POLLUTION PREVENTION OPPORTUNITIES IN COALMINING helpful information from U.S. EPA Region III Philadelphia, PA OCTOBER 1990 ------- WHAT CAN YOU DO ? This fact sheet lists specific pollution prevention practices that have been successful at a number of coal mining operations. Use this fact sheet along with the "Pollution Prevention Opportunities" fact sheet to gather ideas on how to reduce your wastes. IMPROVE OPERATIONS Use stabilization and control technologies to prevent surface and groundwater pollution from ponds, overburden, and coal refuse piles. Maintain a suitable pH to minimize trace element leaching and the capability of the ieachates to solubilize metals. Use "constructed wetlands"-a new technology proven as successful as wastewater treatment in certain applications involving low flow waste streams. Wetland plants remove metals from mine water by absorption, consumption, and simple filtration. ------- increase metal removal through sulfide precipitation by adding bacteria to oxidize iron and manganese and convert sulfates to hydrogen sulfide. Cover service roads with asphalt or treat with water or approved chemicals. Reclaim and seed mined areas quickly to prevent wind and water erosion. Retain existing vegetation to the greatest degree possible. Decrease erosion of unstabilized soils by using methods to reduce the velocity of runoff. Prevent spontaneous combustion in coal and coal refuse piles by keeping the piles as cool as possible and by limiting air infiltration. ------- REUSE & RECYCLE Recycle machinery lubricating fluids. Use cloth rags that are washed rather than disposable rags. Use coal refuse wastes for on-site dams, fill material, etc. Backfill mines with removed overburden material. WE ENCOURAGE YOU TO PURSUE POLLUTION PREVENTION OPPORTUNITIES WITHIN YOUR OPERATIONS. BE A PART OF THE CULTURAL CHANGE. ------- FOR MORE INFORMATION: Bituminous Coal Research National Laboratory 500 William Pitt Way Pittsburgh, PA 15238 412-826-3030 National Coal Association 1130 17th Street, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20036 202-463-2625 Office of Surface Mining, Reclamation & Enforcement 10 Parkway Center Pittsburgh, PA 15220 412-937-2862 US Department of the Interior Bureau of Mines 2401 E. Street, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20241 202-634-1263 US EPA Pollution Prevention Clearinghouse 703-821-4800 (Info.) 703-506-1025 (Access) Health and Environmental Effects of Coal Technologies Federal Interagency Committee on the Health and Environmental Effects of Energy Technologies MITRE Corp., August 1979 703-487-4600 ------- (O ** in M CO a o u 9 s o a eu * S2 S S2 Sg; 5 H w P w w * H J \fk W S3 . »-H ?w CO Oh Sg * w So* l-t ^ 5& &> P E KKKKhLKKKKKK^LKhLK&K.^^^ i K K K K K K K K K K K K H K K K K K K * o printed on recycled paper ------- |