sandstone, is reached.
As noted in discussions of the stratigraphy, at least two thick
sandstones are present in the strata over North River No.l; therefore,
it appears to be unlikely that any serious disturbance of the surface
will occur over areas where no second mining (pillar removal) is done.
However, as indicated in the section on "Mining Plan and Layout,"
present plans for North River No. 1 are to remove pillars except from
under certain areas overlain by important surface structures. If
complete pillaring proves possible, it is likely that the entire area
will subside some, but because of probable competent strata, differential
settling should be minimal and damage at the surface minimal or absent.
86
-------
Figure 37, from Stefanko^1, shows the relation between the percent
of coalbed thickness that is settled and the ratio between mine opening
width and depth below the surface. It is clear that the subsidence will
never be equal to full coalbed thickness but at W/D of about 1.25, a
maximum subsidence of about 90 percent is reached. At a depth of 160 m
(520 feet), that opening width is about 190 ra (625 feet). With complete
extraction at North River No. 1, that width will be greatly exceeded in
most areas.
If pillar mining proves difficult in certain areas but some, or all,
pillars have to be left in other areas, removal cannot be complete and
surface damage might occur from differential settling. As long as the
area is as sparsely settled and as underdeveloped as at present, damage
to surface structures is a most remote possibility. If, however, during
the next 20 to 30 year life of the mine, considerable development and
population increases occur, surface structure damage might occur. If
such development does occur, it would be practical for Republic Steel
Corporation and other surface owners to guide the development so that
the areas undermined and settled early in mine history are developed
first.
PLANS FOR FINAL CLOSURE
In final closure of underground openings, a choice may be made
between complete filling of all openings or some kind of near-surface
closure. It probably is not practical, from the standpoint of effective-
ness to completely fill horizontal or near-horizontal openings. Vertical
shafts can be filled rather effectively, although time must be allowed
for settling. Sealing of all openings, including vertical shafts, can
b e done.
Seals will be different in style for the two vertical shafts and
the slope. Effectiveness and costs of sealing methods have been
studied-^ ,33_ The rocks at North River No. 1 are layered and vary from
thick sandstones to soft shales and underclays. The opening is a rock
slope, inclined at 16°35', which cuts across the bedding planes of the
dissimilar layers for its entire length. If it is to be sealed, as it
must be, not too far down the slope, a double bulkhead as in figure 38
probably would be best. The bulkhead seal should be tight, but would
not need to be unusually strong because the maximum head of water would
be low. The rear bulkhead, and possibly both bulkheads, should be
extended into a key, cut in the top, side, and bottom. If a drain pipe
is to be used in any of the three openings, it should be in the slope
which is lowest in elevation of the three.
The sealed slope will hold considerable water below the seals, if
they are placed near the surface. Its arching cross-section of
approximately 5 m (17 feet) width, 5 m height, and about 550 m (1800
feet) length below the seal has a volume of about 15,000 nr
(19,000 yards^). The figure would be reduced by the volume of the
concrete lining for the first 40 m (130 feet) and by the section at
coalbed level.
87
-------
CXI
00
1.0
0.8
0.6
0.4
0.2]
0.4
CL8" TO
Figure 37. Subsidence as a function of the ratio, opening width to depth below the surface for full caving (ref. 28).
-------
00
vo
E
to
-2.7 m-
GROUT PIPE
DRAIN PIPE
FRONT VIEW
SIDE VIEW
Figure 38. Quick setting double bulkhead seal, Clarksburg, W. Va. (ref. 32).
-------
With complete circumferential keys, 30 cm (1 foot) deep and 61 cm
(2 feet) long, a cross-sectional area of about 22 IT (230 feet^) and
bulkhead shapes as shown in figure 38, approximately 140 m3 (200 yards3)
of cement would be required for the bulkheads and 150 m3 (200 yards3)
of light cement, for the space between bulkheads. If the seal can be
placed in the 120-foot concrete-lined section at the drift mouth, less
than these quantities of cement will be needed, and the keys might be
omitted.
The same sources (Scott and Hays, and Skelly and Loy) show two
styles of seal for shafts. These are shown in figures 39 and 40.
Figure 39, for a completely filled shaft, would be rather expensive to
fill unless plenty of low cost material, such as washery waste, were
available for the job. If the material is not well compacted immediately,
settling might result in a surface depression to be filled later,
possibly more than once. The shafts are 157 m (520 feet) and 156 m
(512 feet) deep. They are 6.7 m (22 feet) in diameter, and together
have a volume of about 11,100 m3 (14,500 yards3). For these reasons,
the style of closure shown in figure 40 is to be preferred. The
reinforced concrete slab should be far enough down the shaft to rest on
firm, relatively unweathered rock, preferably a sandstone, and possibly
just below the minimum height of the water table. There should be no
danger of slab and backfill uplift by water pressure because of the
small head at all openings.
The steps necessary for sealing the shafts would be:
(1) excavating to firm bedrock below the water table,
(2) pouring the concrete slab, and
(3) filling and compacting with soil of the space above the
concrete slab to conform to the natural ground slope.
Each shaft has an excavated diameter of 22 feet so that the slab
(figure 40) to cover the shaft should be well reinforced and not less
than 25 X 25 feet in area and one to two feet thick. If a size even
larger, of 30 X 30 feet, and 2 feet thick is assumed, 50 m3 (67 yards3)
of reinforced concrete will be needed for the slab. If the slab can
be placed at a depth of about 20 feet, or where the concrete lining
now stops, about 2,290 m3 (3,000 yards3) of soil will be needed for
filling to level ground.
90
-------
ORIGINAL GROUND
SEALED MINE SHAFT
.0.
/ /
/ /
/ /
KEY: CHIPPED
. IN .STRATA-'- 7
-' k. '.' " ' A
. > . MISC. .
.-.''' "LL:'0
:vA\:-/4^:
:£:'
:-:''
.V-'-'-'-'.:.
o--
/ /
/ /
/
/ / /
Misc.->
'FILL-'-.
/ / /
CONCRETE AND/OR '. : -'
"CLAYPLUG..:'.;-'.-:' /
S^ UNDERGROUND MINE
Figure 39. Cross section of typical shaft seal (ref. 32).
91
-------
Earth backfill
Ground level
ELEVATION
Concrete slab placed
over shaft opening
Note: Old rails may be used
to reinforce concrete slab
.'o;.
o
0
.0 .
''c
::^r
.-."'I
:^-|
"1
^ML.
' 6.
ft
-"A
"!§
-0 -Q
Jiii^^;^;-
^'.' '..>; '-.'-|::'-:
". »*."* * * * ' "*|-V/*"
""*. . 'P' " -T. ' "
^&$&
0 0 ° '
o
' . o
'
0
o
00
SECTION A-A
Figure 40. Shaft seal with concrete slab (ref. 32).
92
-------
REFERENCES
1. Butts, Charles. The Southern Part of the Cahaba Coalfield. In:
Contributions to Economic Geology (short papers and preliminary reports).
Washington, D, C. Bulletin 431, U. S. Geological Survey. 1911. pp. 89
- 146.
2. Ibid. pp. 89 - 146.
3. Ibid. pp. 89 - 146.
4. Selvig, W. A. and F. H. Gibson. Analyses of Ash from United States
Coals. U. S. Bureau of Mines. Bulletin 567. 1956. p. 10.
5. Mentz, J. W. and J. B. Warg. Up-Dip versus Down-Dip Mining: An
Evaluation. Skelly and Loy, Engineers-Consultants. Cincinnati, Ohio.
EPA-12-75-047. Environmental Protection Agency. June, 1975. pp. 1 - 74.
6. Cothern, L. I. Longwalling on Timber in Alabama Coal Mines. In:
Transactions, Society Mining Engineers of AIME, Vol. 139. New York.
Society of Mining and Metallurgical Engineers. 1940. pp. 200 - 210.
7. Mentz, J. W. and J. B. Warg, pp. 68 - 69.
8. Lowrie, R. L. Recovery Percentage of Bituminous Coal Deposits
in the United States. Part I, Underground Mines. U. S. Bureau of Mines.
Report of Investigations 7109. 1968. pp. 1 - 19.
9. Blair, Charles. General Discussion of Structural Features of the
Coal Bearing (Carboniferous) Measures of Northern Alabama in Connection with
the Possible Occurrence of Oil or Gas. In: Oil and Gas in Alabama, by
D. R. Semmes. University, Alabama. Geological Survey of Alabama, Special
Report 15. 1940. pp. 185 - 200.
10. Ibid. pp. 185 - 200.
11. Anon. Surface Mining of Coal via Longwall Method. Coal Mining
and Processing. 10: 60 - 61. October, 1973.
12. Culbertson, C. W. Geology and Coal Resources of the Coal-Bearing
Rocks of Alabama. In: Contributions to Economic Geology. Washington,
D. C. U. S. Geological Survey, Bulletin 1182-B. 1964. pp. Bl - B79.
13. Adams, G. L., Charles Butts, ₯. L. Stephenson, and C. Wythe Cook.
Geology of Alabama. University, Alabama. Geological Survey of Alabama.
1926. pp. 162 - 199.
93
-------
14. Shotts, R. Q. Correlations in the "Coal Measures" of the Southeast.
Journal of the Alabama Academy of Science. 31: 327 - 446. October, 1960.
(Reprinted as Alabama State Mine Experiment Station Technical Report 23,
June, 1961.)
15. Stearns, R. G. Pennsylvanian Rocks of the Southern Appalachians.
In: Pennsylvanian System in the United States. C. C. Branson, ed. Tulsa,
American Association of Petroleum Geologists, 1962. pp. 74-96.
16. Shotts, R. Q. The Utley Coal Bed in the Western Warrior Field.
Journal of the Alabama Academy of Science. 38: 202 - 214. July, 1967.
(Reprinted as Alabama State Mine Experiment Station Technical Report No.
25, April, 1968.)
17. McCalley, Henry. Report on the Warrior Coal Basin. University,
Alabama. Special Report No. 10. Geological Survey of Alabama. 1900.
pp. 1 - 327.
18. Shotts, R. Q. p. 129.
19. McCalley, Henry. Map of the Warrior coal basin, with columnar
sections. University, Alabama. Special map no. 2. Geological Survey of
Alabama. 1898.
20. Ibid.
21. Butts, Charles. Part of the Geological Atlas of the United States.
United States Geological Survey. Birmingham, Alabama. Folio 175. 1910.
pp. 14 - 25.
22. Shotts, Utley.
23. Semmes, D. R. Oil and Gas in Alabama. University of Alabama
Special Report 15. Geological Survey of Alabama. July, 1929. pp. 92 - 94.
24. Ibid,
25. Butts, Atlas. pp. 1 - 25.
26. Semmes, pp. 92 - 97.
27. Givan, I. A. Room and Pillar Methods. In: SME Mining Engineering
Handbook. Volume 1. A. B. Cummings and I. A. Givan, eds. New York. 1973.
pp. 12 - 45 to 12 - 54.
28. Stefanko, R. Subsidence and Ground Movement. In: SME Mining
Engineering Handbook. Volume 1. A. B. Cummings and I. A. Givan, eds. New
York. 1973. pp. 13 - 2 to 13 - 9.
29. Braeuner, G. Subsidence Due to Underground Mining 1. Theory and
Practices in Predicting Surface Deformation. Washington, D. C. Information
Circular 8571. United States Bureau of Mines. 1973. pp. 1 - 56.
94
-------
30. Braeuner, G. Subsidence Due to Underground Mining 2. Ground
Movements and Mining Damage. Washington, D. C. Information Circular
8572. United States Bureau of Mines. 1973. pp 1-53.
31. Stefanko, p. 13-4.
32, Scott, R. L. and R. M. Hays. Inactive and Abandoned Underground
Mines: Water Pollution Prevention and Control. Michael Baker, Jr..
Environmental Protection Agency Report No. 44019-75-007. June, 1975.
pp. 1 - 338.
33. Processes, Procedures, and Methods to Control Pollution from
Mining Activities. Skelly and Loy, Engineers-Consultants and Penn
Environmental Consultants, Inc. Washington, D. C. EPA 430/9-73-011.
Environmental Protection Agency. October, 1973. pp. 221 - 260.
95
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SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHIES
A. HYDROLOGY OF SITE 3
Adams, G. I., Charles Butts, L. W. Stephenson, and C. Wythe Cooke, 1926,
Geology of Alabama: Alabama Geological Survey Special Report 14,
pp. 208 - 230.
Averett, J. R. , 1966, A Compilation of Surface Water Quality Data in Alabama:
Alabama Geological Survey Circular 36, pp. 1 - 574.
Drennen, C. W., 1953, Stratigraphy and Structure of Outcropping Pre-Selma
Coastal Plain Beds of Fayette and Lamar Counties, Alabama: U. S.
Geological Survey Circular 267, pp. 1-9.
Hains, C. F., 1968, Flow Characteristics of Alabama Streams: Alabama
Geological Survey Circular 32, pp. 1 - 382.
Jefferson, P. 0., 1968, Regional Draft-Storage Relations in West-Central
Alabama: U. S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 600-C, pp C182 -
C184.
Johnston, W. D., Jr., 1933, Ground Water in the Paleozoic Rocks of Northern
Alabama: Alabama Geological Survey Special Report 16; Part I, pp. 1 -
414; Part II, 48 well and spring tables.
McCalley, Henry, 1886, On the Warrior Coal Field: Alabama Geological Survey
Special Report 1, pp. 1 - 571.
1900, Report on the Warrior Coal Basin: Alabama Geological
Survey Special Report 10, pp. 1 - 327.
McGlamery, Winnie, 1955, Subsurface Stratigraphy of Northwest Alabama:
Alabama Geological Survey Bulletin 64, pp. 1 - 503.
Mellen, F. F., 1947, Black Warrior Basin, Alabama and Mississippi: American
Association of Petroleum Geologists Bulletin, Volume 31, Number 10,
pp. 1801 - 1816.
Metzger, W. J., 1964, Clay Mineral Analysis of Some Warrior Basin Underclays:
Alabama Geological Survey Circular 28, pp. 1 - 8.
1965, Pennsylvanian Stratigraphy of the Warrior Basin, Alabama:
Alabama Geological Survey Circular 30, pp. 1 - 80.
Pierce, L. B., 1967, 7-Day Low Flows and Flow Duration of Alabama Streams:
Alabama Geological Survey Bulletin 87, Part A, pp. 1 - 114.
96
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Pierce, L. B. , and J. W. Geurin, 1959, Surface-Water Resources and Hydrology
of West-Central Alabama: Alabama Geological Survey Special Report 24,
pp. 1 - 236.
Smith, E. A., 1881, Report of Progress, 1879-80: Alabama Geological Survey,
pp. 1-158.
1883, Report of Progress, 1881-82: Alabama Geological Survey,
pp. 1 - 615.
1894, Geological map of Alabama with explanatory chart: Alabama
Geological Survey Map 1.
U. S. Geological Survey, 1960, Compilation of records of surface waters of
the United States through September, 1950, part 2-B, South Atlantic
slope and eastern Gulf of Mexico basins, Ogeechee River to Pearl River:
U. S. Geological Survey Water-Supply Paper 1304, pp. 1 - 399.
1963, Compilation of records of surface water of the United
States, October, 1950 to September, I960, part 2-B, South Atlantic
slope and eastern Gulf of Mexico basins, Ogeechee River to Pearl River;
U. S. Geological Survey Water-Supply Paper 1724, pp. 1 - 458.
Surface-Water records of Alabama: 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964.
Water Resources data for Alabama, part 1, Surface Water records:
1965, 1966, 1967, 1968.
Water Resources data for Alabama, part 2, Water Quality records:
1965, 1966.
B. WATER QUALITY AND WATER ANALYSIS
Cleaves, Arthur B. , and John R. Schultz, Geology in Engineering, John Wiley
and Sons, Inc., New York, 1955.
McCarty, Perry T., and Clair N. Sawyer, Chemistry for Sanitary Engineers,
2nd edition, New York, 1967.
Morgan, James J., and Werner Stumm, Aquatic Chemistry, Wiley-Interscience,
New York, 1970.
Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and Wastewater, 13th edition,
American Public Health Association, Inc., New York, February, 1975.
Water Quality Criteria, Edited by Jack McKee and Harold W. Wolf, 2nd edition,
Publication No. 3-A of the Resources Agency of California State Water
Resources Control Board, 1963.
97
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TECHNICAL REPORT DATA
(Please read Instructions on the reverse before completing)
1. REPORT NO.
EPA-600/7-78-006
2.
3. RECIPIENT'S ACCESSIOI*NO.
4. TITLE AMD SUBTITLE
Site Selection and Design for Minimizing Pollution
from Underground Coal Mining Operations
S. REPORT DATE
January 1978 issuing date
6. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION CODE
7. AUTHOR(S)
.Reynold Q, Shotts, Eric Sterett, and Thomas A. Simpson
8. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION REPORT NO.
9. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION NAME AND ADDRESS
College of Engineering
The University of Alabama
University, Alabama 35486
10. PROGRAM ELEMENT NO.
EHE-623
11. CONTRACT/GRANT NO.
68-03-2015
12. SPONSORING AGENCY NAME AND ADDRESS
Industrial Environmental Research Lab - Cinti., OH
Office of Research and Development
Environmental Protection Agency
Cincinnati, Ohio 45268
13. TYPE OF REPORT AND PERIOD COVERED
Final 6/74-12/76
14. SPONSORING AGENCY CODE
EPA/600/12
15. SUPPLEMENTARY NOTES
16. ABSTRACT
The objectives of this study were to determine how best to select a iayout and
mining system and also to develop and operate an underground coal mine while at the
same time minimizing pollution of the environment.
The pre-mining environment was assessed by sampling Cedar Creek 3 and other
streams. Analyses of samples of groundwater into the mine, of the water pumped from
the mine sump, and of water from Cedar Creek below the mine, made possible the
assessment of the area with regard to water quality. Principal factors associated
with mining which affected downstream water quality were sulfide oxidation and acid
formation in the mine, the quality of the groundwater seeping into the mine, the
limestone used for rock dusting, and the quality of the resettled but not treated
mine and washing plant water carried to the continuous miners for dust suppression.
Pollution downstream from the mine proved to be slight, even when untreated mine
effluent flowed directly into the creek. The quantities of heavy metal ions contained
in the mine influent and effluent were small. If openings are sealed after closure,
environmental integrity for the area should exist indefinitely.
Deep mines in Alabama's synclinal coalfields, if entered some distance from the
outcrop, or mined down-dip if started on the outcrop, should produce little surface
KEY WORDS AND DOCUMENT ANALYSIS
DESCRIPTORS
b.lDENTIFIERS/OPEN ENDED TERMS
c. COSATI Field/Group
Underground mining
Ground Water
Surface Waters
Water Pollution
Water Quality
Mining Engineering
Coal Mining
Mining Methods
Heavy Metals
Mine Seals
Down-Dip Mining
Sulfide Oxidation
Acid Mine Drainage
13 B
3. DISTRIBUTION STATEMENT
Release Unlimited
19. SECURITY CLASS (ThisReport)
Unclassified
21. NO. OF PAGES
108
20. SECURITY CLASS (Thispage)
Unclassified
22, PRICE
EPA Form 2220-1 (9-73)
98
4 U.S. GOVSWMHnPfllNIlHS OFFICE; I97B 757-140/6676
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