POLLUTION
PREVENTION
OPPORTUNITIES
IN
COALMINING

helpful information from
U.S. EPA Region III
Philadelphia, PA
OCTOBER 1990

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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

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