ADVANCING TECHNOLOGY FOR MANAGING MINE WASTES:
The Nitkmal Eamrwawntal Waste Technology Testi*g awl Evaluation Center
Research, Development, Denonstratioa, Testing, tad Evaluation Programs to USA,
J. G. Hemnann
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
M. W, Shupe
U.S. Department of Energy
W. J. Robinson
MSE, Inc.
J. f. Figueira
Montana College of Mineral Science and Technology
SUMMARY
A major challenge exists to remove, neutralize, or recover contaminants from aqueous and solid
wastes associated with mining and/or mineral processing activities. To meet this challenge, a
center for testing, evaluating, and verifying remedial technologies for application to liquid and
solid mine waste has been established. The center is located in Butte, Montana, the site of major
mining and mineral processing activities for more man a century. This paper describes the
National Environmental Waste Technology Testing and Evaluation Center (NEWTTEC) and the
Mine Waste Technology Pilot Program (MWTPP). The MWTPP is an on-going program funded
by die U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and implemented through an Interagency
Agreement with the Department of Energy (DOE). This paper also describes the status of the
NEWTTEC and MWTPP programs.
INTRODUCTION
EPA, DOE, other government agencies, and private industry must efficiently, effectively, and
economically clean up contaminated air, water, and soil generated from liquid and solid mine
wastes. Coordinating technologies for managing mine wastes with other related DOE and EPA
environmental problems is desirable. Technologies developed to manage mine wastes can be
applied to DOE wastes such as uranium in soils at a uranium enrichment facility near Fernatd,
Ohio and chrome in soils at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory near Idaho Falls, Idaho.
In addition, die resulting technologies may be applicable to current and future mining/mineral
processing operations in die United States and throughout the world.
U.S. Comrqffifclffft Authority
ID die late 1970's, die U.S. Congress responded to die growing number of hazardous waste
problems with die passage of die Resource Conservation nd Recovery Act (RCRA). In 1980,
Congress enacted die Comprehensive Environmental Response. Compensation, and Liability Act
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(CERCLA), commonly known as Superfiuid. In 1984 RCRA was reauthorized under the tide of
the Hazardous and SoUd Waste Amendments (HSWA), and in 1986, CERCLA was reauthorized
under the title of Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act (SARA).
As part of CERCLA and SARA, Congress recognized that the EPA could not address each
individual waste site in the nation and directed EPA to prioritize the sites. In response, EPA
created a system to evaluate the health and environmental risk of a waste site. If an individual site
is above a threshold score, it is then placed on Ike National Priority List (NPL). The NPL
klentirks waste sites posing relatively more significant health and environmental risks; those sites
are taigeted tor expeditious cleanup. '
At this time, approximately 32,000 sites are on the National Hazardous Waste Site Inventory and
l,236shesareontheNPL. The number of NPL sites are expected to grow by approximately 100
sites per year, reaching 2,100 sites by the year 2000. Of the 1,236 sites currently on the NPL,
42 are associated with mining and benerkiation of minerals. The reported volume of mine waste
found throughout the United Slates is great. Environmental impacts associated with inactive and
abandoned mines (lAMs) are common to mining districts around the country. The following list
was taken from the Western Governors1 Association Scoping Study on Inactive and Abandoned
Non-coal Mines.
Montana ~ 20,000 IAM sites covering 153,800 acres and 1,118 miles of
stream damage with an estimated remediation cost of $912 million.
Arizona - 80,000 IAM sites covering 136,653 acres polluting 200 mites of
surface waterways with an estimated remediation cost of $654 million.
* Missouri 7,655 sites covering 48,175 acres and 109 mites of streams
affected by IAMS with an estimated remediation cost of $1.4 billion.
Utah -- 25,020 acres affected by lAMs and 83 mites of polluted streams
with an estimated remediation cost of $174 million.
Colorado - 20,299 abandoned mine openings and 1,298 mites of polluted
streams with an estimated remediation cost of $245 million.
* California - 2,484 IAM sites, 1,685 mine openings, and 578 miles of
polluted streams.
Idaho - 27,543 acres impacted with an estimated remediation cost of
$316 million.
* Oklahoma - 26,453 acres affected by lAMs win an estimated remediation
cost of $86 million.
* New Mexico - 25,320 acres of impacted lands and 69 mites of impacted
streams with an estimated remediation cost of $332 million.
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BACKGROUND
Mining activities in the New WorW were fim recorded in 1524 when the Spaniards mined copper
in Cute. Two French settlm from New England mined lead in Missouri as early as 1718. The
demand for metals intensified as the industrial revolution surged in the 98th and 19th centuries;
new mining practices evolved and accelerated mine development. Mining, smelting, and related
activities continued to expand until the industry suffered serious economic setbacks in the early
1970s.
f!i«rk Fnrfr
Nationwide, die magnitude of environmental impacts created by past mining practices is just now
beginning to be understood. In the Butte, Montana area, four Superfund sites are located within
the Clark Fork Basin. The basin extends from Butte to Milltown, Montana (approximately 138
river miles). These sites include the Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area, Montana Pole, Anaconda
Smelter, and Milltown Reservoir Superfund sites. These four sites comprise 23 operable units that
represent unique geographic areas or problems within the basin. With the exception of the
Montana Pole Superfund site, which was a wood treating facility, the wastes found at these sites
are a result of over 100 years of mining, milling, and smelting activities that occurred in the Butte
and Anaconda areas of Montana. The mining and mine waste are representative of most non-fossil
mining in the western United States.
Action in the Budget Reconciliation Act of ) 991
The 1991 fiscal year Congressional Appropriation under die Budget Reconciliation Act allocated
$3.5 million to establish a pilot program for treating mine wastes in Butte, Montana. An excerpt
from the Congressional Conference report follows:
The committee recognizes that having heavy metals contamination, particularly lead,
in soils, waste piles, and other areas, represents a significant continuing threat to
psfeUe feesKfe ssd ssvircsaesi m sasy of ihc western states. The committee
believes that Butte, Montana, where one of the largest Supeifund sites is located,
contaminated with lead, arsenic, cadmium, and other metals, presents an ideal
environment for the review and testing of remedial technologies. The committee
believes that the resources that are already present at Butte.. .the Montana College
of Mineral Science and Technology (Montana Tech) and the Department of Energy 's
Component Development and Integration Facility (CDIF)...can play a significant
contributing role in pursuing needed emerging technologies.
Mine Waste Technology Pilot Program Direction
In June 1991, an Interagency Agreement (IAG) was signed between the EPA and DOE that
directed $3.5 million to the CDIF's operating contractor, MSB, Inc., and Montana Tech for the
development of the MWTPP. The mission of the MWTPP was defined as follows:
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To advance the understanding, developmeot, and application of engineering
MtotkMS to national environmental issues resulting from the past practices of
arfninf and meMftag Metallic ores. la accomplishing this mission, the
MWTPP will develop and conduct a research program that emphasizes
technical UMaagemeut practices ami treatment technology development;
testing and evaluation at the bench and ;lot scale; and an educational
prognw dntt essphasizes tnuning and technology transfer. The evaluation of
the treatment technologies will focus on reduction of mobility, toxktty,
votuae of waste, implementability, short and long term effectiveness,
protection of human health and the environment, community acceptance, and
cost. . .-.
NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL WASTE TpClftyOLQCY TESTING ANp
EVALUATION CENTER
NEWTTEC is the DOE umbrella organization (for mining technologies as well as other
technologies) that provides for systematically compiling and assessing available technologies;
evaluating existing technologies in new applications; researching, developing, and demonstrating
new technologies; testing the performance of equipment, procedures, and processes; training in use
of the technologies; and promoting technology transfer among EPA, DOE, other government
agencies, and private industry.
The RciSffn far l/ncatinE NEWTTEC in Butte, Montana
The center is located in Butte, Montana, because:
* The DOE has a test facility in Ante.
* Sine m ibc borac if me Montana College of Mineral Science and
Technology (montana Tech), an internationally recognized mining and
minerals educational institution.
* Butte is home of the Center for Advanced Mineral Processing established at
Montana Tech by the State of Montana's Science and Technology Alliance.
* Butte is adjacent to the largest Superrund site in the United States.
Butte is home to the Berkeley Pit, a nonoperating, open-pit mine which is
filled with billions of gallons of highly metallic and acidic contaminated
waste water. These waste forms are representative of waste generated from
much of the non-fossil mining activities in the western United States.
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Other Projects
Several projects are currently in place to support NEWTTEC. The Plasma Arc Furnace
Experiment is being conducted at the Component Dev -lopmeiu and Integration Facility under an
Interagency Agreement between DOE and EPA. Other projects include: (1) a waste minimization
project being performed for DOE and the Air Force, (2) a soil separation project funded by DOE,
(3) a metals concentration process funded by the Air Force, and (4) a coal bcneficiation project
using technological agents to remove sulfur and waste constituents from coal.
MIME WASTE TECHNOLOGY PUjOT PROGRAM
Under the terms of the LAG, the MWTPP is overseen by the IAG Management Committee. The
organization of MWTPP Is shown in Figure 1.
Activities
Activities for the MWTPP are outlined in the IAG and are as follows
* Identify candidate treatment technologies.
* Develop generic Quality Assurance Project Plan.
* Conduct demonstrations.
* Perform bench scale innovative research.
* Provide progress reports and technology transfer.
* Establish a training and educational program.
The technologies developed, demonstrated, and eventually transferred to the DOE/EPA, are
potentially valuable to those agencies in their plans for site remediation and other efforts. For
example, the full gambit of technologies used on a lead mine tailings impoundment could be
directly applicable to the clean up of DOE/DOD sites.
Status
The schedule for the mine waste program runs from October I, 1992 through June 1996 (See
Figure 2). At this time, the six aforementioned activities for the MWTPP that are at various stages
of completion:
Activity I was established to screen waste forms and waste sites, and corresponding
technologies to remediate these waste sites. This activity has expanded into an on-
going process of accepting technologies and reviewing them as well as storing the
information for retrieval by the public.
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Activity II consisted of developing an overall generic quality assurance plan which
now includes project-specific quality assurance plans.
Activity inn where technology demonstrations will be conducted. There are
presently eight projects dot are in varying degrees of investigation and approval.
They are as follows:
* Project 1 Crystal Mine Drainage Treatment Using Innovative
*,;..,,..., Chemical Treatment Systems.
Project 2 Hydrogeologkal Control of Groundwater Using
Orout to Reduce or Eliminate Add Generation
in Mining Activities.
* Project 3 Sulfate-Reducing Bacteria as a Means of Sequestering
Metals.
Project 4 Electrochemical Remediation of Acid Mine
.:_:/ :_..': Drainage. _..".- . .
Project 5 Wet Oxidation of Sulfidk Tailings to
Eliminate Acid Mobilization «f Toxic Metals.
Project 6 Removal and Destzuction of Nitrate from Mine
Waste Water.
Project 7 Developing a Bioprocess for Removing Cyanide
from Wastestreams of Precious Metal Mining.
Project 8 Removal of Mobile Toxic Constituents from
* fL'inim jjttJLi.il*., .1
i/y iuc i
As part of this effort, me MWTPP has also has also proposed to team win Montana
Stile University to work on bioremediatk>n*related deroonstratKMis. the current
emphasis is on uhTamicrobacteria (UMB). The MWTPP is also working with
industry representatives from major mining companies to gain their cooperation in
testing technologies on their sites.
Activity IV will involve bench-scale research which will be conducted at Montana
Tech and other universities as appropriate. There are two projects presently
approved for bench-scsle research. They are as follows:
* Project 1 Acid Mine Drainage Treatment Evaluation - A
Case Study, Berkeley Pit Water.
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* Project 2 Formation, Properties and Stability of
Sludge Generated Owing Treatment of Acid
Mow Waste Water.
Activity V is to report a! of the accomplishments of the program and eventually
to conduct technology transfer, which will include utilization and commercialization
of the technologies tested.
Activity VI b the educational and training component of the program and to date
has the following accomplishments:
* Six fellowship funded graduate students in the Mine and Mineral Waste
Emphasis Program.
* Four funded graduate teaching assistants.
* Short courses developed and presented.
* Telecommunications program ongoing.
* Project Partner's received $110,000 National Science Foundation Grant.
A schematic of the overall program is shown in Figure 3.
SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS
Mining wastes generated by active and inactive mining operations and their impact on human
health and the environment are a significant problem for government entities, private industry, and
die general public. Health effects, from the predominate contaminants in mine waste range from
mild irritants to proven human carcinogens. The iarge voiume of mine wastes and consequential
adverse environmental and human health effects indicates an urgency for cleanup of abandoned,
inactive, and better management of active mining facilities. The environmental future of the
United Stales and other countries depends in part on the ability to deal effectively with mine waste
problems of the past and present, and, more importantly, to minimize mine waste problems in the
future. The NEWTTEC at Butte, Montana is dedicated to this environmental goal. With on-going
projects such as the MWTPP and other joint-agency research, technologies will be provided to
meet this challenge. The salient points for a successful mine waste technology program are as
follows:
* Coordinating joint participation and funding by public and private sectors;
Identifying mine waste problems that are most severely affecting human
health and the environment at local, regional, and national levels;
* Evaluating engineering economic factors for selected technologies;
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Prioritizing the most promising mine waste treatment technologies based on
their engineering and economic value;
Identifying new and innovative technologies;
* Planning and documenting the demonstration, testing, and evaluation of the
most promistng mine waste treatment technologies;
Acxekrating the commercialization of selected mine waste treatment
technologies that ate developed, tested, and evaluated; and
* Planning the transfer of knowledge gained from the above through
systematic training of user communities.
A successful program must be managed w-'Ji a vision toward ultimate commercialization and/or
field appUcalion of treatment technologies that can effectively solve mineral waste problems
whether from mining properties, government, or industrial sites. These are common problems
snared by many entities of our society and crossing an international borders.
MSE, Inc. 1992, Mine Waste Baseline Study, 2 DOE- WASTEC-D1.
MSE.lnc. 1991. National Mine Waste Technology Center, BRO-18 (Rev. 07-91).
MSE, tec, 1992. Mine waste pilot program, BRO-29 (Rev. 02-92).
Herrmann, 1. 1991. Vision statement - Pilot Program for the Treatment of Mining Wastes,
Bone, Montana (January 16, 1991).
Western Governors* Association Mine Waste Task Force. 1991. Inactive and Abandoned Non-
coal Mines, A Scoping Study.
TWs paper was prepared under U. S. Environmental Protection Agency and U. S. Department of
Energy, Interagency Agreement No. DW899351 17-01-0. It has been subjected to review and
approved for publication, but does not necessarily reflect the views of the U. S. Environmental
Protection Agency or the U. S. Department of Energy and no official endorsement should be
inferred. Mention of trade names or commercial products does not constitute endorsement or
recommendation for use.
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MINE WASTE TECHNOLOGY PILOT PROGRAM
ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE
EPA MONTANA OPERATIONS ]
OFFICE 1
JOHN WARDH.LL j
1
MIKE BISHOP I
[EPA QUALITY ASSUR.4NCE*
1 GUY SIMES
INDUSTRIAL INTEGRATION COMMITTEE
DAN BERUBE MONTANA POWF.R COMPANY
WADE BRISTOL ASARCO
JOHN FI17.PATRKK PKGASUS COW
FRANK GARDNER MONTANA RESOURCES
SANDY STASH ARCO
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PATRICIA ERICKSON USEPA RREL
WILLIAM SCHMIDT USDOt BUREAU OF MINES
TERRY MtNULn TERRY P. MtNVLTY AND
ASSOCIATES. INC.
PETER CRIMES AMERICAN MINING CONGRESS
JAMES SCOTT STATE OF MONTANA
URUCK SCHVUt STATE OF IDAHO
DENNIS KKI.SH USDOE - HEAI tQUARIKKS
RICHARD PARKS NORTHERN PIMNS RESOURCE
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MINE WASTE TECHNOLOGY PILOT PROGRAM
Proposed Schedule
Flyuro
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MWTPP
I Act I [ Act II [ AcflJi | Act IV | Act V
I Act VI
Mi Tech
STIRS
Vol 1
IfTC - Water
Acid Ceo.
Generic QAPP
QA Inspection
Vol 2
MTC - Air
Vol 3
Cyanide
Vol 4
Nitrates
R. RofciiM
|App A|App B|App C|App P|App
1
L.,
1
Bench Scale Testing
Ml Tech|
ProJ 1 - Berkeley Ptl Water
Pro) 2 - Sludge
I. Figuetre
MSB Oversight
D. Schiller
Reporting
Tech Transfer
Documentation
I
Education
o Short Coursn
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K-18
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Lab * T*eh.
ML Tech
K. Burgher
J. Figueira
USE Oversight
D. Schiller
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Proj 1
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Discharge
M. foote
D. AUxander
EPA
Ron Turner
Proj 2
Grouting
T. Mclnlyrt *
L. MeCloncey
EPA
Roger Witmoth
Proj 3
SRBs
T. Mcfntyre
M. Canty
EPA
Tom Powers
Proj 4
Electro-
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H. Foot*
D. Alexander
Proj 5
Wet
Oxidation
M. foole
P. Kvjava
Proj 6
Nitrate
T. Mctntyre
B, Finch
Proj 7
CN Bio
T, Melntyre
I. Wolfram
Proj 8
Coal
Adsorption
M. Foote
P. McCarthy
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Figure 3
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- *J. Hsrrmann, *M.W.
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Stiuptt, 3w.j. Robinson
L PtNPORMINQ OHQANIZATION NAME AND ADOREtt
JuSBPA/WWrro/RREI^-Cincinnati, OH 45268
jM3E, Inc. -Butt* Industrial
Risk Reduction Engineering
Office of Pussiui.h and Diva
U.S. Environmental Protecti
Cincinnati, Oh 45268
IS. BUFPLBMtNTANY NOTBB Project
International Conference an
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lo meet thi« challenge, a (
technologies for applicatii
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Environmental Waste Techno.
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program funded by the U.S.
thrcugh an Interagency Agn
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B. REPORT OATI
B. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION CODE
1. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION REPORT NO.
10. PROGRAM ELEMENT NO.
11, CONTFt ACT/OR ANT MO.
13. TYPE Of REPORT AND PERIOD COVERED
14. SPONSORING AGENCY CODE
EEA/600/14
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mis Engineering '93,
D remove, neutralize, or recover contaminants from
ssociated with mining and/or mineral, processing activities.
center for testing, evaluating, and verifying remedial
on to liquid and solid mine waste has been established,
iitte, Montana, the site of major mining and mineral
nore than a century^jgtii* paper describes the National
logy Testing and Evaluation Center (NEOTTEC) and
Pilot Program (MMTPP). The MWTPP is an on-going
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and implemented
sement with tilt Department of Energy (DOE) . ThJS-
batus of the NEWTTEC and MWTPP programs. ;^ -
KIV 1MONM AND DOCIMMNT ANALVBIB
. BesempToM " B.iMNTipitm/oMNiNMonmw
contaminants
RELEASE TO PUBLIC
mine waste, solid waste
IB. SECURITY CLAW tThitKtfOrtl
UNCLASSIFIED
». SECURITY CLASS (Tttliptftl
e. COCATI Field/Group
21. NO. OF PAGES
12
29. PRICE
mm Wft-l (IU». 4.77) PHBVIOUS BOITION it O»»OL»T»
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