EPA-600/2-76-196
August 1976
Environmental Protection Technology Series
DEMONSTRATION OF
COAL MINE HAUL ROAD
SEDIMENT CONTROL TECHNIQUES
Industrial Environmental Research Laboratory
Office of Research and Development
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Cincinnati, Ohio 45268
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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 five series. These five broad
categories were established to facilitate further development and application of
environmental technology. Elimination of traditional grouping was consciously
planned to foster technology transfer and a maximum interface in related fields.
The five series are:
1. Environmental Health Effects Research
2. Environmental Protection Technology
3. Ecological Research
4. Environmental Monitoring
5. Socioeconomic Environmental Studies
This report has been assigned to the ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
TECHNOLOGY series. This series describes research performed to develop and
demonstrate instrumentation, equipment, and methodology to repair or prevent
environmental degradation from point and non-point sources of pollution. This
work provides the new or improved technology required for the control and
treatment of pollution sources to meet environmental quality standards.
This document is available to the public through the National Technical Informa-
tion Service, Springfield, Virginia 22161.
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EPA-600/2-76-196
August 1976
DEMONSTRATION OF
COAL MINE HAUL ROAD SEDIMENT
CONTROL TECHNIQUES
by
William F. Grier
Carlos F. Miller
Mayes, Sudderth and Etheredge, Inc.
Lexington, Kentucky 40507
James D. Womack
Environmental Systems Corporation
Knoxville, Tennessee 37901
EPA Project No. S-802682
Project Officer
Eugene F. Harris
Resource Extraction and Handling Division
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-Cincinnati, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency,
and approved for publication. Approval does not signify that the
contents necessarily reflect the views and policies of the U.S. Environ-
mental Protection Agency, nor does mention of trade names or commercial
products constitute endorsement or recommendation for use.
ii
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FOREWORD
When energy and material resources are extracted, processed and
used, changes are produced in the existing environment that in many
instances are undesirable. These undesirable changes resulting from
both substances and effects comprise what we define as pollution.
Pollution of air, land and water may adversely affect our aesthetic
and physical well being. Protection of our environment requires
that we recognize and understand the complex interaction between our
industrial society and our environment.
The Industrial Environmental Research Laboratory-Cincinnati
(lERL-Ci) assists in developing and demonstrating new and improved
methodologies aimed at minimizing, abating and preventing pollution
from industrial and energy-related activities.
This report examines the feasibility of demonstrating the most
effective methods of controlling erosion which results when land
is disturbed by the construction of coal mine access roads. The
techniques presented are those that can reasonably and economically
be constructed by conventional equipment that is normally used or
is available to coal operators. This study will augment the sedi-
mentation studies already being performed by the Extraction Technology
Branch, and broaden the base of knowledge for pollution control for
contour coal surface mines. The information will be of most benefit
to the operators who are charged with protection of the environment
and increased production of coal.
David G. Stephan
Director
Industrial Environmental Research Laboratory
Cincinnati
iii
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ABSTRACT
This Report was prepared to examine the feasibility of demonstrating
the most effective methods of controlling erosion which results when
land is disturbed and altered by the construction of access roads to
coal mining operations in the steeply sloping areas of Appalachia.
The methods of controlling erosion on haul roads as examined herein
are techniques that can reasonably and economically be constructed
by conventional equipment that is normally used or is available to
coal operators.
A method to collect quantitative data, by remote instrumentation, for
evaluation of the effectiveness of the erosion control methods is also
examined herein.
The project will be located in Martin County on the Pevler operations
site, which is part of the Island Creek Coal Company operation. The
exact road will be determined from several which have been offered
by Island Creek that best fits the need of this project and will be
built in the time frame of this project.
This report was submitted in fulfillment of EPA Project Number S-
802682 by Mayes, Sudderth and Etheredge, Inc. through the Commonwealth
of Kentucky under the sponsorship of the Environmental Protection
Agency. Work was completed as of June, 1975.
iv
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CONTENTS
Abstract iv
List of Figures vi
List of Tables vii
Acknowledgments viii
Sections
I Conclusions 1
II Recommendations 5
III Introduction 7
IV Jurisdictional Framework 12
V Inventory and Characteristics 18
VI Preliminary Engineering 23
VII Cost Estimate and Budget 51
VIII Implementation and Operation Plans and Report Schedule 60
IX Bedding Down and Abandonment 63
X Principal Investigators 64
XI References 67
XII Glossary 70
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FIGURES
No. Page
1 Typical Open-Top Culvert Installation 30
2 Typical Ditch Relief Culvert Installation 32
3 Typical Check Dam Installation 33
4 Typical Section Slope Drain Installation 35
5 Typical Flexible Slope Drain Installation 36
6 Typical Installation of Pipe Buried in Fill Slope 37
7 Flow Chart for Monitoring Station
Operation and Data Recording 41
8 Schematic Diagram for Monitoring Stations 42
9 PS-69 Pumping Water Sampler 46
10 Typical Flume Installation 48
11 Schedule of Work Phases (two year monitoring) 62
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TABLES
No. Page
1 Engineering (Costs) 54
2 Control Parameters Materials and Labor (Costs) 55
3 Monitoring Stations (Less Instruments) (Costs) 56
4 Monitoring Stations Instrument Costs 57
5 Instrument Installation (Costs) 58
6 Construction Inspection and Supervision (Costs) 58
7 Operation and Monitoring (Costs) 58
8 Report Preparation (Costs) 59
vii
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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The assistance and guidance of Robert E. Nickel and William S. Kelly
of the Office of Planning and Research, Kentucky Department for Natural
Resources and Environmental Protection, are sincerely appreciated.
The USEPA grant S-802682-01-3 was with the Kentucky Department for
Natural Resources and Environmental Protection of Kentucky. Envir-
onmental Systems Corporation, Knoxville, Tennessee was responsible
for the on-line instrumentation elements of this project.
viii
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SECTION I
CONCLUSIONS
After an extensive literature search and field investigations relative
to coal mine haul roads, the following conclusions have been reachedt
(1) Visual observations have indicated that the contribution of
eroding haul roads to stream pollution relative to the overall mining
operation is significant and should be studied, but quantification
data is not available.
(2) Erosion, and the subsequent material movement during heavy rains,
from coal haul roads originates at points common to any road, namely,
the roadside ditch, roadway surface, and exposed areas of the cut and
fill slopes. Methods used to prevent erosion from normal public roads
would also work with coal mine haul roads; however, most are considered
too expensive to be integrated into the coal mining operation. Since
most coal haul roads are of a temporary nature, much more economical
erosion control techniques must be used.
Compounding the problem is the fact that haul roads in southern
Appalachia are mostly located in steeply sloping areas. The cut and
fill slopes are not only steep, the road grades are usually steeper than
the erosion resistance of most soils. Highly erosive velocities are
attained in the roadside ditches and on the road surfaces. The problem,
therefore, is the control of a highly susceptible erosion condition
complicated by severe economic restraints which necessitate using native
materials and relatively unskilled labor.
(3) There have been extensive studies on erosion and sedimentation
control, especially as it applies to construction sites such as land
development, highway construction, urban development, etc. Guidelines
for erosion and sediment control practices have been published; however,
these techniques generally do not have practical applicability to the
steep roads encountered in the coal mining area of Appalachia.
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(4) Most states have some type of guidelines governing the construc-
tion of haul roads, some of which are more stringent than others. The
relative quality of haul road construction as examined for this study
exist at opposite extremes: the large operators often build a good
road, while most others build short-term dirt roads which turn to
muddy channels during heavy rains.
(5) The steep terrain of the Appalachian area presents a special
problem of economically controlling erosion under the most adverse
conditions of steep slopes and highly credible soils.
(6) Road gradient is the single most important factor in the erosion
control difficulty of haul roads. Maximum sustained grades of 10
percent are generally permitted, and most haul roads are constructed
at that limiting gradient or greater for most of their length. The
roadside ditches are usually constructed on the same gradient as the
roadway surface. Water flowing in unlined earth channels with slopes
of 10 percent produces velocities which are beyond the erosive resis-
tance of most soils. Water flowing on roadway surfaces with these
steep slopes will attain velocities and depths which not only move
material under sheet flow conditions but will begin to cut small
channels in the surface, in which the flow becomes concentrated,
thus increasing its erosive energy. Other measures must be devised if
the erosion from these roads is to be reduced, if nonerodible surfaces
such as pavement are to be considered outside the economic practicality
of the small coal operator and his temporary road. An ideal sustained
grade would be in the range of 4 percent to 8 percent. This would not
only facilitate the control of drainage but would have economic benefits
in that more haul trips per day could be made over gentler grades.
(7) Many of the erosion control techniques which are effective on
steep, remote mountain roads used only occasionally by light vehicles
or even on permanent, frequently traveled, U.S. Forest Service roads
are not applicable to coal haul roads due to the incessant battering
of high traffic volumes and extremely heavy loads to which the coal
haul roads are subjected. It is imperative that the economic frame-
work of the coal mining operation be considered in specifying measures
for reducing erosion from haul roads. There is such a wide range of
magnitude of coal mining operations that it is difficult to generalize
on the economic feasibility regarding the sophistication of the haul-
ageway. Such factors as length of time the road will be used and the
amount of coal to be hauled over it are extremely pertinent to how
much the operator is willing to invest in the haul road. It is
conceivable that such cost factors could be included in the evaluation
of mining permit applications. The haul road erosion control methods
proposed in this project are ones which could reasonably be expected
to be utilized by the mining industry.
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(8) Under the most favorable conditions and with the best of erosion
control plans, some erosion will occur. Therefore, a plan to minimize
sedimentation must include a means by which the sediment from unpre-
ventable erosion is intercepted before reaching the receiving stream.
The control of erosion, economically, on roads with grades in the range
of 10 percent is limited. Therefore, to minimize sediment movement
into the stream network, a good sedimentation plan is necessary,
utilizing filter berms, filter strips, sediment traps, etc. This
project, however, proposed to demonstrate erosion control measures and
their effectiveness, realizing that this is only half of a sedimenta-
tion control effort.
(10) The berm on the fill side of the road, required by the Federal
safety law, is usually constructed of loose soil and rocks which
readily are washed down the fill slope during rains. Failure to
inslope the haul road surface, as is sometimes the case, results in
water flowing to the toe of the safety berm, where it is diverted down
the road surface, usually creating a rut or channel.
(11) Cut slopes in soils are generally at a maximum of 1:1. Low cuts
have been observed that were steeper. It is difficult to start vegeta-
tion on slopes greater than 1:1, although heavy stands of vegetation
were noted on very steep slopes in West Virginia. If the soil could
be stabilized on these slopes until vegetation is established, erosion
would be reduced. The slopes are usually too steep for normal mulching
procedures. Some kind of chemical binder could be used to bind the
soil into a coherent mass until the vegetation can become established.
Some research has been done relative to chemical soil stabilizers?
however, their use on steep slopes has not been demonstrated adequately
and should be explored more extensively.
(12) Some type of roadway surfacing should be required on all haul
roads. Material used for sub-base and surfacing should have adequate
compressive strength to withstand the heavy loadings.
(13) The most practical method of demonstrating the effectiveness of
different erosion abatement procedures is to isolate the drainage from
specific sections of road, on which certain erosion control techniques
have been incorporated, and monitor the material movement from each
section and compare it with a base section which has been constructed
according to prevailing haul road construction practices.
(14) It will not be necessary to measure every rainfall-runoff event
in order to determine the effectiveness of the project. If a few
significant events can be thoroughly recorded, adequate information will
be available for evaluation of the parameters demonstrated.
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(15) Channeling runoff from the roadway surface, roadside ditch, and
cut slope presents no problem; however, monitoring the total runoff
from the haul road will require a special provision in order to measure
the diverted water through the ditch relief culverts.
(16) The most important element in the instrument package is the
automatic sampler, which extracts moving water, at specific intervals,
and stores the samples in bottles for later laboratory analysis. This
is the most accurate method of determining quantities of suspended
solids, since it is direct and does not depend on indirect techniques
such as light scatter.
(17) A bituminous fiber ditch liner can be very effective for use in
haul road drainage design. This material is strong, cheap, easy to
install, can be cut to shape with normal hand tools, and will decay in
time. The fact that it will decay in several years is important as it
will permit vegetation to develop and form a permanent ditch liner.
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SECTION II
RECOMMENDATIONS
Based on the foregoing conclusions, we recommend the following:
(1) A demonstration of erosion control techniques on coal haul roads
is a necessary step in determining the most effective ways to reduce
sediment movement and should be funded.
(2) A site opened by the Island Creek Coal Company in the Pevler
operations area of Martin County should be used.
(3) A new haul road should be built to demonstrate erosion control
techniques, which would be incorporated into the new road at the design
stage and constructed according to strictly controlled specifications.
(4) The erosion control techniques to be demonstrated would include
grade reduction, surfacing, roadside ditch lining, ditch relief
culverts, check dams, chemical soil stabilizers, and methods for
channeling drainage to the toe of the fill slope. All of the
aforementioned techniques and the manner in which they would be used
are described in Section VI. A new road should be divided into at
least four sections, as follows:
Section 1: "control" section built according to present regulations and
practices; sustained road gradient of 8-10 percent.
Section 2: sustained grade of 6 percent; check dams 0.3 m (1 foot) high,
spaced at 15 m (50 feet), to reduce the hydraulic gradient in the road-
side ditch to 4 percent; ditch relief culverts, spaced at 61 m (200 feet);
surface to be the same as Section 1; culvert outfall to toe of fill slope
by bituminized fiber sectional downdrains, pipe buried in the fill, and
flexible downdrains; inslope roadway surface 0.06 m/m (3/4 inch
per foot).
Section 3: sustained grade of 8-10 percent; roadside ditch lined with
bituminized fiber sectional downdrains; inslope roadway surface 0.06 m/m
(3/4 inch per foot); ditches designed to carry entire flow to natural
drainageway.
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Section 4: sustained grade of 8-10 percent; inslope roadway surface
0.06 m/m (3/4 inch per foot); gravel surfacing 0.38 m (15 inches)
compacted depth.
Section 5: second control section specifically to measure the
material dislodged from the fill side.
Section 6: companion section to Section 5 in which the fill slope
would be sprayed with a chemical soil stabilizer and compared to the
untreated condition of Section 5.
(5) Each demonstration site should contain a primary monitor and the
appropriate number of secondary monitors. The primary monitor will
measure rainfall/ water level, temperature, turbidity, conductivity,
and pH. The secondary monitors will measure water level and turbidity.
All monitoring stations will contain an automatic sediment sampler.
Detailed descriptions of the monitoring stations, including instruments
and equipment, are given in Section VI.
(6) All of the gathered data should be assimilated, analyzed, inter-
preted, and compiled into a final report.
(7) Grab samples should be taken at each site at periodic intervals
upon which a complete chemical analysis would be done.
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SECTION III
INTRODUCTION
In 1973, Kentucky was the nation's leading coal-producing state.
Presently, there is an economic boom in eastern Kentucky and other
coal producing areas of Appalachia like nothing ever before experienced.
With the possibility of the nation's returning to coal as a primary
energy source, the price of coal has tripled in less than a year. Coal
which was formerly considered uneconomical to extract is now being
heavily mined.
There is clearly a major national concern as to the environmental
effects of surface mining of coal throughout the entire United States.
Much of the public emphasis has been focused on strip mining in the
precipitous terrain of southern Appalachia. While the strip mining
activities per se_ have drawn most of the public attention, other
related activities, such as the construction and operation of haul
roads, are now being considered.
In the steep terrain of Appalachia, much damage to the forest streams
is caused by the erosion of disturbed land resulting from natural
resources removal. According to the U.S. Forest Service, muddy water
in mountain streams can often be traced to eroding roads. For many
years, stream sedimentation was thought to originate from timbered
hillsides, but now it has been concluded that much of the sediment
comes from the roads used to remove the harvested products from the
forest.[17] It is possible that coal haul roads also contribute
significantly to stream sedimentation.
The eastern Kentucky coal field is characterized by extreme relief
steeply sloping terrain, creating rapid runoff of surface water, thus
intensifying erosion and sediment movement in disturbed areas. The
construction of access roads to the area's mining activities
is one of the necessary coal mine-related land disturbances. General
guidelines concerning haul roads are issued by various regulating
authorities, but they have not been definitive; nor have innovative
techniques in the design, construction, maintenance, and bedding down
of haul roads been of primary interest.
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Almost without exception, coal mine haul roads are not built like
public roads: the choice of routes is limited and often extremely
steep slopes must be traversed; they are intended for use only during
the life of the mining activity. The control of erosion and sediment
movement into the local stream network must begin with the basic
design of the haul road and continue through the construction, opera-
tion, and bedding-down period.
A study location in the eastern Kentucky coal field was selected for
the demonstration project proposed herein because of the acute stream
pollution problems in that area, caused partly by the difficulty
associated with the economical control of erosion in steeply sloped,
disturbed areas. The problems encountered in this area are not
similar to those in areas where the slopes are less severe or where
the soil types are substantially different. This project is limited,
therefore, to haul roads in areas where side hill cuts are made for
the road and where the terrain has slopes in excess of 20 degrees.
Roads in this type of terrain appear to cause the greatest problems
in regard to sedimentation.
STATEMENT OF OBJECTIVES
The objective of this project is to identify specific techniques for
controlling the erosion which naturally results when land is disturbed
and altered during the construction of access roads to coal mining
operations in the steeply sloping areas of Appalachia and to obtain
quantitative data for evaluation of the effectiveness of the erosion
control methods. A restriction imposed by the practicality of the
project is that the economic framework of the coal mining operation
must be considered and the specific erosion control techniques must
be economically feasible for incorporation into the design and con-
struction of haul roads with normally available staff and funds.
STATEMENT OF WORK
The scope of the project is:
(1) To compile and examine various erosion control techniques that
are applicable to coal mine haul roads;
(2) To select specific erosion control techniques for demonstration
and to measure the relative effectiveness of each by installing
the selected techniques in the field on a haul road and measuring
their relative effectiveness using on-line monitoring instruments
and equipment;
(3) To assimilate, evaluate, and interpret the collected data and
prepare a report describing the results of the demonstration and
to make specific recommendations about these techniques for
future incorporation in guidelines concerning haul roads.
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GENERAL DESCRIPTION
Background
During the preliminary phase of this project/ an extensive literature
search was conducted to determine the state-of-the-art relative to
erosion and sedimentation control. Particular attention was centered
on those methods technically and economically applicable to steep-
slope coal mining operations. Specific erosion control methods were
selected as ones which would be the most practical for use on steep
coal mine haul roads.
New Haul Road Site
A site for a new haul road is located in the Pevler area of
Martin County, Kentucky. A new haul road will be designed and field
surveyed by the consultant. The road will be divided into six
sections. The drainage in those sections will be separated so that
water from each specific section can be individually monitored. The
sections will be divided as follows:
Section 1: "control section built according to present regulations
and practices; sustained road gradient of 8 percent to 10 percent.
Section 2: sustained grade of 6 percent; check dams 0.3 m (1 foot) high,
spaced at 15 m (50 feet), to reduce the hydraulic gradient in the road-
side ditch to 4 percent; ditch relief culverts, spaced at 61 m (200
feet); surface to be the same as Section 1; culvert outfall conveyed to
toe of fill slope by bituminized fiber sectional downdrains, pipe
buried in the fill, and flexible downdrains; inslope roadway surface
.06 m/m (3/4 inch per foot).
Section 3: sustained grade of 8 percent to 10 percent; roadside ditch
lined with bituminized fiber sectional downdrains; inslope roadway
surface .06 m/m (3/4 inch per foot); roadway ditches designed to
carry entire flow to natural drainageway.
Section 4: sustained grade of 8 percent to 10 percent; inslope
roadway surface .06 m/m (3/4 inch per foot); gravel surfacing 38.10 cm
(15 inches) compacted depth.
Section 5: second control established to specifically measure the
amount of material that is transported from the fill side of a road
which is not monitored in any of the other stations, section of
bituminous pipe placed below the toe of the fill to catch the runoff
from the fill and convey it to the monitoring station.
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Section 6: fill slope of this section treated with a chemical
soil stabilizer, section monitored as Section 5 and the results
of these sections compared for effectiveness.
It can be seen from the description of the various demonstration
sections that the entire road drainage is taken to a natural drainage-
way in some cases. This is being demonstrated as an alternative to
spilling culverts discharge on the fill slope as is commonly done
now. The ditches in this case will be adequately sized to carry the
increased flow. The drainage at the toe of the fill slopes will be
intercepted and channeled to the monitoring station, which is only a
means of assuring the measurement of all of the flow and is not
intended to be a demonstration parameter. In actual practice the
drainage from the fill slope would pass through a filter strip to
filter the sediment from the water before it reaches the stream.
On-Line Instrumentation
A monitoring station will be located in the natural drainageway of
each section. Each monitoring station will contain a flume con-
structed in the drainage channel of each section to form a measuring
device and wet pool for the on-line instrument electrodes and grab
sample withdrawal. Each station will contain an automatic sediment
sampler. The instruments will be housed in a commercial steel shed.
A six-channel magnetic tape recorder will be used which will record,
at predetermined intervals, the following: pH, conductivity,
temperature, water level, rainfall, and turbidity. The station will
be activated by an automatic rain gauge, as water will be in the
ditches only during periods of rainfall. This system will be backed
up by strip chart recorders for the information which is transmitted
on the magnetic tape. The data will be assimilated, analyzed, and
interpreted, and a final report will be prepared.
A detailed description of the erosion control techniques, monitoring
station, instruments, and sediment sampler and sample analysis is
contained in Section VI.
EFFECTIVENESS OF THE PROJECT
In much of the Appalachian area, accelerated erosion and the resulting
sedimentation, caused in the quest of natural resources are threaten-
ing the useful lives of reservoirs and the integrity of mountain
streams. The project described herein will yield data which will
be highly valuable in the determination of the origin of sediment
movement into streams draining coal mining haul roads. When the
origin of such sediment is determined, pertinent techniques can be
introduced into the design, construction, maintenance, and bedding
down of haul roads to eliminate or substantially reduce such sediment
movement.
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The basic value of the project will be its impact on water resources in
the coal mining regions of the Appalachian area. Sedimentation from
mining operations has seriously degraded regional water quality, has
caused increased flooding due to deposition of sediment in stream
channels, and has adversely affected Federal reservoir projects. As
stated previously, the pollutants entering the streams as a result of
haul roads may be as great as those from areas of mining activity
itself. Therefore, if pollution from haul roads can be reduced or
eliminated, a major step will be taken toward alleviating these
problems.
A secondary benefit is the documentation of the effectiveness and cost
of haul road erosion control methods. It is difficult to convince
coal operators of the need for proper design of haul roads without
quantified evidence. It is not uncommon for mine operators to be
unable to truck coal off the mines due to the poor condition of the
haul roads. This may place the operator in a poor cash flow position.
The haul road erosion control methods to be demonstrated will not
only reduce sediment loads in receiving streams, but should also
increase the number of days per year that coal can be hauled off the
mines.
The need for remote sediment sampling is becoming more apparent as
stream pollution studies continue. Problems relative to automatic
sampling have not been solved satisfactorily, and more research is
needed in this area. The operation and effectiveness of the monitoring
equipment in this project will be closely documented. A benefit such
as this is not only beneficial to this project but extends to similar
projects in the future.
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SECTION IV
JURISDICTIONAL FRAMEWORK
AUTHORITY
This study has been conducted under the auspices of the Environmental
Protection Agency. The agency is subject to the provisions of the
Water Quality Improvement Act of 1970, P.L. 91-224. The act includes
a subsection titled "Area Acid and Other Mine Water Pollution Control
Demonstrations" which became Section 107 of the Federal Water Pollution
Control Act, as amended. This section provides for the demonstration
of techniques for mine drainage pollution control and directs that the
Environmental Protection Agency shall conduct such feasibility studies
as necessary in selecting watersheds for the purpose of the demonstra-
tion projects. Such feasibility studies are to aid the EPA in
selecting not only the mine drainage pollution control method(s) but
also the watershed or drainage area for such application. The act
requires that EPA give preference to areas which will have the greatest
public value and uses.
The Department for Natural Resources and Environmental Protection,
Division of Reclamation, is permitted to accept Federal and other funds
in accordance with KRS 350.150 and 350.163, which are included in
Appendix D to this report.
All sums received through the payment of fees, forfeiture of bonds,
and Federal grants are placed in the State Treasury. The Department
for Natural Resources and Environmental Protection, Division of
Reclamation, receives a general fund appropriation on a bi-annual
basis as approved by the Kentucky General Assembly. Funds are
expanded for the administration and enforcement of KRS 350 and for the
reclamation of improperly reclaimed strip-mined lands. Expenditure
of funds is administered by the director of the Division of Reclama-
tion.
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Federal funding for this project was provided by way of a grant to
the Commonwealth of Kentucky by the Environmental Protection Agency
under authority of Section 107 of the Federal Water Pollution Control
Act, as amended. The grant offer was made to the Commonwealth of
Kentucky's Department for Natural Resources and Environmental Protec-
tion, Division of Reclamation. Administration of the study has been
the responsibility of the Department for Natural Resources and
Environmental Protection, Office of Planning and Research.
The Department for Natural Resources and Environmental Protection was
established by KRS 224 enacted by the General Assembly in 1974. The
Department has the responsibility of administering functions relating
to conservation, maintenance, and preservation of land and water
resources and the prevention, abatement, and control of all water,
land, and air pollution. The Department is headed by a Secretary
who is responsible for the overall direction of the following ten
major divisions of the Department:
(1) Solid Waste (KRS 224);
(2) Forestry (KRS 149);
(3) Reclamation (KRS 350);
(4) Conservation (KRS 146);
(5) Water Quality (KRS 224);
(6) Water Resources (KRS 151)
(7) Air Pollution (KRS 224);
(8) Special Programs
(9) Sanitary Engineering (KRS 211)
(10) Plumbing (KRS 211)
The Kentucky General Assembly, under KRS 350, has vested in the
Department for Natural Resources and Environmental Protection, Division
of Reclamation, the authority to regulate and control mining of coal
to minimize or prevent its injurious effects on the people and
resources of the Commonwealth. The Division of Reclamation, under the
supervision of the Secretary and the Commissioner of Land Resources,
has the following authority and powers relative to this project.
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(1) To exercise general supervision and administration and enforce-
ment of KRS 350 and all rules, regulations, and orders promulgated
thereunder;
(2) To encourage and conduct investigations, research, experiments,
and demonstrations and to collect and disseminate information related
to strip mining;
(3) To adopt/ without hearing, rules and regulations with respect to
the filing of reports, the issuance of permits, and other matters of
procedure and administration;
(4) To examine and pass upon all plans and specifications submitted
by the operator for the method of operation, backfilling, and grading
and for the reclamation of the area of land affected by his operation.
EXISTING STANDARDS
No operator in the Commonwealth of Kentucky is allowed to engage in
strip mining without having first obtained from the Division of
Reclamation a permit designating the area of land affected by the
operation. Permit requirements are described under KRS 350.060.
An operator is required by KRS 350.060(4) to submit with his permit
application a drainage plan. This plan must indicate the directional
flow of water, constructed drainways, natural waterways used for
drainage, and the streams or tributaries receiving the discharge. In
addition, the operator is required by KRS 350.090 to prepare and carry
out a reclamation plan for the area of land affected by his operation.
The reclamation plan must provide for the following:
(1) Cover the face of the coal with compacted non-acid-bearing and
nontoxic materials to a distance of at least four feet above the seam
being strip mined or by a permanent water impoundment;
(2) Bury under adequate fill all toxic materials, roof coal, pyritic
coal, or shale determined by the division to be acid-producing, toxic,
or creating a fire hazard;
(3) Seal off, as directed by regulations, any breakthrough of acid
water creating a hazard;
(4) Impound, drain, or treat all runoff water so as to reduce soil
erosion, damage to agricultural lands, and pollution of streams and
other waters;
(5) Remove or bury all metal, lumber, or other refuse resulting
from the operation;
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(6) Revegetate with suitable seed or plant mixtures after approved
regrading and soil preparation.
Requirements for the water quality of runoff from surface mining
operations are spelled out in two of the Division of Reclamation's
regulations, 402 KAR 1:055, "Water Quality," adopted September 29, 1971,
and 402 KAR 1:060, "Water Impoundments," adopted November 28, 1972.
(See Appendix D for 402 KAR 1:055 and 402 KAR 1:060). 402 KAR 1:055
requires that treatment facilities be constructed by the operator prior
to the stripping operation. 402 KAR 1:055 further requires that the
treated discharge have: (1) pH of between 6.0 and 9.0, (2) iron
concentration not in excess of 7 mg/1, (3) total alkalinity in excess
of total acidity, (4) no settleable matter, and (5) suspended matter
not in excess of 150 JTU's except during a precipitation event, in
which case 1,000 JTU's may not be exceeded.
402 KAR 1:060 requires that a drainage, erosion, and silt control plan
for the area to be permitted by prepared by a registered professional
engineer and submitted with the permit application. After approval of
the drainage plan by the Division of Reclamation, silt dams are to be
constructed in the drainage areas to be immediately affected by the
operation.
The streams involved in this demonstration are considered public
waters of the Commonwealth and are, therefore, subject to the Federally
approved Kentucky water quality standards for interstate waters. The
water quality of the public streams, within the confines of the
Commonwealth, is maintained through the authority vested in the Depart-
ment for Natural Resources and Environmental Protection, Division of
Water Quality, under KRS 224.033. The applicable standards by which
said authority is administered are covered by regulation 401 KAR 5:025
adopted March 13, 1975 and by regulation 401 KAR 5:035 adopted March
13, 1975. Since the streams involved in this demonstration are not
shown on the map "Streams of Kentucky" prepared in 1973 by the
Kentucky Department of Commerce, they must meet the water quality
standards set forth in 401 KAR 5:025 only at the point where they
join the streams shown on the map.
It has been the policy of the department that in the case of surface
coal mining operations, compliance with the provisions of KRS 350,
402 KAR 1:055, and 402 KAR 1:060 would be necessary and sufficient to
constitute compliance with 401 KAR 5:025 and 401 KAR 5:035. Surface
mine operators are not required to obtain permits from the Division
of Water Quality.
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In addition to the KRS laws pertaining to water quality in the Common-
wealth, 402 KAR 1:025, "Access Road" (regulations) is particularly appli-
cable to this project. This regulation concerns the construction and
maintenance requirements of haulageways and bedding-down procedures
after abandonment.
Copies of the above referenced standards and regulations are contained
in Appendix D to this report.
SITE ACQUISITION
The sites chosen for the demonstration project are located within the
Commonwealth of Kentucky. The authority to acquire, restore, and
reclaim land, as required for the project, is vested in the Common-
wealth of Kentucky in accordance with KRS 350.152, 350,154, and 350.156,
relating to surface mining and reclamation.
The Island Creek Coal Company has agreed to make a site for the project
available. The project will be conducted under the rights they have
to the land and their right to build a haul road to the mining site.
In the normal progress of the demonstration project presented, it is not
anticipated that transfer of the property will be required, especially
since a formal working agreement for conducting the project has been
made among the parties concerned. Acquisition of the property by
purchase or under the power of eminent domain would become necessary
only if severe health or safety hazards were encountered under the
present ownership arrangements or if the operators defaulted on their
responsibility to restore all strip-mined land.
WATER AND MINERAL RIGHTS
Property ownership and the associated holding of water and/or mineral
rights for areas designated as sites for the demonstration project
presented herein are not of major concern. A working agreement, by
mutual affirmation, is in effect between the Commonwealth of Kentucky
(grantee) and the operators of the active surface mines selected as
a site for the demonstration.
No transfer of property and/or rights is anticipated with the perfor-
mance of the demonstration project. The working agreement entered
into with the coal operator provides that the grantee will conduct
the project so as not to interfere with the mining operation, and
likewise the operator will not interfere with the performance of the
project. All streams running through the properties are considered
public waters of the Commonwealth and are subject to all applicable
Federal and Kentucky water quality standards. The operators of the
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mines are subject to all existing standards concerning water quality and
regulations for reclamation which apply to the workings and adjacent
property covered by the boundaries stipulated in the property title,
lease, permit, etc.
No water rights are required for performance of the project, since the
water courses would be maintained during the project. This is in
keeping with Commonwealth of Kentucky water rights laws, since surface
water flowing in a stream of definite channel is not subject to
ownership, in accordance with 1954 legislation (KRS 262.670 and
262.690), which states in part (KRS 262.690-2):
The owner of land contiguous to public water shall have the
right to such reasonable use of this water for other than
domestic purposes as will not deny the use of such water
to other owners for domestic purposes, or impair existing
uses of other owners heretofore established, or unreasonably
interfere with a beneficial use by other owners."
PREVENTION OF FUTURE POLLUTION
The Department for Natural Resources and Environmental Protection,
Division of Reclamation, has the authority to regulate and control the
quality of drainage water emanating from strip mining operations in
the Commonwealth.
The existing standards and regulations which have been established to
protect the people and resources of the Commonwealth from the injurious
effects of untreated and uncontrolled strip mine operations are vested
in this agency under KRS 350.
In addition to this regulation, the Department for Natural Resources
and Environmental Protection, Division of Water Quality, is charged
with safeguarding the uncontaminated waters of the Commonwealth,
preventing the creation of new pollution in the waters of the Common-
wealth, and abating existing pollution.
The laws and regulations of the Commonwealth, in conjunction with the
authority to assure compliance of these laws and regulations, as
described above, assure the Federal government that the area will not
be affected adversely by the influx of acid or other mine water pollu-
tion from nearby sources.
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SECTION V
INVENTORY AND CHARACTERIZATION
PHYSICAL CONDITIONS
Climate
The humid continental warm summer climate of eastern Kentucky is
characterized by abundant precipitation, moderately high summer
temperatures, and moderately cold winter temperatures. The average
annual precipitation is 114 cm (45 inches) (average since 1965). There
is no definite dry season. The summer months of June, July, and August
have the highest amount of precipitation generally in the form of
intense rainfalls of relatively short duration.
The rainfall intensities for 5-, 10-, and 25-year frequencies are
6.96 cm (2.74 inches), 8.10 cm (3.19 inches), and 9.53 cm (3.75 inches),
respectively, for a storm of 6-hour duration.
The average summer temperatures for eastern Kentucky are 70°P to 76°F,
with the winter temperatures averaging from 33°F to 35°F. These temp-
eratures allow for a frost-free period or growing season of 150 to
180 days.
Geology
Most of eastern Kentucky is underlain by the Breathitt formation of the
Pennsylvanian period. This formation consists of medium- to fine-
grained sandstones, siItstones, clay shales, and beds of coal. The
sandstones are massive and cliff forming and will generally be found
as the ridge formers in the area. The highest hills in the region
show the Breathitt formation to have a thickness of at least 167 m
(550 feet).
Natural Resources
Natural resources being extracted in eastern Kentucky are coal, oil
natural gas, clay, and, to a lesser extent, sand, gravel, shale
sandstone, and limestone.
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In eastern Kentucky, coal is the most valuable natural resource.
The exploitation of the resource is the greatest factor in the
economic development of the area.
The eastern Kentucky coal field is part of the Appalachian coal field
and encompasses all or parts of 37 counties, totaling about 10,400
square miles. Within the six reserve districts, as defined by the U.S.
Geological Survey, there is an average of 19 coal beds each for which
reserves have been calculated. The major seams are the Lower Elkhorn,
Upper Elkhorn 1-2-3, Fire Clay, Hazard 5a(6)-7, Hignite, Hindman,
Lily, Princess 5-7, and Sterns 2. The coals have been ranked as
high volatile B to high volatile A bituminous. These are high in
volatile matter, low in sulphur (less than 3 percent) and ash (less
than 10 percent), and relatively high in heating volume. These coals
are excellent industrial coals, but their ranking also classes them
for the manufacture of metallurgical coke. [11]
The major industry of eastern Kentucky is the coal mining industry,
which employs over 22,000 men. There are four types of coal mines
active in the area. These are underground mines, strip mines, auger
mines, and auger-strip mines. The last three are considered surface
mines. Of the 1,371 active mines in 1970, 68 percent were underground
mines, 7 percent were strip mines, 3 percent were auger mines, and 21
percent were a combination of strip and auger mines. Over 72 million
tons of coal were extracted from eastern Kentucky in 1970, of which
60 percent was from underground mines and the remainder extracted
by the surface mines. [11]
In 1970, 243 oil and natural gas drilling permits were issued for
areas within eastern Kentucky. [11] This is 24 percent of the total
for the state. Oil production amounted to 3,250,000 barrels, or 28
percent of the total production for Kentucky. Much of this oil came
from Lee County.
Clay mining is found primarily on the western boundary of the eastern
coal fields. The 28 active mines in 1970 produced 45 percent of the
Kentucky total, or 256,000 tons. [11]
Topography And Drainage
The eastern Kentucky region is maturely dissected; thus a minimum of
flat upland and bottom land is present. Hilltop elevations over the
proposed project site range from 1,000 feet to 3,800 feet. Local
relief varies from about 500 feet to over 2,000 feet.
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The region is drained by the Big Sandy, Licking, Kentucky, and Cumber-
land Rivers. The Big Sandy River in its lower part is the only
navigable river within the area. The stream valleys themselves are
of major importance, since they supply access for railroads into the
coal fields.
Soils
Soils on the uplands are predominantly steep, sandy, and stony. Soils
on higher elevations in the valleys usually have better drainage and
are more suitable for development. Soils in the valleys consist of
alluvium developed from the sandstones, siltstones, and shales as
well as colluvium and landslide debris along sides of stream valleys.
Low areas in bottoms or low terraces have severe flood hazards. The
lower areas on stream terraces often have wetness hazards from seasonal
high water tables or slow internal drainage. All of the soils are
naturally acid. Particle size ranges from sand to clay, with a
considerable amount of coarse fragments in the alluvial deposits.
This difference in particle size distribution accounts largely for the
difference in physical properties and has a direct bearing on
engineering uses.
Soils that have developed from sandstones are sandy and often have
stones or boulders on the surface. Sandy soils have a low shrink-
swell potential and high bearing values and are more stable in
embankments. Shale-originated soils sometimes have a high clay content,
are plastic and sticky when wet, and have a moderate to high shrink-
swell potential.
The soils that have developed from sandstone and siltstone are loams
and silt loams and have a low to moderate shrink-swell potential.
Silty soils have fair to poor stability and low bearing values. The
alluvium-derived soils are variable, consisting of sandy, silty,
and clayey contents, and have a low to moderate shrink-swell potential.
Vegetation
In 1963, 80 percent of the total area of eastern Kentucky was in
forest land. The climax (original) vegetation of this region is
mixed deciduous forests. The major types of trees are mixed oak
(chestnut, red, black, scarred), mixed hickory, and yellow and tulip
poplar. These trees are generally tolerant but do grow better in
moist, well drained soils.
Of the total forested area, one-half consists of stands of saw timber,
while the remaining one-half is equally divided into stands of
pole timber and stands consisting predominantly of saplings and
seedlings. [6]
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WATER RESOURCES
The three main drainage basins in eastern Kentucky are the Big Sandy
River Basin, the Climber land River Basin, and the Kentucky River Basin.
Within the Big Sandy River Basin, approximately 800 km (500 miles) of
streams are polluted by coal mine drainage and activities related to
coal mining. There are more than 2,800 active mines within the basin.
Levisa Fork is mainly affected in its headwater area, with inter-
mittent mine drainage pollution in the Beaver, Middle, Toms, and
Greasy tributaries to Levisa Fork. The streams in the Big Sandy
River Basin that are polluted by mine drainage have high mineral
contents but low acid concentrations.
At least 510 miles of streams within the Cumberland River Basin are
polluted by mine drainage. The basin has approximately 29,000 acres
of unreclaimed surface-mined land. These streams are acidic, with a
minimum of 18,000 kg (200 tons) per day of sulfate originating in mine
drainage being carried by the Cumberland River. Three tributaries of
the Cumberland which are severely polluted are Cranks Creek, Left Fork
Straight Creek, and Raccoon Creek in Harlan, Bell, and Laurel Counties,
respectively.
Four portions of the Kentucky River Basin have mine drainage pollu-
tion which coincides with the mining activity in the areas. These
four areas are the headwaters of the North Fork of the Kentucky River
in Letcher County, the Carrs Fork-Lotts Creek and Troublesome Creek
areas in Leslie County, and the South Fork Kentucky River area in
Clay County. In many areas, refuse piles are located on the stream
banks which allow drainage and silt to enter directly into the streams.
The most severe pollution in the basin occurs during periods of high
runoff, when large slugs of pollution enter into the streams. The
severity of the mine drainage pollution in the Kentucky River Basin
lessens rapidly with the entrance into the main stream of slightly
polluted or unpolluted tributaries further downstream.
SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC ENVIRONMENT
The demonstration is located in Martin County in the easternmost
portion of Kentucky. Martin County adjoins Pike, Floyd, Johnson,
and Lawrence Counties, Kentucky, and Wayne and Mingo Counties, West
Virginia. These counties are located in the central Appalachian
region.
Countless books, magazine articles, newspaper articles, and government
reports have documented the social and economic conditions existing
in this region. Only a few relevant statistics need to be listed here:
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Martin County (19) Kentucky (19)
(1) Population
1970
1960
Percentage change
(2) 1968 birth rate per 1,000
(3) Net migration, 1960-1970
(4) 1970 estimated rate
of unemployment
(5) 1970 per capita income
(6) 1970, families below
poverty level
(7) 1970 adult population
with less than
12 years of school
(8) 1970, median years
of school completed
by adult population
9,377
10,201
-8.1%
17.7
-2,327
10%
$1,128
53.4%
86.2%
7.9
3,219,000
3,038,000
+6.0%
17.7
4.6%
$2,425
19.3%
61.4%
9.9
As can be seen from the data above, Martin County has experienced a
relatively high rate of unemployment and low per capita income,
accompanied by steady declining population due to net migration.
Education levels in Martin County does not indicate the presence of a
skilled work force necessary for the attraction of new industry.
In 1970, mining accounted 17.7 percent of employment in Martin County.
During the period from 1970 to 1973, it is estimated that the popula-
tion of Martin County grew 11.2 percent. It has been suggested that
this turnaround in the general population trend for this county was
caused by the "coal boom" which started at the close of 1969 and
is continuing. These two statistics are indicative of the impact
of the coal industry on this county.
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SECTION VI
PRELIMINARY ENGINEERING
ABATEMENT METHOD DESCRIPTION
Erosion Origin
Erosion can be defined as the process by which the land surface is
worn away. An understanding of the processes of erosion is necessary
in order to develop mechanical and vegetative measures of control. The
agents of erosion are water, wind, ice, and gravity. Sediment is the
by-product of erosion and is usually referred to as the eroded material
which is transported and deposited by one of the abovementioned erosive
agents. Natural erosion and sediment deposition have been occurring
through geologic time and account partly for the topographic features
of the land.
Water erosion occurs in two general forms: sheet erosion and channel
erosion. In either case, the amount of sediment that water can carry
is a function of its velocity. Water with a high velocity is capable
of detaching and tranporting more material, hence has a higher
erodibility factor than water moving at a slower velocity. Most of
the theory of sediment movement control is directly related to methods
of reducing the velocity of water, be it in small riverlets or major
channels. Sheet erosion is the result of detachment of soil particles,
by raindrop impact, and the subsequent removal by runoff. Channel
erosion is the removal and transport of material by the concentrated
flow in stream channels.
Since this project is located in southern Appalachia, wind and ice
erosion are insignificant.
Gravity erosion occurs when the weight of the material exceeds the
internal resistive forces of friction and the shearing strength of
the material. The presence of water sometimes reduces the shearing
strength of soil and is the primary contributing factor to certain
forms of gravity erosion, such as landslides and mudslides. These
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natural resources are necessary for environmental balance, but this
balance is upset when the natural features of the land are altered
and the normal rate of erosion is accelerated.
From the standpoint of stream pollution, water is the most severe
agent of erosion.
The types of accelerated erosion which are encountered in this project
are stream channel and sheet or overland erosion. Stream channel
erosion is not considered in the normal context in that the channel is
a constructed roadside ditch rather than an altered natural channel;
nevertheless, the effect and control measures are the same.
Accelerated sheet or overland erosion is the result of denuding the
land surface, removing the natural protection from raindrop impact,
allowing the soil particles to break down more readily, making them
more susceptible to movement by the ensuing runoff. Also, the
retardance to sheet flow is reduced, thereby allowing the flowing
water's erosive energy to increase.
Factors which influence the severity of overland erosion are rainfall
intensity, the inherent erodibility of the soil, slope length and
steepness, and ground cover. Although soil type is a. major factor
of erosion, vegetative cover (or lack of it) and slope are the factors
which will need to be dealt with in this project. The coal haul
roads are usually built along the contour of forested mountainsides.
Erosion is rarely a problem in undisturbed forest lands. The
forest provides a canopy, and the forest litter provides a shield
against impact. Forest soil is usually permeable, allowing water to
percolate rapidly. When a road is constructed along the mountainside,
a large area is made vulnerable to the erosive force of rainfall
and runoff. Continued use of the road maintains the disturbance of
the all-important forest litter. It is toward the control of erosion
on coal haul roads that the effort of this project will be directed.
Erosion Control
Methods of erosion control have been known and used successfully for
many years. During the preliminary phase of this project, an exhaustive
literature search was conducted relative to the state-of-the-art of
erosion and sedimentation control. Individuals and organizations known
to possess expertise, experience, and concern in the field of erosion
control on secondary and mountain roads were consulted. Among the
primary contacts was the U.S. Forest Service at Winchester, Kentucky,
which provided information from their field design manual relative
to forest roads, and the U.S. Forest Service Experiment Station in
Berea, Kentucky, which provided the information in their files relative
to forest and haul road design.
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A tremendous amount of research has been accomplished relative to the
prevention of pollution during all types of construction activities
through erosion and sediment control techniques. Stream pollution
from the specific.activities of mining and mine drainage has also
been studied extensively; however, the environmental affect of the
coal haulageways has not been the focus of much concern. Past studies
of erosion and sedimentation control have been directed primarily
toward large long-term construction projects, such as transportation
systems, urban housing, land development, etc. These types of projects
are usually in and around built-up areas.
The U.S. Forest Service has been building forest roads for many years
and in 1970 published a research paper entitled "Erosion Control on
Logging Roads in the Appalachians" [12], which was prepared for the
purpose of compiling the present state of knowledge on preventing and
controlling erosion on logging roads in the Appalachians. In 1965, a
booklet entitled "Designing Coal Haul Roads for Good Drainage" [17] was
published by the U.S. Forest Service which presents drainage control
techniques which are certainly not new but are seldom practiced by
the average coal mine operator. In many cases, design factors appli-
cable to forest roads and haul roads are the same. In other cases,
they are different, due primarily to the fact that the traffic volume
and weight of vehicles using coal haul roads is vastly greater than
those using forest service roads.
While economics is certainly a consideration, sophisticated techniques
of erosion control are usually within the economic framework of the
overall project benefits. In fact, some drainage control techniques
can provide esthetic benefits which can be integrated into the final
landscaping. Information relative to the current state-of-the-art
of erosion control techniques and products has been compiled in several
publications [5, 13, 14]. Most of the physical means of erosion control
are simply methods of controlling water depth and velocities which have
been used for years. New products are continually being developed
which can be used to implement specific methods. This is especially
true in the case of controlling sheet erosion on denuded slopes. There
are many varieties of nettings, blankets, and soil stabilizers avail-
able, some of which have been proven, while some still require
additional field demonstration to prove their effectiveness over a
range of conditions.
Limitations
Sedimentation can be defined as the deposition of the sediment produced
by erosion. Sediment pollution is the result of eroded material trans-
ported in suspension and bedload in the stream network. A sedimenta-
tion abatement plan consists of two parts: erosion control and
sediment control.
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Regardless of the extent of the erosion control techniques used, the
total prevention of erosion is not usually possible. Sediment control,
then, is the control of unpreventable erosion. Relating to steep,
unpaved mountain roads, the use of many erosion control methods is
precluded by the steepness of slopes and road gradients. To maximize
the sedimentation abatement plan, methods of sediment control must be
used integrally with the erosion control plan; therefore, the initial
control of erosion at its point sources is a primary factor in an
effective sedimentation abatement plan. Much of the sediment which
now moves from coal mine haul roads to nearby waterways can be
prevented through the implementation of proper erosion control tech-
niques. Recognizing that a certain amount of erosion can be expected
with the best plan and that there are methods to retard sediment from
reaching the stream, namely, filter berms, filter strips, filter
inlets, sedimentation basins, etc., however, the primary purpose of
this demonstration is to determine the most practical methods of
minimizing the erosion, hence material movement from coal mine haul
roads and to measure the effectiveness of the control techniques.
Erosion Control Concepts
There are four distinct areas on the haul roads from which the movement
of material can occur. These are the roadway surface, the cut slope,
the roadway ditch, and the fill slope. Erosion from the cut and fill
slope surfaces results from water reaching those surfaces either
through direct rainfall and runoff from above the surfaces or both. Water
upon reaching the slope surfaces, attains a high velocity, quickly
resulting in high erosive characteristics. All other things being
constant, erosion potential can be expected to be directly proportional
to the degree of slope.
Water that falls on the roadway surface flows laterally or obliquely
from it under the influence of cross slope and road gradient. Erosion
of an unpaved roadway occurs when the water reaches erosive depths and
velocities. Many times ruts are formed, which concentrates the flow,
increasing the velocity and hence the erosive energy.
The roadside ditch is used to collect runoff from the road and channel
it into a natural drainageway. Like the roadway surface, erosion or
scour in the ditch occurs when velocities exceed the erosion resistance
of the soil.
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There are guaranteed methods by which all sediment movement could be
stopped from each of these points of origin. For example, if the
surface of the roadway or the ditches were paved, then no sediment
would originate from those points. Furthermore, if the cut slope or
the fill slope had a heavy stand of grass cover, most or all of the
erosion from them would be eliminated. These methods of erosion con-
trol are well known, and demonstration of them is not necessary. In
addition, elaborate measures such as paving are very costly, and
economic justification depends on such factors as length of time the
road will be used and the amount of coal to be hauled over it; it
is highly unlikely that such measures would be accepted as common
practice by the average coal operator.
The primary function of this project is to demonstrate haul road
construction techniques that are practical for the coal industry,
can be built by the coal operator, and have a definite advantage over
methods currently used in the coal industry with regard to erosion
control.
The erosion control techniques proposed herein are, for the most part,
straightforward and in keeping with general methods of road design
practice. It is important to show, by on-line monitoring techniques,
exactly what the effect of each technique is in order that its net
value can be determined in relation to its cost. A haul road design
manual can then be based on measured observations. Most present-
day haul roads are seldom "designed." For the most part, they are
hastily constructed dirt roads (muddy ruts during rainy periods) up the
side of a mountain, with little or no consideration for the effects on
the surrounding environment. If these roads were built in accordance
with existing standards, the sediment movement from them would be
much less than it is now. Erosion control is simply the result of
effective water velocity control. Present regulations do not, however,
cover all elements that are to be demonstrated herein.
The four sources of roadway erosion will now be examined and methods
for the control of erosion evaluated.
PRELIMINARY DESIGN
The Roadway Surface
Control of erosion on the roadway surface is extremely difficult
because of the punishment that must be sustained from the heavy
vehicles. Any erosion control techniques must, therefore, take this
factor into account.
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Paving -
The only total prevention of runoff from the road surfacing is pavement.
It is apparent, from observation of the damage to local roads in
eastern Kentucky by coal trucks, that an ordinary pavement will not
suffice. The costs of a pavement which will support loaded coal trucks
over a reasonable period of time will be extremely high. The considera-
tion of anything less would be a waste of time and money.
Gradient -
One of the primary and obvious factors affecting erosion control is
road gradient. Present regulations in Kentucky allow sustained haul
road grades of 10 percent and short intervals of higher grades. A
minimum grade of about 3 percent is desirable to provide adequate
drainage; however, it is difficult to adequately and economically
control water velocities on roads with a sustained grade of 10 percent.
According to U.S. Forest Service engineers, a sustained grade of 8
percent should be maximum. Grade reduction not only facilitates the
control of water velocities; it provides economic benefits to the
operation in that more haul trips per day can be made over gentler
grades, with less wear on the vehicles.
Gravel Surface Of Road -
Dumped crushed rock or gravel is one of the most widely used techniques
for maintaining the surface of nonpaved roads. A gravel road properly
constructed and maintained would minimize erosion from the surface.
The gravel must be adequate to withstand the loads of the trucks with-
out being reduced to a fine powder. Such gravel is not always avail-
able near the mining site.
Inslope Of The Road Surface -
One of the best methods of draining the roadway surface is to crown
the surface or slope it both ways from the center line. Due to the
Federal mining safety law requiring a safety berm on the fill side
of the road, crowning the road is not advisable, as a small channel
develops at the junction of the road surface and the berm, which
causes erosion in both places. These berms are generally loose soil
and small rocks, about two feet high. Observation of these berms
indicates that, for safety purposes, they are of limited value, as
generally constructed, and that they contribute considerably to the
sediment movement during heavy rains. Also, if the road is sloped
toward the berm, a channel forms along the toe of the berm, concentra-
ting the flow of water, which ultimately forms a rut. It is important,
therefore, to keep water as far as possible from these berms and also
to keep water from reaching the loose material on the fill side of
the road. This can best be done by constructing the road with a
constant slope to the ditch on the cut side (inslope), where the
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water can be controlled. A slope toward the ditch of at least 0.06 m/m
(3/4 inch per foot) of surface width along the length of the entire
road should be maintained. This slope is sufficient to direct water to
the ditch, but not generate damaging velocities. This does create/ in
some curves, a reverse superelevation, but at the speeds normally
attained on coal mine haul roads, this is not considered a detrimental
safety factor.
Open-top Culverts -
These culverts are constructed across the road surface at specific
intervals in relation to the road gradient. The culverts intercept
the water flowing over the road surface before erosive velocities are
attained and channel it to a stabilized area.
The Roadside Ditch
A general "rule of thumb" is that erosion will occur in ditches where
slope exceeds 4 percent. On steeper slopes, the water velocities must
be physically controlled or some type of vegetative lining applied
where possible. When vegetation cannot be sustained or slopes are
10 percent or greater, some type of paving or lining is necessary.
Ditch Relief Culverts -
The state regulations require ditch relief culverts at specified
intervals, which are intended to divert the water from under the road
before the flow can gain sufficient volume, velocity, or depth to
erode the ditch. In many cases, these ditch relief culverts, when
installed, spill onto the road fill rather than carrying the flow to a
stabilized area. The regulations for Kentucky are as follows:
(402 KAR 1:025)
Road Grade In Percent
2-5
6-10
11-15
16-20
Ditch Paving Or Lining
Spacing Of Culverts In Meters
90-150
60-90
30-60
30
(300-500 feet)
(200-300 feet)
(100-200 feet)
( 100 feet)
Erosion of ditches is essentially eliminated when they are paved or
lined. The lining can be of a large number of materials, but cost
eliminates many of them. The best material is bituminized fiber
tubing. This tubing is cheap, lightweight, can be cut with normal
hand tools, easy to install and will decay in a few years. The decay
factor is particularly advantageous as it will permit vegetation to
take over in time and create a permanent lining to the channel which
will slow the velocity of moving water.
29
-------
Ul
o
NOTE: Culv«rtM constructed
with 4" timbers.
-------
Check Dams -
When channel scour is indicated, means for reducing water velocities
to a safe level are necessary. It is possible to reduce the hydraulic
gradient in the ditch, hence the velocity in the ditch, by introducing
baffles, checks, or drops in the channel. Since velocity varies as
one-half the power of the slope in Manning's channel flow equation, a
large slope change is required before the velocity is changed apprecia-
bly. Check dams in the ditch function in two ways:
(1) They create small retention ponds where water velocities are
reduced, hence a fallout of sediment;
(2) When the ponds created by the check dams are full of sediment,
which may take only a few rainfall events, they form a series of steps,
which has the effect of reducing the grade in the ditch, hence the
water velocities and the erosive energy of the water.
31
-------
NOTE: CULVERT OUTFLOW CONDUIT TO
TOE OF SLOPE NOT SHOWN
Typical ditch relief
culvert installation
Figure 2
32
-------
6 POSTS OR LOGS
i j
ROCK RIPRAP
NOTE: SIDES AND BOTTOM OF DAM EXTEND SIX
INCHES INTO DITCH LINE
Typical check dam
installation
Figure 3
33
-------
Grade Reduction -
Since the roadside ditch is usually on the same grade as the roadway,
a significant reduction in road gradient would facilitate drainage
control in the ditch.
The Fill Slope
The method of construction presently practiced, for obvious reasons, is
to spill material, cut from the hillside, down the slope, building up
part of the roadway in fill and dumping the excess material over the
side. This material is easily eroded and washed away during heavy
rainfall. One of the most effective ways to control erosion is to
disturb the natural surroundings as little as possible. If the entire
road was cut from the hillside and the material hauled to some other
location, i.e., in an area being reclaimed, the downslope side of the
road would remain in its natural condition.
The removal of the fill material would, without a doubt, reduce the
amount of sediment which ultimately reaches the waterways. There are
drawbacks to this technique, however: the exposed face of the cut
slope would be greater, as a wider cut into the mountainside must be
made to maintain the same road width if fill material is not used as
part of the road. In addition, the cost of hauling the material away
would be very high, and a suitable place must be found to dispose of it.
It is important that fill material be kept as far as possible from
natural drainage channels. Any material that is pushed into a natural
drainage channel will surely end up in a stream at the first heavy
rain if the drainage is not properly controlled.
Transport Culvert Outflow To Toe Of Slope -
The use of section and flexible slope drains can be utilized to channel
culvert outflows to stabilized areas at the toe of the fill slope;
however, freezing weather presents some maintenance problems for
flexible downdrains. Culvert pipe buried in the fill slope would
probably require the least maintenance.
The Cut Slope
According to KRS 350.090-10, the maximum allowable cut slope in
Kentucky is 1:1 in all soils. Vegetation supportability is greatly
dependent on steepness of slope. A general rule for the maximum slope
capable of supporting vegetation is 2:1. However, decreasing the cut
slope substantially increases the slope length, which, all other factors
being equal, will collect more runoff. Also, the longer slope will
expose considerably more erodible surface.
34
-------
Typical section slope
drain installation
Figure 4
35
-------
Typical flexible slope
drain installation
Figure 5
-------
SAFETY BERM
CORRUGATED METAL PIPE
//
A-BITUMINIZED FIBER PIPE
VSPLASH APRON
Typical installation of pipe
buried in fill slope
Figure 6
37
-------
The type of soil observed in most haul road cuts is a composition of
weathered shale and sandstone. Shale can weather to extremely small
particles as well as larger ones, and particles are continually breaking
loose and falling into the roadside ditch. These particles readily find
their way into the natural waterways during periods of intense rainfall.
Water which reaches the side hill cut and fill face, either from the
hill above or from water falling directly on it, attains a high velocity
very quickly. This velocity, hence its erosion characteristics, can be
reduced by reducing this slope. The slope of the cut face is generally
limited by the slope of the mountain. The use of a slope of 2:1 or
flatter will not be possible, because most of the hillside slopes in
the Appalachian area are already steeper than 2:1.
Diversion Ditch Above Cut -
Field observation has shown that water flowing from a mountainside to
the face of the road cut will, to some extent, cause erosion on the cut
face. This could be largely prevented by the construction of a
diversion ditch above the cut to divert this water to controlled
channels before it reaches the exposed face of the cut.
The primary retardants of surface runoff in forest areas are the
presence of trees and litter on the forest floor. The disturbance of
these factors, especially the forest litter, by equipment necessary to
construct the ditch would cause damage which would more than offset the
benefits of the small amount of flow intercepted and diverted from the
cut slope.
Treatment of Exposed Surfaces (Other Than Roadway Surfaces) -
The subsequent discussion applies to cut and fill slope alike. Most
of the exposed surfaces of a haul road are either the cut face or the
fill slope. The only long-term control of erosion of these surfaces
is revegetation. A great deal of research has been done to find
suitable methods of rapid revegetation of the soil that is exposed in
the coal mining operations of the Appalachian area. It is not
necessary to duplicate that research in this project. It is desirable,
however, to find methods of controlling erosion of these surfaces while
vegetation is being established.
Most of these fill slope surfaces contain a large portion of rocks and
small stones; however, good vegetative growth has been observed on
some fill slopes. Some of the methods available for controlling erosion
while vegetation is being established are mulching, mulch blankets,
jute nettings, plastic nettings, and chemical soil binders. The
nettings and blankets are excessively expensive, and observation has
shown that on steep slopes they do not readily remain in place. Most of
these methods are used on wide-grassed drainageways and swales with
gentle slopes. One of the most economical methods is the use of
36
-------
chemical soil stabilizers. This material can be sprayed on the cut and
fill slopes together with a seed material and nutrient. The stabilizer
will form a protective layer over the soil which should hold the soil
until the vegetation can become established.
DEMONSTRATION PROPOSAL
General
From the sediment control concepts listed above, certain ones have been
selected that are judged to have particular application to the coal
mine haul roads of eastern Kentucky. Some of the ones so selected are
part of the prevailing regulations of haul road construction in
Kentucky and/or other states, but their value has never been specif-
ically demonstrated by actual field measurements, as proposed in this
project. Other concepts which are proposed herein are not part of
any current regulations but are judged to be of sufficient validity
for demonstration purposes. In setting up the demonstration techniques
in the field, it is important to know what is being measured and how
each erosion control method compares in effectiveness with other
methods and with the practices currently employed by the coal operators.
New Haul Road Site
The new road will be designed according to good engineering practices,
keeping in mind one of the principal factors of erosion control,
.namely, minimizing the area disturbed. The roadway surface on all
sections will be insloped at the rate of 0.06 m/m (3/4 inch per foot).
The demonstration parameters will be incorporated into the construction
as follows:
(1) Section 1: "control section" built according to present regula-
tions and practices; sustained road gradient of 8-10 percent.
(2) Section 2: sustained grade of 6 percent; check dams one foot
high, spaced at 15.24 m (50 feet), to reduce the hydraulic gradient in
the roadside ditch to 4 percent; ditch relief culverts, spaced at 6. m
(200 feet); surface to be the same as Section 1; culvert outfall con-
veyed to toe or fill slope by bitumized fiber sectional downdrains,
pipe buried in the fill, and flexible downdrains; inslope roadway sur-
face 0.0. m/m (3/4 inch per foot).
(3) Section 3: sustained grade of 8-10 percent; roadside ditch lined
with bituminized fiber sectional downdrains; inslope roadway surface
0.06 m/m (3/4 inch per foot); ditches designed to carry entire flow to
natural drainageway.
(4) Section 4: sustained grade of 8-10 percent; inslope roadway
surface 0.06 m/m (3/4 inch per foot); gravel surfacing 38 cm (15 .
inches) compacted depth.
39
-------
(5) Section 5: second control section to measure material moved
from an untreated fill.
(6) Section 6: fill slope treated with a chemical stabilizer
and the results monitored.
According to the description of the various demonstration sections, it
is obvious that in some cases the entire road drainage is taken to a
natural drainageway. This is being demonstrated as an alternative to
spilling culverts on the fill slope. The ditches in this case will
have to be adequately sized to carry the increased flow. The drainage
at the toe of the fill slopes will be intercepted and channeled to
the monitoring station, which is only a means of assuring the measure-
ment of all of the flow and is not intended to be a demonstration
parameter. Actually, the drainage from the fill slope would be
prevented from reaching the stream by a filter strip.
One problem that may be encountered concerning the site for the new
haul road is that there will be mining activities above the haul road.
It will be necessary to contain the drainage from the mining activities
as it is passed through this demonstration project in order to monitor
only the material movement relating to the haul road. This will be
accomplished by intercepting the drainage and piping it past the
monitoring station into the main drainageway.
Surveillance Facilities
The haul road under investigation will be divided into test sections
of various length divided by drainage channels. The parameters to be
recorded on-line will be monitored by two primary stations and four
secondary stations. The primary and secondary stations are similar
except that each primary station will activate two secondary stations
and will contain a rainfall gauge, a temperature recorder, a pH analyzer
and a conductivity analyzer.
The primary stations will contain the following operating instruments:
Automatic Sampler
Rain Gauge
Real Time Clock
Water Level Gauge
Strip Chart Recorder
Digital Magnetic Tape Recorder
Conductivity Analyzer
pH Analyzer
Turbidity Analyzer
Failsafe Power Supply
40
-------
START
O O
3
MB<
O
If
<-v O
-l.'Q -f>
«o 5 o
C Q. ^
3 Q.3
as
CLOCK
SUFFICIENT
RAINFALL
INTENSITY?
TAKE
AUTOMATIC
SAMPLES
RECORD CLOCK
TIME
DATE
SET SYSTEM
SENSORS
ON STAND-BY
MEASURABLE
FLOW?
WAIT FOR
MEASURABLE
FLOW
STOP
RECORDING
SECURE
SYSTEM
(
SECURE
SENSORS
HAS
RAINFALL
CEASED?
-------
RAIN
GAUGE
K)
WATER
LEVEL
LOGIC
SENSOR
ASSEMBLY
o
-------
The secondary stations will contain the following instruments:
Automatic Sampler
Real Time Clock
Water Level Gauge
Strip Chart Recorder
Digital Magnetic Tape Recorder
Turbidity Analyzer
Failsafe Power Supply
When a rainfall of a predetermined intensity occurs, the rainfall gauge
at each primary station will activate its instruments and those of the
secondary stations it controls. Data recording will be initiated at
the individual stations by the presence of runoff of a preset level
and will continue until runoff drops below that level. Simultaneous
time signals will be recorded at all stations until all stations are
without significant runoff and rainfall has ceased for a significant
period. The system will then be secured. A flow chart depicting the
logic of the monitoring station is shown in Figure 7 . A system
wiring diagram for the monitoring stations is shown in Figure 8
The subsystems are briefly described below. All brand names are for
general functional reference and do not imply endorsement by any
agency of the Federal government or this Consultant.
(1) Water sensor contact system: provision must be made to bring the
sensors into contact with the runoff water in a manner that will ensure
representative and accurate data, protect the sensors during measurement,
and secure the sensors in a favorable environment between runoff
events. A sensor mounting assembly will be constructed which will open
to a portion of the flow through the flume, exposing them to the
moving water. On cessation of runoff, the sensors will be sealed,
immersed in water from the runoff event. Conductivity and pH electrodes
are best stored wet. Turbidity and temperature sensors are more indiff-
erent to the storage mode, but will probably also be secured wet. The
water level sensor, a float-type instrument, will not be located with
the above four and will probably be secured dry.
(2) Sensor signal conditioner system: the most suitable commercial
equipment for measuring the significant parameters will be purchased.
Several manufacturers produce highly reliable equipment for the para-
meters to be measured, but a number of constraints narrow the list of
applicable types. Primary among these constraints is the selection of
12 volts DC as the operating voltage of as many of the parametric
analyzers as possible. This voltage was selected as the optimum,
considering the availability of equipment, the economics of uninter-
ruptible power supply, and availability of high-current power for
nechanical systems. Where 12-volt systems are not available, it may
be desirable to choose standard 110-volt AC-powered equipment and live
with the risk of data loss for particular parameters.
43
-------
The following are tentative selections of available equipment, which
can be changed if it becomes apparent that other selections are
desirable:
(a) pH: Great Lakes Instrument, Inc., Model 70 W-l; conductivity,
Great Lakes Instrument, Inc., Model 70 W-3, temperature, Great Lakes
Instrument, Inc., Model 70 W-4. UNILOC can supply DC-powered units
for pH, conductivity, and temperature on special order.
(b) Turbidity (suspended solids): several good turbidity units are
available, but relatively few can operate on 12-volt DC. Since
turbidity is one of the most important parameters of the system, it is
important that this parameter be protected from power failure. If no
suitable 12-volt DC suspended solids monitor can be located, this
parametric analyzer may be independently powered by a 12-volt DC to 110-
volt AC inverter supplied from the uninterruptible power supply. The
unit of choice in this event is the Biospherics, Inc., Model 53.
(c) Water level: the volume of water moving through the drainage
system in question will be monitored by measuring the level of water
as it passes through a flume. This will probably be a float system
suspended from a cable and drum. The Leopold and Stevens Type F
instrument is one which should perform satisfactorily. The drum would
be connected to a potentiometer that would transmit level in terms
of voltage.
(d) Rainfall: rainfall would be monitored using a tipping bucket
rain gauge. This type of instrument has been selected because of its
characteristic of requiring no power during its continuously ready
standby condition. This gauge would activate the monitoring system
during rainfall by bringing the system to a ready conditon and polarizing
and conditioning sensors. The monitoring system would commence
recording when the level-sensing unit indicated significant flow through
the flume.
(3) Digital data-recording system: the primary data-logging system will
use digital recording on magnetic tape. Because of the large quantity
of data which will be acquired during individual runoff events and
during the period of the demonstration and because of the need for
correlation between stations and parameters, it was decided that
provisions for automatic data handling should be made. The availability
of small, reliable digital tape recording systems makes this type of
acquisition feasible and desirable. Several systems are available, the
most attractive of which is the Datel LPS-16, which is a 12-volt DC unit
employing a Norelco-type cassette and handling 16 channels of analog
information plus two channels of internal timing and identification.
44
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Datel LPS-16 recorders will be used, simultaneously recording informa-
tion from the sensors, station identification, and time and date
from a central real-time clock. Information from the cassettes will
be read on a Datel tape reader into a computer in house at Environ-
mental Systems Corporation, where it will be compiled, printed out
in engineering terms, and stored for correlation and interpretation.
(4) Strip chart recording system: digital recording will be backed
up by inexpensive multi-channel recorders or several single-channel
recorders. These recorders will provide useful records during cali-
bration and maintenance and will give system redundancy for increased
dependability. Single or multiple Rustrak recorders produced by the
Gulton Corporation or multi-channel recorders such as the Elnik or
Esterline Angus machines would be adequate for this purpose. These
manufacturers provide 12-volt DC units.
(5) Sample collection system: the most direct means of determining
the suspended solids load of runoff is to take samples at closely
spaced intervals, separate the solids from the suspension, and weigh
the dry solids. Sample collection can be effectively carried out by
some sort of automatic sampling device. Samples would be collected
and stored for later pickup and analysis. While it is expensive, it
would be worthwhile to provide each secondary station with this device.
One such sampler which is highly recommended by the Agricultural
Engineering Department of the University of Tennessee is the Model
PS-69 pumping sampler (Figure 9) built by Product Manufacturing
Company of St. Paul, Minnesota. Up to 72 pint samples can be collected
automatically at preselected intervals or on a flow-proportional
program.
(6) Timing system: timing for data collection sequence and identifica-
tion would be provided by a centrally located real-time clock. This
device would be hard-wired to the remote stations, using inexpensive
telephone cable. Synchronism of sampling would be maintained in this
way, and a code for identification of data needed during compilation
would thus be provided.
(7) Power supply: power would be applied to the monitoring stations as
110-volt AC from the utility power at the site. This power would be
converted to 12-volt DC for routine use of the stations and for charging
the standby batteries. On loss of utility power, the system would
continue on standby storage batteries until utility power was restored.
It is believed that this system provides maximum reliability while not
requiring the installation of heavy power lines. Large current drains
by mechanical equipment during start-up and securing and sampling could
be supplied by batteries.
45
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Divercer Nozzle
Intake
from
River
Sample Funnel
Time
(Back side of plate)
Sample-
Container
Drawer
PS-69 Pumping water sampler
Figure 9
46
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A list the instruments and equipment which are suggested for use in
this project.
Runoff is a hydrologic quantity necessary for this project, and the
selection of the most appropriate measuring device is important. It is
not necessary that the device have the sensitivity to measure every
flow event, but it must be capable of measuring the significant ones.
The amount and character of the sediment in the flow must be considered
in the design of a flow meter. Since high levels of sediment are
expected to pass the monitoring station, a weir was considered in-
appropriate, because sediment tends to collect behind weirs due to the
decreased velocity at the weir approach and accumulated deposits above
the weir can alter the flow measuring characteristics of the weir.
The sizes of the watersheds involved in this project are small, ranging
from 10 to 40 acres. In the past, flow measurement from sma]1 watersheds
was accomplished by using the Parshall flume; however, sediment
deposition significantly affected the accuracy. It has been replaced
by a H-flume, which is the standard measuring device developed by the
U.S. Department of Agriculture and is used extensively by the U.S.
Forest Service Experiment Station at Berea, Kentucky in their
hydrologic investigations. This flume is trapezoidal in plan with
vertical sidewalls, producing a trapezoidal opening which provides
satisfactory sensitivity over the range of flows for which it is
designed. When a sediment deposition problem is anticipated, a
sloping bottom can be added in the flume approach box, which con-
centrates the flow, thus maintaining velocities, which, to some
extent, reduces the settling of sediment and helps to alleviate the
problem. The H-type flume will be used in this project. The water
level will be measured and converted to discharge as per the stage-
discharge characteristics of the flume.
The recording apparatus will be secured in a steel enclosure.
Program Emergency Procedures
Anticipated emergency situations which could adversely affect the
project are:
(1) Power failure — in case of utility power failure, there will be
an alternate supply in the form of batteries, which has been explained
in the instrumentation section;
(2) Flume washout — it is possible that a flow could be experienced
which would exceed the capacity of the flume, in which case there
would be no dependable flow measurement; the flume will be designed
so that this probably will not happen; however, inability to measure
such a flow would not affect the overall project; an attempt will not
be made to measure every event, only the significant ones;
47
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Typical flume installation
Figure 10
48
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SUGGESTED MONITORING STATION EQUIPMENT
MODELS AND MANUFACTURERS
Automatic sampler: Product Manufacturing Company, Model PS-69
Clock: ESC design and assembly
Conductivity analyzer: Uniloc, Model 711
Digital magnetic tape recorder: Datel, Inc., Model LPS-16
Fail-safe power supply: ESC design and assembly
Logic: ESC design and assembly
Magnetic tape reader: Datel, Inc., Model LPS-16R
pH analyzer: Uniloc, Model 1002
Rain gauge: Weather Measure, Inc., Model P-1501
Sensor assembly: ESC design and assembly
Strip chart recorder: Rustrak, Model 388
Temperature indicator: Rustrak, Model 2144
Turbidity analyzer: Biospherics, Model 53
Water level gauge: Leopold and Stevens, Type F (potentiometer added
by ESC)
All equipment may be substituted on an equivalent basis for reasons of
availability or other reasons. The brand names are for equal reference
only, and do not imply endorsement by any agency of the Federal
government or this Consultant.
49
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(3) Extreme low temperature — the monitoring stations will be
secured and inoperative when some predetermined temperature below
freezing is experienced. This will not have any effect on the
project, because if the ground is frozen, there will be no erosion and
the precipitation will not be the eroding type but in the form of snow.
Grab Samples
In addition to the automatic samples taken as described herein, grab
samples will be taken throughout the life of the projects. These grab
samples will be used both to calibrate the on-line instruments, but
also to measure certain parameters not included in the automatic
system. The following is a minimum of the items for which the grab
samples will be analyzed:
1) pH 8) Magnesium
2) Conductivity 9} Manganese
3) Turbidity 10) Suspended Solids
4) Hardness 11) Settleable Solids
5) Alkalinity 12) Sulfate
6) Iron 13) Other items requested
7) Calcium by the funding agencies
50
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SECTION VII
COST ESTIMATE AND BUDGET
A cost estimate has been prepared that is adequate to carry out the
project as described herein under the general conditions set forth
below.
(1) The coal operator will construct a basic road at no cost to this
project in accordance with the existing regulations of Kentucky.
(2) The operator will be willing to install, or permit to be installed
on the road, the design parameters set forth in this report. The cost
for this work is included in this project.
(3) There is no disturbed land above the road.
(4) The road can be divided into at least six definable segments or
sections.
(5) The haul road will be used for normal coal hauling during the
period that monitoring is desired.
The cost estimates used herein were based upon an actual site in eastern
Kentucky, but the estimates can be used for any other reasonably
similar site. Because final engineering design has not been done at
this time, extreme accuracy in cost estimating is not possible. Most
figures have, therefore, been rounded to the nearest thousand dollars.
Labor costs shown herein include the overhead for labor, but do not
include profit, which is a separate line item.
An allowance was made for vandalization of instruments in the field.
The Consultant will be responsible for replacing vandalized instruments
up to the amount shown herein.
A breakdown of the estimated costs are shown in Tables 1 through 8 with
a summary of these costs preceding these Tables.
51
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SUMMARY OF COSTS
(Six Road Sections, Monitoring For Two Years)
Ul
to
Table Engineering Monitoring Report
No. Item Construction Phase Preparation Total
Year 1 Year 2
(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)
(5)
(6)
(7)
Engineering
Road, Control Structures
Instrument Design
TOTAL
Construction
Control Parameters (Materials
and Labor)
Monitoring Stations (Six)
Instruments (2 primary,
4 secondary)
Instrument Installation
Construction Inspection and
Supervision
Replace Vandalized
Instruments
TOTAL
Operation and Monitoring
Technical and Professional
Personnel
Supplies and Maintenance
Sample Analysis
TOTAL
18,000
10,000
28,000 28,000
129,000
25,000
65,000
23,000
20,000
20,000
282,000 282,00
104,000 79,000
5,000 5,000
16,000 16,000
125,000 100,000 225,00
-------
SUMMARY OF COSTS CONTINUED
en
U)
Table
No.
Item
Engineering Monitoring Report
Construction Phase Preparation
Total
Year 1 Year 2
(8)
GRAND
Report Preparation
Professional Personnel
Technical and Clerical
Personnel
Travel, Living and
Supplies
TOTAL
TOTAL
48,000
8,000
3,000
59,000
310,000 125,000 100,000 59,000
59,000
594,000
-------
TABLE 1. ENGINEERING
Roads And Control Structures
Direct Labor 14,000
Supplies and Material 500
Travel and Living 2,000
Profit 1/500
TOTAL 18,000
Instrument Design
Direct Labor 8,500
Travel and Living 70°
Profit 800
TOTAL 10,000
54
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Table 2. CONTROL PARAMETERS MATERIALS AND LABOR
Item
Section 1:
Control Section - Sustained
Grade of 10%
Section 2:
6% Grade, Check Dams,
Drainage Convergence Down
Fill slope
Section 3:
Ditch Lining
Section 4:
Surfacing
Section 5:
Control for Chemical
Soil Stabilization
(Control Section)
Section 6:
Chemical Soil Stabilization
Application on Fill Slope
Check Dams
Slope Drainage
Ditch Liner
Gravel
Bitiminized Fiber
Slope Drains
Soil Stabilizer
Bituminized Fiber
Slope Drains
MATERIALS
LABOR
PROFIT
Cost
No Cost
$ 1,300
$ 5,700
$ 4,000
$ 10,000
$ 5,000
TOTAL DEMONSTRATION PARAMETERS
MATERIALS AND INSTALLATION COST
$ 13,000
$ 5,000
$ 44,000
$ 74,000
$ 11,000
$129,000
55
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Table 3. MONITORING STATIONS (LESS INSTRUMENTS)
For Each Primary or Secondary Station
Concrete $2,000
Steel Flumes 1,000
Instrument Housing 800
Profit 367
TOTAL $4,167
Total cost for six stations
6 x $4,167 = $25,000
56
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Table 4. MONITORING STATIONS INSTRUMENT COSTS
Primary Stations:
Automatic Sampler
Conductivity Analyzer
Digital Magnetic Tape Recorder
Fail-Safe Power Supply
Sensor Assembly
Temperature Indicator
Water Level Gauge
TOTAL COST (Less Installation)
Clock
Logic
Rain Gauge
pH Analyzer
Strip Chart Recorder
Turbidity Analyzer
$11,000 each
Secondary Stations:
Automatic Sampler
Digital Magnetic Tape Recorder
Fail-Safe Power Supply
Strip Chart Recorder
Water Level Gauge
TOTAL COST (Less Installation)
Magnetic Tape Reader (one required
for project)
TOTAL COST
2 Primary Stations @ $11,000
4 Secondary Stations @ $9,000
1 Magnetic Tape Reader
Profit
TOTAL COST
Clock
Logic
Sensor Assembly
Turbidity Analyzer
$ 9,000 each
$ 2,000
$22,000
36,000
2,000
5,000
$65,000
57
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Table 5. INSTRUMENT INSTALLATION
(For 2 Primary And Four Secondary)
Direct Labor $12,000
Power Supply 7,000
Travel and Living 2,000
Profit 2,000
TOTAL $23,000
Table 6. CONSTRUCTION INSPECTION AND SUPERVISION
Direct Labor $14,000
Travel and Living 4,000
Profit 2,000
TOTAL $20,000
Replaced Vandalized Instruments: Estimate of $20,000
Table 7. OPERATION AND MONITORING
1st Year
Direct Labor $ 92,000
Travel and Living 2,000
Supplies and Maintenance 5,000
Sample Anlysis 16,000
Profit 10,000
TOTAL $125,000
2nd Year
Direct Labor $ 70,000
Travel and Living 1,000
Supplies and Maintenance 5,000
Sample Analysis 16,000
Profit 8,000
TOTAL $100,000
58
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Table 8. REPORT PREPARATION
Professional Labor $44,000
Technical and Clerical Labor 7,000
Travel, Living, and Supplies 3,000
Profit 5,000
TOTAL $59,000
59
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SECTION VIII
IMPLEMENTATION AND OPERATION PLANS AND REPORT SCHEDULE
The firm of Mayes, Sudderth, and Etheredge, Inc., will have overall
responsibility for the project. Personnel from the firm of Environ-
mental Systems Corporation (ESC) will provide assistance with regard to
instrumentation and laboratory sample analysis.
SCHEDULE OF ACCOMPLISHMENTS
(1) Engineering: during this phase, the new haul road will be
designed, including the erosion control demonstration techniques and
their incorporation into the new road. The road will be surveyed and
located in the field. Drawings will be prepared for the haul road
with details of all factors pertinent to its construction. Drawings
will also be made of the monitoring station installation, including the
flume details. These drawings will be complete and suitable for
competitive biddings for all work not to be accomplished by the con-
sultant or operator. The design of the monitoring instruments is
essentially complete. The instruments have been specified and will
not be put out for bidding unless so required by Federal procurement
regulations. This phase is estimated to require three months.
(2) Construction: a relatively small amount of construction is
anticipated in this project. The operator will construct a new haul
road in his normal course of operation, during which the erosion
control structures will be installed integrally with the road. Other
construction will consist primarily of the flume and approach box and
the housing for the instruments (which will be done by a construction
firm on the basis of competitive bid). Some of the items in the equip-
ment requirements are not commercial items and will be designed and
fabricated in the shop of ESC. These items are the logic for sequencing
the system functions, the digital clock for providing date and time
information and intervalometry, the fail-safe power supply, and the
sensor assembly, all of which must be custom-built for the project.
The personnel of ESC will install and calibrate the monitoring
60
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instruments. The consultant will supervise all construction to ensure
conformance with the plans and specifications essential to the proper
functioning of the demonstration. Photographs will be taken through-
out this period.
This phase of the project is expected to require four months:
(3) Monitoring: the monitoring program will be carried out under the
general supervision of the consultant, whose representatives will make
frequent visits to the site. A responsible local person, with a
technical background will be retained to make daily visits to the site,
take grab samples, and oversee the monitoring equipment at the site.
This person will be on the payroll of the consultant.
The instrumentation and sample analysis will be done under the super-
vision of the personnel of ESC. They will be responsible for the
instruments, operation and maintenance, and the laboratory analysis of
grab samples.
(4) Reports: the final report shall be the basic responsibility of
Mayes, Sudderth, and Etheredge, Inc., with assistance from ESC regarding
the sample analysis and compilation and interpretation of the accumulated
data. In addition to the final report, interim reports will be submitted
throughout the project monthly, quarterly, and annually by Mayes,
Sudderth, and Etheredge, Inc. This phase is expected to require 10
months.
(5) Postdemonstration: the postdemonstration period will consist
primarily of the removal of the instruments, instrument housing, and
the flume. The haul road will continue to be used, and the erosion
control facilities will remain an integral part of the road. The
removal of the monitoring devices will be the primary responsibility
of the consultant, with ESC personnel performing the removal of 'the
instruments.
Schedules of work phases and reports for two-year and one-year monitoring
are contained in Figure 11.
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Figure 17
DEMONSTRATION OF COAL MINE HAUL ROAD
SEDIMENT CONTROL TECHNIQUES
* SCHEDULE OF WORK PHASES
Engineering
Construction
Operation ft Monitoring
Final Report
Postdemonst ration
ON
Total
QUARTER
8
10
II
12
13
14
15
a.
2
en
A Engineering and Construction Report
^ First Year Annual Report
A Second Year Annual Report
A Operations Report
A Third Year Annual Report
A Final Report
© Engineering Plans and Specifications
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SECTION IX
BEDDING DOWN AND ABANDONMENT
Coal haul roads are temporary by nature, and there usually comes the
time when they are abandoned. There are existing erosion control guide-
lines for bedding down roads on forested mountainsides after their
useful life has ended. Sometimes such roads are utilized to provide
access to the forest areas; however, the type and volume of traffic are
vastly different than when heavy coal trucks made many trips per day
along the road. Erosion control techniques which could not be applied
during heavy coal hauling can be successfully applied to the seldom
traveled or completely abandoned road. It makes a difference, obviously,
whether the road is to be completely abandoned or kept open for forest
management use. The U.S. Forest Service has published some guidelines
relative to bedding down forest roads and erosion control on lightly
used roads [12, 17].
Quantitative data relative to the sediment produced by runoff from
abandoned coal haul roads is nonexistent. There exists an excellent
opportunity to obtain such data on the road considered in this demonstra-
tion project. The instruments will already be in place, and it will
be necessary only to continue the monitoring phase as deemed necessary.
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SECTION X
PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATORS
This demonstration project will be accomplished through the Office of
Planning and Research, Kentucky Department for Natural Resources and
Environmental Protection, for the Bureau of Mines, Division of
Environment, U.S. Department of the Interior.
The principal investigators will be staff personnel from the Office of
Planning and Research, Kentucky Department for Natural Resources and
Environmental Protection, with technical assistance from the consulting
engineering firm of Mayes, Sudderth, and Etheredge, Inc., Lexington,
Kentucky, and instrumentation specialization from Environmental Systems
Corporation, Knoxville, Tennessee. Listed below are those who will be
directly involved in this project.
Robert E. Nickel, Chief
Office of Planning and Research
Kentucky Department for Natural Resources
and Environmental Protection
Sixth Floor, Capital Plaza Tower
Frankfort, Kentucky 40601
Bachelor of Arts in physical geography, Eastern Kentucky University, 1969
Mr. Nickel has extensive experience in directing and coordinating plan-
ning, research and demonstration projects, and studies related to surface
mining and other areas concerning protection of the natural environment.
He also has considerable experience in water-related research and
hydrology investigation.
Mr. Nickel has personally completed research papers dealing with prob-
lems associated with the surface mining of minerals and planning,
coordination, and development for natural resource management and utili-
zation.
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William S. Kelly
Research Program Coordinator
Office of Planning and Research
Kentucky Department for Natural Resources
and Environmental Protection
Sixth Floor, Capital Plaza Tower
Frankfort, Kentucky 40601
Bachelor of Arts in biology, University of Louisville, 1972
Mr. Kelly has served as a project coordinator and is presently research
program coordinator for the Kentucky Department for Natural Resources
and Environmental Protection. He has been involved in all phases of
research and studies related to mining, reclamation, and other areas
concerning environmental protection, including grant applications,
progress reviews, and progress reports.
Mr. Kelly has recently been directly responsible for studies concerning
water quality, revegetation, slope stability, and surface mining systems,
William F. Grier, President
Mayes, Sudderth, and Etheredge, Inc.
Suite 410, Lexington Building
201 West Short Street
Lexington, Kentucky 40507
Bachelor of Science in civil engineering,
Georgia Institute of Technology, 1955
Registered Professional Engineer in Kentucky and several other states
Mr. Grier has extensive experience in work involving hydrology and
water management. He has carried out studies involving water control
in Alabama, Washington, Georgia, and other states. He has also had
considerable experience with computers and their application.
The following is a partial list of publications and reports of which
Mr. Grier is the author or a principal contributing author which are
applicable to the project:
Groveland Lake; An Evaluation of Hydrology, Soils, and Ecology
Comprehensive Water and Sewer Plan for the Kentucky River Area
Development District
Dacca Southwest Project (flood control and irrigation study at the
confluence of the Ganges and Bramapulra Rivers in Balgladesh)
Regional Water and Sewer Planning in Kentucky
65
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Carlos F. Miller
Senior Engineer
Mayes, Sudderth, and Etheredge, Inc.
Suite 410, Lexington Building
201 West Short Street
Lexington, Kentucky 40507
Bachelor of Science in civil engineering, University of Kentucky, 1966
Master of Science in civil engineering, University of Kentucky, 1968
Registered Professional Engineer in Kentucky
Mr. Miller has an extensive background in water resources. He was
responsible for surveying and inspection of small earthen dams for the
Kentucky Division of Water. He has had broad experience with photo-
grammetric map compilation with the U.S. Army Map Service. Mr. Miller
was chief engineer, water utilities, with the Kentucky Public Service
Commission for six years, during which time he worked extensively in
eastern Kentucky in close contact with the problems associated with coal
production.
His master's thesis was on the hydrology of small watersheds, utilizing
computer modeling to simulate runoff characteristics.
James D. Womack
Research and Development Associate
Environmental Systems Corporation
P.O. Box 2525
Knoxville, Tennessee 37901
Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts, University of Tennessee
Mr. Womack has extensive experience instrumentation relative to earth
sciences, particularly with dye tracer operations in the field,
including the utilization of surface sampling and airborne remote sensing
techniques, and has utilized these for a number of water resources
engineering applications.
66
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SECTION XI
REFERENCES
1. LaRose, P. J., Karnavas, J. A., Pelczarski, E. A. Carbonate
Bonding of Coal Refuse. Black, Sivals and Bryson, Inc.,
Washington, D.C. 14010 FOA U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency. February 1971. 44p.
2. Commonwealth of Virginia, Department of Conservation and
Economic Development, Division of Mined Land Reclamation.
Coal Surface Mining Regulations. Chapter 17, Title 45.1,
Section 7 of the Code of Virginia. Richmond, Virginia. 1972.
3. Holtan, H. N., Minshall, N. E. Harrold, L. L. Field Manual
for Research in Agricultural Hydrology, Agricultural
Handbook'No. 224. Washington, D.C. , U.S. Department of
Agriculture, Soil and Water Conservation Research Division,
Agricultural Research Service, June 1962. 214p.
4. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Division of
Engineering. Field Notes. Washington, D.C., U.S. Department
of Agriculture, December 1969. Volume 1 Number 7.
5. Becker, B. C., Mills, T. R. Guidelines for Erosion and Sediment
Control Planning and Implementation. Hittman Associates, Inc.
and the Department of Water Resources, State of Maryland.
Washington, D.C. EPA-R2-72-015. U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency. August 1972. 228p.
6. Hart, J. F. The Southeastern United States. New York,
Von Nostrand Publishing Company, 1967. p. 126.
7. Hickok, R. B., Ree, W. O. Instrumentation of Experimental
Watersheds. Soil and Water Conservation Research Division,
Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture.
(Extract of publication No. 66 of the I.A.S.H. Symposium
of Budapest), p. 286-298.
67
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8. Lillard, J. H., Shelton, C. H., Wilson, T. V. Hydrologic Data from
Small Agricultural Watersheds in the Southern Region. U.S. Depart-
ment of Agriculture. Washington, D. C. Southern Cooperative Series
Bulletin No. 147. July 1969. p. 1-10, A1-A60.
9. Becker, B. C., Emerson, D. B., Nawrocki, M. A. Joint Construction
Sediment Control Project. Hittman Associates, Inc. and the Water
Resources Administration, State of Maryland. Washington, D.C.
EPA-660/2-73-035. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. April
1974. 167p.
10. Division of Reclamation, Department for Natural Resources and
Environmental Protection, Commonwealth of Kentucky. Kentucky
Revised Statutes Relating to Strip Mining and Reclamation.
KRS 350, 402 KAR 1:025; 402 KAR 1:055; 402 KAR 1:060. Frankfort,
Kentucky. 1975.
11. Kirkpatrick, H. N. Annual Report, Kentucky Department of Mines
and Minerals. Commonwealth of Kentucky. Lexington, Kentucky
University of Kentucky. 1970.
12. Kochenderfer, J. N. Erosion Control on Logging Roads in the
Appalachians. Northeastern Forest Experiment Station, Forest
Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture. Upper Darby, Pennsylvania.
U.S.D.A. Forest Research Paper NE-158. 1970. 28p.
13. Processes, Procedures, and Methods to Control Pollution from
Mining Activities. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Washington, D.C. EPA-430/9-73-011. October 1973. 390p.
14. Processes, Procedures, and Methods to Control Pollution Resulting
from All Construction Activities. U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency. Washington, D.C, EPA 430/9-73-007. October 1973. 234p.
15. State of Tennessee. Department of Conservation, Division of Mining.
Regulations Pertaining to Surface Mining. Regulation II - Coal,
Section I - Access Roads. Nashville, Tennessee. 1974.
16. Zaval, F. J., Robins, J. D. Revegetation Augmentation by Reuse of
Treated Active Surface Mine Drainage. Commonwealth of Kentucky,
Department of Natural Resources, Division of Reclamation and Cyrus
William Rice Division, NUS Corporation. Washington, D.C. EPA-R2-72-
119. November 1972. 147p.
17. Weigle, W. K. Designing Coal Haul Roads for Good Drainage. Central
States Forest Experiment Station, Forest Service. U.S. Department
of Agriculture. Columbus, Ohio. 1965. 23p.
68
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18. Department of Natural Resources, State of West Virginia. West
Virginia Surface Mining Reclamation Regulations. Chapter 20-6,
Series VII, Section 5 - Haulageway. Charleston, West Virginia.
1971.
19. U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census. County and City
Data Book, 1972. Washington, D.C., U. S. Government Printing
Office, 1973. p. 198-209.
69
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SECTION XII
GLOSSARY
Appalachia; an area in the eastern United States covering 13 states,
including portions of southern New York, western Maryland, south-
eastern Ohio, eastern Kentucky, southwestern Virginia, western
North Carolina, the eastern half of Tennessee, northeastern
Mississippi, the northern half of Alabama, northern Georgia,
northwestern South Carolina, all of West Virginia, and most of
Pennsylvania.
Base section: a section on the haul road which is left unaltered or
constructed according to the prevailing practices and used as a
base for comparing the demonstration road sections which contain
certain erosion control parameters.
Bedload: the load of material in the bed layer where suspension is
impossible due to fluid dynamics.
Berm; a shelf that breaks the continuity of a slope; a barrier.
Check dam; a structure used to stabilize the grade or to control
erosive velocities in artificial or natural channels by hydraulic
gradient reduction.
Coal operator; an individual or organization engaged in mining coal.
Conductivity; a measure of water's capacity to convey an electric
current, which is related to the total concentration of the ionized
substances in water and the temperature at which the measurement
was made.
Crown; grading a roadway surface downward each way from the center
line, resulting in the center line's being the highest point in
the surface cross section, allowing surface drainage to flow both
ways.
Cut face: the exposed area resulting from cutting through or into the
side of a hill or mountain, i.e., for a road.
70
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Denuded: bare, stripped
Deterioration: the state of being worse or of lower quality.
Discharge; a volume of fluid passing a point per unit of time,
commonly expressed as cubic feet per second, gallons per minute,
million gallons per day.
Ditch relief culvert; a conduit used to divert water, under the road,
from a roadside ditch before the flow gains sufficient volume or
head to cause erosion.
Diversion ditch; a channel constructed to intercept, collect, and
transport water, which would otherwise flow over an erodible
surface, to a stabilized area.
Drainage basin; all of the area between drainage divides; watershed.
Environment; the aggregate of surrounding conditions, things, and
influences that affect the existence of an organism or group.
Erodible; susceptible to erosion.
Erosion: the wearing away of the earth's surface by the forces of wind,
water, ice, and gravity.
ESC; Environmental Systems Corporation, the instrumentation consultants
on this project.
Fill slope: the inclined surface of the material used to build up a
road to a desired elevation or spilled down a hillside in the
construction of a cut and fill road section.
Filter strip: a strip of undisturbed vegetation that retards the over-
land flow of water, causing deposition of the suspended material,
thus reducing the amount of sediment reaching the local drainage
network.
Flexible downdrain; a flexible conduit of heavy fabric used usually to
conduct water over an erodible surface.
Flume; a specially designed channel forming a fluid flow-measuring
device based on critical flow characteristics; the flow rate through
the channel can be determined by measuring the depth of flow in the
channel and applying the depth-discharge relationships particular
to the channel.
71
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Grab sample: water samples taken manually and stored for chemical
analysis."
Gradient: change in elevation, pressure, etc., per unit length, slope.
Haul road: the access road used to transport material (coal) from the
poTrrTof extraction to the point of delivery or to the local
transportation network.
Hydrology: the branch of physical geography which is concerned with the
o'rigTri, distribution, and properties of the waters of the earth.
Inslope: the grading of a roadway surface downward to the roadside
gitc'H on the cut side of a cut and fill road section.
Instrumentation: the conglomerate of instruments which is used to
measure and~record the various climatological factors and the water
quality and water quantity descriptors and including the entire
philosophy and logical methods of operation.
Integral: belong as part of the whole; necessary to the completeness
of the whole.
Monitoring station; the actual physical apparatus and structures
necessary for collecting the required data at a specific location,
including the flume, instruments (which could vary among stations),
instrument housing, and electrical connections.
Open-top culvert; a structure for removing water from the road surface.
Outfall: point where water discharges from a drainage structure.
pH; the logarithm of the reciprocal of the hydrogen ion concentration
(more precisely, of the hydrogen ion activity) in moles per liter,
the pH value represents the instantaneous hydrogen ion activity.
Pollute; to make foul or unclean.
Riprap; rock or boulders placed on erodible surface, such as channel
bottoms and banks, for protection against the abrasive action of
water.
Roadside ditch; an artificial channel in juxtaposition with the road,
which collects drainage from the road surface and contiguous areas
and transports it to a stabilized area.
Runoff; that portion of the precipitation on a drainage basin that is
not retained in the area; it occurs as overland flow and groundwater
flow and is discharged from the area in stream channels.
72
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Sectional slope drain; a sectional conduit of half-round, third-round
made of bituminized fiber used to conduct runoff from one elevation
to another.
Sediment; the byproduct of erosion;the material that is transported
by water, wind, or ice.
Sedimentation: the deposition of accumulation of sediment.
Slope: an inclined or slanting direction from the horizontal; a term
"to describe the magnitude of inclination from the horizontal,
commonly calculated as a ratio of the vertical distance to the
horizontal distance, expressed as a percentage.
Splash apron: rocks, concrete, asphalt, or some other erosion-resistant
material placed at points of concentrated drainage discharge to
provide an area for impact.
Swale; a low place in a tract of land.
Turbidity; an expression of the optical property of a water sample
which causes light to be scattered and absorbed; turbidity in
water is caused by the presence of suspended matter.
73
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TECHNICAL REPORT DATA
(Please read Instructions on the reverse before completing)
1. REPORT NO.
EPA-600/2-76-196
2.
3. RECIPIENT'S ACCESSION-NO.
4. TITLE ANOSUBTITLE
Demonstration of Coal Mine Haul Road Sediment
Control Techniques
6. REPORT DATE
August 1976 (Issuing Date)
6. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION CODE
7. AUTHOR(S)
William F. Grier, Carlos F. Miller
James D. Womach
8. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION REPORT NO.
9. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION NAME AND ADDRESS
Department for Natural Resources & Environmental
Commonwealth of Kentucky Protection
Capitol Plaza Tower
Frankfort. Kentucky 40601
10. PROGRAM ELEMENT NO.
EHE623; 05-01-04A-01
11. CONTRACT7GRANT NO.
S-802682
12. SPONSORING AGENCY NAME AND ADDRESS
13. TYPE OF REPORT AND PERIOD COVERED
Industrial Environmental Research Laboratory
Office of Research and Development
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Cincinnati. Ohio 45268
14. SPONSORING AGENCY CODE
EPA-ORD
.Rep.
m-t-
This report was prepared for the Commonwealth by Messrs. Grier and Miller of Mayes,
Sudderth and Etheredge, Inc., 201 West Short Street, Lexington, KY 40507; and
Mr. Womack of Environmental Systems Corporation, P.O. Box 2525, Knoxvllle, TN 37901
16. ABSTRACT
This Report examines the feasibility of demonstrating the most effective methods
of controlling erosion which results when land is disturbed and altered by the
construction of access roads to coal mining operations in the steeply sloping areas
of Appalachia. The methods of controlling erosion on haul roads as examined
herein are techniques that can reasonably and economically be constructed by
conventional equipment that is normally used or is available to coal operators.
A method to collect qualtitative data, by remote instrumentation, for
evaluation of the effectiveness of the erosion control methods is also described.
17.
KEY WORDS AND DOCUMENT ANALYSIS
DESCRIPTORS
b.lDENTIFIERS/OPEN ENDED TERMS C. COSATI Field/Group
*Surface Mining
*Drainage
*Access Roads
Erosion Control
Sedimentation
Eastern Kentucky
Haul Roads
13/B
08/G
08/H
18. DISTRIBUTION STATEMENT
RELEASE TO PUBLIC
19. SECURITY CLASS (This Report)
UNCLASSIFIED
21. NO. OF PAGES
82
20. SECURITY CLASS (Thispage)
UNCLASSIFIED
22. PRICE
EPA Form 2220-1 (9-73)
74
ftUSGPOi 1976-657-695/5492 Region 5-11
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