Use of biomass to supplement the nation's energy needs for ethanol production and green fuel for power plants has created a demand for growing reliable feedstocks. Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.), miscanthus (Miscanthus x giganteus), and giant cane (Arundo donax L.) are possible biofuel crops because they produce large amounts of biomass over a wide range of growing conditions, including marginal and reclaimed land. West Virginia's climate and large acreage of available reclaimed mine land provide a land base to generate high amounts of biomass for a biofuel industry. The purpose of this study was to determine the yield of three biomass crops on reclaimed mined land in central West Virginia. A 25-year-old reclaimed site near Alton, WV was prepared using herbicides to eliminate all existing cool-season vegetation on a 5-ha area. Twenty-three plots of 0.4-ha in size were established. Mine soil samples showed an average pH of 7.5 and adequate supplies of plant nutrients. Two switchgrass varieties (Kanlow and BoMaster) were randomly assigned to 10 plots (five replications) and seeds were drilled into the killed sod at a rate of 11 kg ha -1 . Two types of miscanthus (sterile public and private varieties) were randomly assigned to 10 plots and planted with seedling plugs on 0.8-m centers. Giant cane was assigned to three plots and rhizomes were planted on 1.5-m centers. Yield measurements were taken in September the second and third years after planting. Yields for Kanlow switchgrass varied from an average of 4,000 kg ha -1 in 2011 to 4,900 kg ha -1 in 2012. BoMaster switchgrass was lower at 2,750 kg ha -1 in 2011 and 3,981 kg ha -1 in 2012. The public variety of miscanthus showed yields 7,500 kg ha -1 in 2011, but decreased to an average of 4,900 kg ha -1 in 2012. The private miscanthus variety was much greater at 21,880 kg ha -1 in 2011 and 15,500 kg ha -1 in 2012. Giant cane yields were low with an average yield of 515 kg ha -1 in 2012. Survival and growth of giant cane was hindered by weed competition and poor establishment. Target yields for reclaimed lands, as established by the WV Department of Environmental Protection of 5,000 kg ha -1 for switchgrass and 15,000 kg ha -1 for miscanthus were not attained with switchgrass and the public variety of miscanthus, but was achieved with the private variety of miscanthus. More time may be needed for these yield goals to be achieved as stands continue to develop over time.
利用生物质能来补充国家对乙醇生产和发电厂绿色燃料的能源需求，创造了对不断增长的可靠原料的需求。柳枝稷(Panicum virgatum L.)、芒草(miscanthus x giganteus)和巨型甘蔗(Arundo donax L.)是可能的生物燃料作物，因为它们在广泛的生长条件下产生大量的生物质，包括边缘和开垦的土地。西弗吉尼亚州的气候和大面积可开垦的矿山土地为生物燃料工业提供了大量生物质的土地基础。本研究的目的是确定三种生物质作物在西弗吉尼亚州中部开垦矿区的产量。在WV Alton附近的一个有25年历史的开垦场地，使用除草剂清除了5公顷区域内所有现有的冷季植被。建立了23块面积为0.4 ha的地块。矿区土壤样品的平均pH值为7.5，植物养分供应充足。2个柳枝稷品种(Kanlow和BoMaster)随机分配到10个地块(5个重复)，以11 kg ha -1的速度将种子钻入被杀死的草皮。两种类型的芒草(不育的公共品种和私人品种)随机分配到10个地块，在0.8 m的中心种植苗塞。甘蔗分为3个地块，根茎种植在1.5 m的中心。种植后第二年和第三年的9月进行产量测量。Kanlow柳枝稷的产量从2011年的平均4000公斤公顷-1到2012年的4900公斤公顷-1不等。2011年BoMaster柳枝稷的产量较低，为2750公斤/公顷，2012年为3981公斤/公顷。公共品种芒草在2011年的产量为7500公斤/公顷，但在2012年下降到平均4900公斤/公顷。私人芒草品种的产量则大得多，2011年为21880公斤/公顷，2012年为15500公斤/公顷。甘蔗产量较低，2012年平均产量为515公斤公顷。杂草竞争和栽培条件差阻碍了巨藤的生存和生长。维州环境保护部制定的复垦土地产量目标是柳枝稷5000公斤公顷-1和芒草15000公斤公顷-1，但柳枝稷和公共品种的芒草没有达到目标，但私人品种的芒草达到了目标。随着时间的推移，林分不断发展，可能需要更多的时间来实现这些产量目标。
{"title":"RECLAMATION OF MINED LAND WITH SWITCHGRASS, MISCANTHUS, AND ARUNDO FOR BIOFUEL PRODUCTION 1","authors":"J. Skousen, Travis Keene, Mike Marra, B. Gutta","doi":"10.21000/JASMR13010177","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21000/JASMR13010177","url":null,"abstract":"Use of biomass to supplement the nation's energy needs for ethanol production and green fuel for power plants has created a demand for growing reliable feedstocks. Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.), miscanthus (Miscanthus x giganteus), and giant cane (Arundo donax L.) are possible biofuel crops because they produce large amounts of biomass over a wide range of growing conditions, including marginal and reclaimed land. West Virginia's climate and large acreage of available reclaimed mine land provide a land base to generate high amounts of biomass for a biofuel industry. The purpose of this study was to determine the yield of three biomass crops on reclaimed mined land in central West Virginia. A 25-year-old reclaimed site near Alton, WV was prepared using herbicides to eliminate all existing cool-season vegetation on a 5-ha area. Twenty-three plots of 0.4-ha in size were established. Mine soil samples showed an average pH of 7.5 and adequate supplies of plant nutrients. Two switchgrass varieties (Kanlow and BoMaster) were randomly assigned to 10 plots (five replications) and seeds were drilled into the killed sod at a rate of 11 kg ha -1 . Two types of miscanthus (sterile public and private varieties) were randomly assigned to 10 plots and planted with seedling plugs on 0.8-m centers. Giant cane was assigned to three plots and rhizomes were planted on 1.5-m centers. Yield measurements were taken in September the second and third years after planting. Yields for Kanlow switchgrass varied from an average of 4,000 kg ha -1 in 2011 to 4,900 kg ha -1 in 2012. BoMaster switchgrass was lower at 2,750 kg ha -1 in 2011 and 3,981 kg ha -1 in 2012. The public variety of miscanthus showed yields 7,500 kg ha -1 in 2011, but decreased to an average of 4,900 kg ha -1 in 2012. The private miscanthus variety was much greater at 21,880 kg ha -1 in 2011 and 15,500 kg ha -1 in 2012. Giant cane yields were low with an average yield of 515 kg ha -1 in 2012. Survival and growth of giant cane was hindered by weed competition and poor establishment. Target yields for reclaimed lands, as established by the WV Department of Environmental Protection of 5,000 kg ha -1 for switchgrass and 15,000 kg ha -1 for miscanthus were not attained with switchgrass and the public variety of miscanthus, but was achieved with the private variety of miscanthus. More time may be needed for these yield goals to be achieved as stands continue to develop over time.","PeriodicalId":17230,"journal":{"name":"Journal of the American Society of Mining and Reclamation","volume":"27 1","pages":"177-191"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2013-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"79803147","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Specific conductance and selenium (Se) are two water quality parameters of emerging concern in the Appalachian coalfields. Isolation of high specific conductance and Se producing spoils from environmental water flows using a low permeability barrier is one method of minimizing the leaching of these constituents from coal mine spoils. Ideally, the material used to form the barrier should be readily accessible, have low levels of specific conductance and Se, and be capable of achieving a low permeability with the proper moisture adjustment. Brown and gray weathered sandstones are often readily available at mine sites in the Appalachian coalfields. Spoil samples and water quality samples from the University of Kentucky Bent Mountain Research Complex near Pikeville, Kentucky indicated that these spoil types hold promise in meeting the criteria of being a low specific conductance producing material. However, these sandstones tend to have higher sand contents than those typically used in compacted barriers or liners in landfills. The objective of this study was to assess the potential of using brown and/or gray weathered sandstones to create a low permeability barrier. To meet the objective of the study, a total of four spoil samples (identified as M1-M4) were collected in 2012. Each spoil sample was obtained from a different mine in eastern Kentucky. Samples M1 and M2 consisted of brown sandstone; sample M3 was gray sandstone; and sample M4 was a mixture of brown and gray sandstones. Each spoil sample was screened and analyzed for soil texture. Spoil moisture content-density relationships and spoil saturated hydraulic conductivity-moisture content relationships were developed for each sample using double ring permeameters. Maximum saturated hydraulic conductivity values ranged between a low of 5.9 x 10 -8 cm s -1 to a high of 3.1 x 10 -7 cm s -1 in the laboratory for the <2mm fraction. These saturated hydraulic conductivity values were comparable to soils used to construct liners in landfills, particularly in instances where the percentage of fines in the spoils were about 50% or greater. When in the field, however, it is expected that these saturated hydraulic conductivity values will typically be 1-3 orders of magnitude higher due to rock fragments. These results demonstrate that brown sandstone, with its higher fines content, is likely a more suitable media than gray sandstone for constructing a low permeability barrier to isolate high specific conductance producing and/or Se generating spoils. Based on these laboratory results, field assessments of brown weathered sandstones for this application are recommended.
比电导和硒(Se)是阿巴拉契亚煤田新近受到关注的两个水质参数。利用低渗透屏障将高比电导和产硒渣滓从环境水流中隔离开来，是减少这些成分从煤矿渣滓中浸出的一种方法。理想情况下，用于形成屏障的材料应该易于接近，具有低水平的比电导和硒，并且能够通过适当的湿度调节实现低渗透率。棕色和灰色风化砂岩通常很容易在阿巴拉契亚煤田的矿区找到。来自肯塔基州派克维尔附近的肯塔基大学本特山研究中心的废渣样本和水质样本表明，这些废渣类型有望满足低比电导生产材料的标准。然而，这些砂岩的含沙量往往高于垃圾填埋场中通常用于压实屏障或衬垫的砂岩。本研究的目的是评估使用棕色和/或灰色风化砂岩创建低渗透屏障的潜力。为达到研究目的，2012年共收集了4个废土样本(确定为M1-M4)。每个废石样本都是从肯塔基州东部不同的矿井中获得的。样品M1和M2由棕色砂岩组成;M3为灰色砂岩;样品M4是棕色和灰色砂岩的混合物。对每个废土样品进行筛选和土壤质地分析。利用双环渗透仪对每个样品建立了废土含水率-密度关系和废土饱和水力导电性-含水率关系。在实验室中，对于小于2mm的部分，最大饱和水力导电性值在低5.9 × 10 -8 cm s -1到高3.1 × 10 -7 cm s -1之间。这些饱和水力导电性值与垃圾填埋场中用于建造衬垫的土壤相当，特别是在废物中细粒百分比约为50%或更高的情况下。然而，在现场，由于岩石碎片的影响，这些饱和水力导电性值通常会高出1-3个数量级。这些结果表明，与灰色砂岩相比，具有较高细粒含量的棕色砂岩可能更适合用于构建低渗透屏障，以隔离高比电导产生和/或产硒的碎屑。根据这些实验室结果，建议对这种应用的棕色风化砂岩进行现场评估。
{"title":"POTENTIAL USE OF WEATHERED SANDSTONES TO CONSTRUCT A LOW PERMEABILITY BARRIER TO ISOLATE PROBLEMATIC COAL MINE SPOILS 1","authors":"M. Rosa, C. Agouridis, R. Warner","doi":"10.21000/JASMR13010049","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21000/JASMR13010049","url":null,"abstract":"Specific conductance and selenium (Se) are two water quality parameters of emerging concern in the Appalachian coalfields. Isolation of high specific conductance and Se producing spoils from environmental water flows using a low permeability barrier is one method of minimizing the leaching of these constituents from coal mine spoils. Ideally, the material used to form the barrier should be readily accessible, have low levels of specific conductance and Se, and be capable of achieving a low permeability with the proper moisture adjustment. Brown and gray weathered sandstones are often readily available at mine sites in the Appalachian coalfields. Spoil samples and water quality samples from the University of Kentucky Bent Mountain Research Complex near Pikeville, Kentucky indicated that these spoil types hold promise in meeting the criteria of being a low specific conductance producing material. However, these sandstones tend to have higher sand contents than those typically used in compacted barriers or liners in landfills. The objective of this study was to assess the potential of using brown and/or gray weathered sandstones to create a low permeability barrier. To meet the objective of the study, a total of four spoil samples (identified as M1-M4) were collected in 2012. Each spoil sample was obtained from a different mine in eastern Kentucky. Samples M1 and M2 consisted of brown sandstone; sample M3 was gray sandstone; and sample M4 was a mixture of brown and gray sandstones. Each spoil sample was screened and analyzed for soil texture. Spoil moisture content-density relationships and spoil saturated hydraulic conductivity-moisture content relationships were developed for each sample using double ring permeameters. Maximum saturated hydraulic conductivity values ranged between a low of 5.9 x 10 -8 cm s -1 to a high of 3.1 x 10 -7 cm s -1 in the laboratory for the <2mm fraction. These saturated hydraulic conductivity values were comparable to soils used to construct liners in landfills, particularly in instances where the percentage of fines in the spoils were about 50% or greater. When in the field, however, it is expected that these saturated hydraulic conductivity values will typically be 1-3 orders of magnitude higher due to rock fragments. These results demonstrate that brown sandstone, with its higher fines content, is likely a more suitable media than gray sandstone for constructing a low permeability barrier to isolate high specific conductance producing and/or Se generating spoils. Based on these laboratory results, field assessments of brown weathered sandstones for this application are recommended.","PeriodicalId":17230,"journal":{"name":"Journal of the American Society of Mining and Reclamation","volume":"76 1","pages":"49-67"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2013-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"79274796","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Abstract: The overwhelming perception of surface mining is that it has significant adverse long term effects on the conservation of flora and fauna, and that there is typically a net loss in biodiversity, particularly those which have been identified as Biodiversity Action species and habitats under the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). These are enshrined in UK legislation and policy as to their protection, enhancement and promotion.
{"title":"CASE STUDY: The Contribution of Active Surface Mines in the Conservation of Lichan Communities in the South Wales Coalfield, United Kingdom","authors":"N. Humphries","doi":"10.21000/JASMR13010080","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21000/JASMR13010080","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract: The overwhelming perception of surface mining is that it has significant adverse long term effects on the conservation of flora and fauna, and that there is typically a net loss in biodiversity, particularly those which have been identified as Biodiversity Action species and habitats under the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). These are enshrined in UK legislation and policy as to their protection, enhancement and promotion.","PeriodicalId":17230,"journal":{"name":"Journal of the American Society of Mining and Reclamation","volume":"104 1","pages":"80-98"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2013-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"88414129","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
The Ute Ulay Mining complex, located approximately five miles west of Lake City, CO is an inactive Ag, Au, and Zn mining/milling operation that operated from the 1880's until the 1970's, and sporadically into the mid 1990's. During operation, milled tailings were pumped upstream from the mine/mill site in a sluice box and deposited into five tailings impoundments. The tailings impoundments comprised 13,000 yd 3 , on 6 acres of public lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). Prior to reclamation, windblown tailings from the impoundments exposed the public to potentially harmful dust, the tailings from the lowest pond washed into Henson Creek during high flow, and Zn, Pb and Cd leached into groundwater through the unlined tailings ponds. The objective of the reclamation was to mitigate the risk of human exposure to air- borne dust, and to protect surface and groundwater sources from further contamination from the tailings impoundments. Reclamation of the mine and mill waste materials was completed using cementatious paste technology. All waste materials were screened and separated on-site, and the fine-grained waste materials were mixed with cement and water to form the paste. The repository was constructed using a layered design, with paste forming the base and cap, and coarse waste materials placed as a middle layer within the enclosing paste. Following repository completion, the site was graded, drainage channels were constructed, groundwater-monitoring wells were installed, and six acres were revegetated. Reclamation was completed in October, 2009, with maintenance in 2011. Following three growing seasons, the vegetation community is healthy, with minimal weedy species, and no noxious weeds. The surface water quality in Henson Creek indicates a slight reduction in Zn and Cd levels, and other metal concentrations in the groundwater have declined by over an order of magnitude.
{"title":"CASE STUDY: UTILIZING PASTE TECHNOLOGY FOR RECLAMATION OF THE UTE ULAY UPPER TAILINGS IMPOUNDMENTS, LAKE CITY, COLORADO 1","authors":"Tara Tafi, David Lazorchak","doi":"10.21000/JASMR13010223","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21000/JASMR13010223","url":null,"abstract":"The Ute Ulay Mining complex, located approximately five miles west of Lake City, CO is an inactive Ag, Au, and Zn mining/milling operation that operated from the 1880's until the 1970's, and sporadically into the mid 1990's. During operation, milled tailings were pumped upstream from the mine/mill site in a sluice box and deposited into five tailings impoundments. The tailings impoundments comprised 13,000 yd 3 , on 6 acres of public lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). Prior to reclamation, windblown tailings from the impoundments exposed the public to potentially harmful dust, the tailings from the lowest pond washed into Henson Creek during high flow, and Zn, Pb and Cd leached into groundwater through the unlined tailings ponds. The objective of the reclamation was to mitigate the risk of human exposure to air- borne dust, and to protect surface and groundwater sources from further contamination from the tailings impoundments. Reclamation of the mine and mill waste materials was completed using cementatious paste technology. All waste materials were screened and separated on-site, and the fine-grained waste materials were mixed with cement and water to form the paste. The repository was constructed using a layered design, with paste forming the base and cap, and coarse waste materials placed as a middle layer within the enclosing paste. Following repository completion, the site was graded, drainage channels were constructed, groundwater-monitoring wells were installed, and six acres were revegetated. Reclamation was completed in October, 2009, with maintenance in 2011. Following three growing seasons, the vegetation community is healthy, with minimal weedy species, and no noxious weeds. The surface water quality in Henson Creek indicates a slight reduction in Zn and Cd levels, and other metal concentrations in the groundwater have declined by over an order of magnitude.","PeriodicalId":17230,"journal":{"name":"Journal of the American Society of Mining and Reclamation","volume":"75 1","pages":"223-244"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2013-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"83786634","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Wade J. Lehmann, J. Burley, C. Fleurant, L. Loures, Andrew McDowell
Landscape planners and designers are interested in replicating natural landscape patterns to reclaim degraded landscapes to blend with existing conditions. One approach that shows promise is the use of fractal geometry to create natural landscape patterns. While the measurement of the actual fractal dimension of an object is difficult, the box-counting method (developed at Agrocampus Ouest, Angers, France) approximates the fractal dimension of an object. This process is illustrated by measuring and replicating a stand of trees in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and applying the method for a planting plan on a Northern Michigan surface mine. The estimated fractal dimensions for the tree species are calculated: 0.329 for Tsuga canadensis Carriere, 0.674 for Thuja occidentalis L., 0.607 for Acer rubrum L, 0.345 for Acer saccharum Marshall, 0.442 for Pinus strobus L., and 0.359 for Picea glauca (Moench) Voss. and were applied in the design of a revegetation plan.
{"title":"Replicating species based fractal patterns for reclaiming northern Michigan waste rock piles","authors":"Wade J. Lehmann, J. Burley, C. Fleurant, L. Loures, Andrew McDowell","doi":"10.21000/JASMR13010114","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21000/JASMR13010114","url":null,"abstract":"Landscape planners and designers are interested in replicating natural landscape patterns to reclaim degraded landscapes to blend with existing conditions. One approach that shows promise is the use of fractal geometry to create natural landscape patterns. While the measurement of the actual fractal dimension of an object is difficult, the box-counting method (developed at Agrocampus Ouest, Angers, France) approximates the fractal dimension of an object. This process is illustrated by measuring and replicating a stand of trees in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and applying the method for a planting plan on a Northern Michigan surface mine. The estimated fractal dimensions for the tree species are calculated: 0.329 for Tsuga canadensis Carriere, 0.674 for Thuja occidentalis L., 0.607 for Acer rubrum L, 0.345 for Acer saccharum Marshall, 0.442 for Pinus strobus L., and 0.359 for Picea glauca (Moench) Voss. and were applied in the design of a revegetation plan.","PeriodicalId":17230,"journal":{"name":"Journal of the American Society of Mining and Reclamation","volume":"11 1","pages":"114-135"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2013-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"85464165","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
A 20-week bench-scale study was conducted by Golder Associates to determine whether passive treatment could effectively remove weak and dissociable (WAD) cyanide and NO3 from the drain down solution emanating from a decommissioned gold heap leach pad. An anaerobic treatment scenario was chosen and three different substrates were chosen. Limestone at 10% by weight was in all three reactors, two of the reactors had between 80 and 90% hay/straw, and a third reactor had 45% hay/straw and 45 % potato mash. These are local agricultural products and by-products. Because the historic concentration of nitrate-N ranged from 142 to 297 mg/L, the flow rate into the reactors was based on the hydraulic retention time needed to remove nitrate-N down to 10 mg/L, and this was determined to be 20 days. All three substrates were effective at removing WAD cyanide and nitrate-N to below 0.04 mg/L and 1.0 mg/L, respectively. In the effluents, other constituents that could be the products of cyanide and nitrate-N degradation were analyzed and only ammonia- N was detected at concentrations from 5 to 10 mg/L. The most recent regulatory reference value has been set at 10 mg/L N for the total N in all nitrogen species. Under this monitoring requirement, the sum of nitrate-N and ammonia-N would be below the 10 mg/L N reference value.
{"title":"DEMONSTRATION STUDY: TREATMENT OF HEAP LEACH PAD DRAIN DOWN SOLUTION: PROOF-OF-PRINCIPLE BENCH STUDY 1","authors":"C. Bucknam, C. Hager","doi":"10.21000/JASMR13010136","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21000/JASMR13010136","url":null,"abstract":"A 20-week bench-scale study was conducted by Golder Associates to determine whether passive treatment could effectively remove weak and dissociable (WAD) cyanide and NO3 from the drain down solution emanating from a decommissioned gold heap leach pad. An anaerobic treatment scenario was chosen and three different substrates were chosen. Limestone at 10% by weight was in all three reactors, two of the reactors had between 80 and 90% hay/straw, and a third reactor had 45% hay/straw and 45 % potato mash. These are local agricultural products and by-products. Because the historic concentration of nitrate-N ranged from 142 to 297 mg/L, the flow rate into the reactors was based on the hydraulic retention time needed to remove nitrate-N down to 10 mg/L, and this was determined to be 20 days. All three substrates were effective at removing WAD cyanide and nitrate-N to below 0.04 mg/L and 1.0 mg/L, respectively. In the effluents, other constituents that could be the products of cyanide and nitrate-N degradation were analyzed and only ammonia- N was detected at concentrations from 5 to 10 mg/L. The most recent regulatory reference value has been set at 10 mg/L N for the total N in all nitrogen species. Under this monitoring requirement, the sum of nitrate-N and ammonia-N would be below the 10 mg/L N reference value.","PeriodicalId":17230,"journal":{"name":"Journal of the American Society of Mining and Reclamation","volume":"102 1","pages":"136-150"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2013-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"80580590","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
R. Spotts, M. Brennan, Ryan A. Wade, Kathryn Malers, K. Carlson, Z. Isaacson
In order to address hazards and environmental detriments associated with historic coal mining, the New Mexico Abandoned Mine Land Program contracted with Water & Earth Technologies, Inc. Construction for the Swastika Mine and Dutchman Canyon Reclamation Project took place over a six-month period in 2012. The geomorphic reclamation approach coupled hydrologic and hydraulic engineering analyses with geomorphic design tools to stabilize and reclaim the significantly altered landscape. Coal waste piles, a straightened and incised half-mile-long reach of the Dillon Canyon stream channel, and existing wetland features proved to be challenging design elements of this award winning project. The geomorphic landform accommodated nearly 200,000 cu. yds. of coal waste that had been abandoned in unstable piles that were degrading the adjacent stream physically and chemically. The stream reconstruction restored meanders and a functional floodplain to the impaired system. In Dutchman Canyon, road and embankment improvements were designed to allow seepage from closed mine adits to hydrate a constructed salttolerant wetland. In addition to the geomorphic landform and the sinuous stream, a realigned access road was constructed through the narrow valley. Valuable ecological and cultural features including mature trees, wetland areas, utility poles, and over 200 identified archaeological features were preserved. Geomorphic designs were modified as required during construction to accommodate additional archeological discoveries. Geomorphic design was accomplished using Natural RegradeTM with GeofluvTM to incorporate stable drainage and topographic variety into the reconstructed stream and landform. The design used geomorphic criteria developed from measurements of nearby, undisturbed portions of the valley, mimicking stable landforms and stream characteristics that have developed naturally in response to the topographic relief, soils, vegetation, and climate in the project area. The project created an aesthetically pleasing valley with an ecologically rich riparian corridor integrated into a stable landform composed of reclaimed coal waste. Additional
{"title":"CASE STUDY: GEOMORPHIC RECLAMATION OF ABANDONED COAL MINES NEAR RATON, NEW MEXICO DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION OVERSIGHT","authors":"R. Spotts, M. Brennan, Ryan A. Wade, Kathryn Malers, K. Carlson, Z. Isaacson","doi":"10.21000/JASMR13010192","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21000/JASMR13010192","url":null,"abstract":"In order to address hazards and environmental detriments associated with historic coal mining, the New Mexico Abandoned Mine Land Program contracted with Water & Earth Technologies, Inc. Construction for the Swastika Mine and Dutchman Canyon Reclamation Project took place over a six-month period in 2012. The geomorphic reclamation approach coupled hydrologic and hydraulic engineering analyses with geomorphic design tools to stabilize and reclaim the significantly altered landscape. Coal waste piles, a straightened and incised half-mile-long reach of the Dillon Canyon stream channel, and existing wetland features proved to be challenging design elements of this award winning project. The geomorphic landform accommodated nearly 200,000 cu. yds. of coal waste that had been abandoned in unstable piles that were degrading the adjacent stream physically and chemically. The stream reconstruction restored meanders and a functional floodplain to the impaired system. In Dutchman Canyon, road and embankment improvements were designed to allow seepage from closed mine adits to hydrate a constructed salttolerant wetland. In addition to the geomorphic landform and the sinuous stream, a realigned access road was constructed through the narrow valley. Valuable ecological and cultural features including mature trees, wetland areas, utility poles, and over 200 identified archaeological features were preserved. Geomorphic designs were modified as required during construction to accommodate additional archeological discoveries. Geomorphic design was accomplished using Natural RegradeTM with GeofluvTM to incorporate stable drainage and topographic variety into the reconstructed stream and landform. The design used geomorphic criteria developed from measurements of nearby, undisturbed portions of the valley, mimicking stable landforms and stream characteristics that have developed naturally in response to the topographic relief, soils, vegetation, and climate in the project area. The project created an aesthetically pleasing valley with an ecologically rich riparian corridor integrated into a stable landform composed of reclaimed coal waste. Additional","PeriodicalId":17230,"journal":{"name":"Journal of the American Society of Mining and Reclamation","volume":"44 4 1","pages":"192-222"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2013-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"72991912","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Growing crops for biofuel production on agricultural land has caused conflict between choosing biomass crops for fuel instead of food for a growing world population. This has increased interest in growing biofuel feedstocks on marginal lands. Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.), a warm-season perennial grass, has been shown to be a viable bioenergy crop because it produces high yields on marginal lands under low water and nutrient conditions. From previous studies, switchgrass yields on marginal croplands varied from 5,000 to 10,000 kg ha -1 . West Virginia contains immense acreages of reclaimed surface mine lands and could offer enough area for the production of switchgrass as a feedstock for a biofuel industry. For reclaimed lands, yield targets of 5,000 kg ha -1 were established by researchers as the yield necessary for economic feasibility for landowners. This study was established in 2008 to determine switchgrass yields of different cultivars on mine sites in West Virginia. Three varieties of switchgrass were tested on two mine sites, Hampshire Hill and Hobet. The Hampshire Hill mine site, which was reclaimed in the early 1990's using top soil and treated municipal sludge, consistently had the highest yield of the two sites with a fifth year yield of 9,066 kg ha -1 averaged across varieties. Cave-in-Rock variety produced 15,600 kg ha -1 of biomass which was more than the other two varieties, Shawnee and Carthage, at 8,600 and 3,000 kg ha -1 . The other mine site, Hobet, was prepared using crushed, unweathered sandstone in 2008. Yields of switchgrass were 890 kg ha -1 for the fifth year of production, with Cave-in-rock producing the most biomass at 1,275 kg ha -1 . The two sites had different physical soil characteristics. While both sites had low contents of % fines and high rock fragment contents (material >2mm in size) Hobet had significantly lower % fines than Hampshire Hill. The type and quality of soil and the variety of switchgrass selected for seeding should be considered when the goal is chiefly high yields of switchgrass for biofuel production.
{"title":"YIELD OF SWITCHGRASS ON RECLAIMED SURFACE MINES 1","authors":"Carol A. Brown, J. Skousen, T. Griggs","doi":"10.21000/JASMR13010038","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21000/JASMR13010038","url":null,"abstract":"Growing crops for biofuel production on agricultural land has caused conflict between choosing biomass crops for fuel instead of food for a growing world population. This has increased interest in growing biofuel feedstocks on marginal lands. Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.), a warm-season perennial grass, has been shown to be a viable bioenergy crop because it produces high yields on marginal lands under low water and nutrient conditions. From previous studies, switchgrass yields on marginal croplands varied from 5,000 to 10,000 kg ha -1 . West Virginia contains immense acreages of reclaimed surface mine lands and could offer enough area for the production of switchgrass as a feedstock for a biofuel industry. For reclaimed lands, yield targets of 5,000 kg ha -1 were established by researchers as the yield necessary for economic feasibility for landowners. This study was established in 2008 to determine switchgrass yields of different cultivars on mine sites in West Virginia. Three varieties of switchgrass were tested on two mine sites, Hampshire Hill and Hobet. The Hampshire Hill mine site, which was reclaimed in the early 1990's using top soil and treated municipal sludge, consistently had the highest yield of the two sites with a fifth year yield of 9,066 kg ha -1 averaged across varieties. Cave-in-Rock variety produced 15,600 kg ha -1 of biomass which was more than the other two varieties, Shawnee and Carthage, at 8,600 and 3,000 kg ha -1 . The other mine site, Hobet, was prepared using crushed, unweathered sandstone in 2008. Yields of switchgrass were 890 kg ha -1 for the fifth year of production, with Cave-in-rock producing the most biomass at 1,275 kg ha -1 . The two sites had different physical soil characteristics. While both sites had low contents of % fines and high rock fragment contents (material >2mm in size) Hobet had significantly lower % fines than Hampshire Hill. The type and quality of soil and the variety of switchgrass selected for seeding should be considered when the goal is chiefly high yields of switchgrass for biofuel production.","PeriodicalId":17230,"journal":{"name":"Journal of the American Society of Mining and Reclamation","volume":"14 1","pages":"38-48"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2013-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"87540340","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Lina A. Lobo de Rezende, L. Dias, I. Assis, R. Braga, Mauro Lobo Rezende
The properties of the soils and underlying substrates of "canga" (ironstones outcrops) in central Brazil have a number of restrictions for the establishment of plant species, and the high specialization of local vegetation contributes to a high rate of endemic adaptations. The close association between the mining of iron and the need for locally adapted vegetation presents a special condition of vulnerability. This study evaluated varied approaches to the restoration of "canga" fields considering technical and economic aspects related to the application of topsoil, re-introduction of plants from local sources and their regeneration. We set up a field experiment on one overburden pile of Capao Xavier iron mine (mined by the Vale Company), composed of eight treatments formed from combinations of two thicknesses of "canga" and associated salvaged soils (20 and 40 cm) and four levels of fertilization. In each plot, we planted the same number of seedlings following the same spatial arrangement. The evaluation of the treatments was made at 10 and 42 months after planting for survival of the planted species. There was no significant difference among the average survival of seedlings planted for the different thicknesses of substrate and fertilization levels. The development of programs for ecological restoration of ferruginous fields should therefore consider, among other factors, the complex soil x vegetation mosaic commonly found in natural settings and thus carry out the "canga" material soil reconstruction sequence in order to reproduce this scenario. Furthermore, in view of the possible reduction in the number of plant individuals over time, there must be a satisfactory amount of individual species selected for reintroduction.
{"title":"RESTORATION OF IRONSTONES OUTCROPS DEGRADED BY IRON MINNING ACTIVITY IN MINAS GERAIS STATE-BRAZIL 1","authors":"Lina A. Lobo de Rezende, L. Dias, I. Assis, R. Braga, Mauro Lobo Rezende","doi":"10.21000/JASMR13010151","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21000/JASMR13010151","url":null,"abstract":"The properties of the soils and underlying substrates of \"canga\" (ironstones outcrops) in central Brazil have a number of restrictions for the establishment of plant species, and the high specialization of local vegetation contributes to a high rate of endemic adaptations. The close association between the mining of iron and the need for locally adapted vegetation presents a special condition of vulnerability. This study evaluated varied approaches to the restoration of \"canga\" fields considering technical and economic aspects related to the application of topsoil, re-introduction of plants from local sources and their regeneration. We set up a field experiment on one overburden pile of Capao Xavier iron mine (mined by the Vale Company), composed of eight treatments formed from combinations of two thicknesses of \"canga\" and associated salvaged soils (20 and 40 cm) and four levels of fertilization. In each plot, we planted the same number of seedlings following the same spatial arrangement. The evaluation of the treatments was made at 10 and 42 months after planting for survival of the planted species. There was no significant difference among the average survival of seedlings planted for the different thicknesses of substrate and fertilization levels. The development of programs for ecological restoration of ferruginous fields should therefore consider, among other factors, the complex soil x vegetation mosaic commonly found in natural settings and thus carry out the \"canga\" material soil reconstruction sequence in order to reproduce this scenario. Furthermore, in view of the possible reduction in the number of plant individuals over time, there must be a satisfactory amount of individual species selected for reintroduction.","PeriodicalId":17230,"journal":{"name":"Journal of the American Society of Mining and Reclamation","volume":"1 1","pages":"151-159"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2013-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"83457534","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
This study compares and evaluates the hydrologic characteristics between two kyanite ore process tailings ponds that were reclaimed with different reclamation strategies; one reclaimed with an impermeable membrane and the other with an open, surface reconfiguration methodology. During the extraction and processing of kyanite ore from the Graves Mountain mine, Lincoln County, Georgia, fine grained tailings were produced. The tailings were transported by slurry pipeline to various tailings ponds which were created by the construction of dams using on-site materials. The first study site, referred to as the Pyrite Pond (PP), was constructed and filled during the 1960’s and early 1970’s. In early 1992, the PP was capped with an impermeable membrane, covered with a thin soil veneer and vegetated and in 1998 the upslope reclamation was completed. The second tailings pond, referred to as the East Tailings Pond (ETP), was constructed and filled in the 1970’s and early 1980’s and was reclaimed in 199596 by surface reconfiguration and the addition of soil amendments. Piezometers and wells were installed into the two tailings ponds and also in close proximity to the tailings ponds. While the initial study was aimed at comparing the two reclamation strategies, it became apparent that the ground water was a dominant factor. Results of the evaluation of the potentiometric surface data for varying depths within each tailings pond indicate that while both tailings ponds exhibit delayed response to precipitation events suggesting infiltration effects, the delay in the ETP deep wells and PP wells could not be adequately described by a surface infiltration model. Further consideration of the surrounding well data, coupled with the tailings cross sections and water levels, suggest that the hydrologic characteristics of both tailings ponds are significantly influenced by base flow infiltration and ground water seepage into the upgradient areas of the tailing ponds. Additional
{"title":"COMPARISON OF HYDROLOGIC CHARACTERISTICS FROM TWO DIFFERENTLY RECLAIMED TAILINGS PONDS; GRAVES MOUNTAIN, LINCOLNTON, GA","authors":"G. Geidel","doi":"10.21000/JASMR12010154","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21000/JASMR12010154","url":null,"abstract":"This study compares and evaluates the hydrologic characteristics between two kyanite ore process tailings ponds that were reclaimed with different reclamation strategies; one reclaimed with an impermeable membrane and the other with an open, surface reconfiguration methodology. During the extraction and processing of kyanite ore from the Graves Mountain mine, Lincoln County, Georgia, fine grained tailings were produced. The tailings were transported by slurry pipeline to various tailings ponds which were created by the construction of dams using on-site materials. The first study site, referred to as the Pyrite Pond (PP), was constructed and filled during the 1960’s and early 1970’s. In early 1992, the PP was capped with an impermeable membrane, covered with a thin soil veneer and vegetated and in 1998 the upslope reclamation was completed. The second tailings pond, referred to as the East Tailings Pond (ETP), was constructed and filled in the 1970’s and early 1980’s and was reclaimed in 199596 by surface reconfiguration and the addition of soil amendments. Piezometers and wells were installed into the two tailings ponds and also in close proximity to the tailings ponds. While the initial study was aimed at comparing the two reclamation strategies, it became apparent that the ground water was a dominant factor. Results of the evaluation of the potentiometric surface data for varying depths within each tailings pond indicate that while both tailings ponds exhibit delayed response to precipitation events suggesting infiltration effects, the delay in the ETP deep wells and PP wells could not be adequately described by a surface infiltration model. Further consideration of the surrounding well data, coupled with the tailings cross sections and water levels, suggest that the hydrologic characteristics of both tailings ponds are significantly influenced by base flow infiltration and ground water seepage into the upgradient areas of the tailing ponds. Additional","PeriodicalId":17230,"journal":{"name":"Journal of the American Society of Mining and Reclamation","volume":"36 1","pages":"154-170"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2012-06-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"75841023","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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