TECHNOLOGY REVIEW
Cover crop-reclamation
(Photo: Virginia Tech Dept. of Geography)
Revision:
December 2006
Author: Jack Caldwell
http://technology.infomine.com
Journals
Here
are some quotable quotes from Issue 2 2006 of Reclamation Matters, the journal
of the American Society of Mining and Reclamation.
- “It’ll take another
week to break down the mine and put the mountain back in shape. Make ‘er appear like she was before we
came. We’ve wounded this mountain
and it’s our duty to close her wounds.
It’s the least we can do so show our gratitude for all the wealth
she’s given us. If you guys don’t
want to help me, I’ll do it alone.”
Robert Darmody recalling a statement from the movie The Treasure of the Sierra Madre.
- “A person is
entitled to his own opinion, but not to his own facts.” Jeff Skousen recalling a friend’s
statement. He continues in his own
words: “..we need to have open minds and to seek all the facts—not just
the ones that fit our biases and past experiences—to expand our knowledge
base and to implement new ideas.
- “I was taught that
every individual has at least one great talent. The great tragedy of life is for an
individual not to find that talent….I encourage you to change, to step up,
expand your vision, and discover your talent. As you seek your talent and channel your
love of learning, you will discover one of man’s greatest abilities—to
think.” Bruce Buchanan [slightly
edited].
- “Some of the
world’s most productive soils in the upper
- “restoration of
prime farmland [after mining], the first area reclaimed in
BLM
Mined Land Reclamation
A
comprehensive manual on mine reclamation is probably a pipe dream. The topic is too large and multi-disciplinary
to get all the information in one volume.
Maybe an encyclopedia is required.
But paper books would soon be out of date. Only an e-publication could potentially
succeed. Neither the volume discussed
here, nor this piece goes any way towards achieving the ideal of an
all-encompassing tome on mine reclamation.
But the volume I chanced on trawling the net is worth examining if you
are interested in the basic principles of mine reclamation, particularly in the
western parts of the
I
refer to the e-publication Draft Solid Minerals Reclamation Handbook (2001) put
out by the United State Bureau of Land Management (BLM). The purpose of the manual is “to provide
consistent guidelines and performance standards for reclamation of and closure
of non-coal solid mineral activities on Federal and
The
manual spends time on the authority and administrative procedures to follow in
reclaiming mine-disturbed lands—these may be relevant if you have a mine that
falls within the purview of the BLM. If
your mine is not regulated by BLM, you can skip these sections and proceed
apace to the sections on reclamation of site access, surface water management,
groundwater protection, pit lakes, waste dump design, covers, leachate and acid
rock drainage treatment, pit backfill, underground closure, radionuclide
reclamation, and revegetation.
To
give you some idea of the tone and treatment of topics in the manual, I quote
the following on pit backfill.
“Where
feasible, backfilling of pits should be considered as an element of
reclamation. Advantages of backfilling
include improved visual resources and public safety, increased post-mining land
productivity, and, in some cases, the elimination of dangerous and/or
potentially toxic pit lakes. Where pits
are not backfilled, the operator should present adequate documentation to show
that backfilling is not feasible, including discussion of the options that
allow independent evaluation of the decision not to backfill. Where backfilling is not performed,
consideration should be given to highwall modification to enhance wildlife
habitat. In addition, large pits require
safety berming and fencing, which require perpetual maintenance and may not
adequately deter access by humans and wildlife.”
The
manual reminds us that NEPA EISs may be required. It may be argued that the following
constitute ARARs to any mine EIS. I
quote again from the manual.
“NEPA
evaluation of backfilling option should include consideration of the following:
- Health and value of
the affected resources
- Compliance with
Federal and State laws
- Assurance against
pollution of water resources
- Provision for
protection of human safety and health
- Consideration of
the other consequences of backfilling, such as energy use, noise, dust,
etc.
- Development of
reasonable measures to protect the scenic scientific and environmental
values of the impacted area
Alternatives
to conventional pit backfilling include:
- Sequential
backfilling where old pits are used as a repository for waste rock
generated during the excavation of a new pit. This is possibly only when
pits are close together and worked sequentially.
- Shooting down of
highwalls to increase landform stability and improve visual resources
- Construction of
raptor habitat.”
I
enjoyed and learnt a bit from the long section on underground mine
closure—seems as though it was written by an erudite author, or at least one
with practical experience. A good number
of interesting guidelines and issues raised in that chapter.
I
would leave aside the chapter dealing with uranium mine close; better see the
NRC documents on this issue.
Colorado
A
recent report (June 2006) makes fascinating reading and instructive
reporting. I refer to the Reclamation
Feasibility Report Henson Creek Watershed (June 2006) put out by
the Colorado Department of Natural Resources, Division of Minerals and Geology.
The report was prepared as part of an evaluation of the impact of drainage from
mines in the Henson Creek watershed and the potential impact of mine drainage
on the
Prospecting
began in
Both
natural and mining related metal loadings affect water quality in Henson
Creek. The report describes work done to
quantify the contribution by natural and mining sources. Total zinc and manganese were chosen as the
indicator metals. Reasons include the
presence of zinc and manganese in the adit drainage of all the mines surveyed,
the correlation of zinc and manganese with other heavy metals of concern, and
because of the “conservative” nature of these metals.
The
report concludes: a maximum of 35 percent of the zinc load in Hanson Creek is
from mining waste; six percent of the zinc is from adits; a maximum of three
percent of the manganese in Hanson Creek is from mining wastes; and 30 percent
of the manganese is from adits. The
report concludes that the majority of the metal loading is therefore from
natural sources.
To
address the mining-related contributions, the report makes recommendations for
each site. Seven of the 23 sites
surveyed are recommended for no action at this time, thirteen waste rock piles
are recommended for reclamation, five of the 23 sites are recommended for adit
discharge reclamation, seven for further investigation. Here are some of the specific recommendations
that caught my attention:
- Due to the
inaccessibility of both dumps by road access, reclamation of the two waste
piles is questionable. The Hoffman
site would require crossing an expanse of tundra, while the Engineer site
could be accessed from above. Both
dumps could be reclaimed with limestone amendments or subsurface
burial. The Engineer site would
require extensive up-slope handling with a dragline. The measurablity of this measure on
water quality would not be cost effective.
- Because of the
natural amelioration which occurs from DM-7, no reclamation or treatment
of water drainage from the
- The Hanna Mill site
has not been reclaimed because it is on private land. The current landowner has chosen not to
reclaim the site because the site is slated to be the location of a
mountain cabin. The land owner
plans to use the flat area of the mill building foundation and associate
waste rock as a foundation. The
foundation will be poured concrete, which would help to immobilize some of
the metal in the waste rock pile.
If landownership changes, recommended reclamation of this site
would either be to remove the waste rock to the Ute-Ule repository or to
create an on-site repository and revegetate.
- The Excelsior waste
rock pile is a seasonal source of heavy metals to Hanson Creek. The recommended site reclamation is to
remove the waste from the drainage, and dispose of the materials in an
excavated area on the slope west of the mine.
- The reclamation
recommended for this site is to divert the drainage from the spring above
by constructing a ditch around the waste pile. This can probably be accomplished by
hand methods.
Idaho
A good story
with a happy ending; a testimony to what can be achieved; congratulations. These positive thoughts came to mind when I
saw this piece on the
wire this morning. I quote: “Meridian Gold Inc is pleased to announce
that the Company's past producing Beartrack Mine has been selected to
receive two awards for the Company's excellence in its reclamation process in Salmon, Idaho. The Bureau of Land
Management's 2006 Hardrock Mineral Environmental Award recognizes effective
environmental stewardship. Meridian Beartrack was chosen due to the Company's
demonstrated track record of successfully meeting or exceeding federal, state
or local reclamation requirements with minimal oversight.”
I have been to
the mine, and have
previously written this: The most
beautiful mine in the
At 7,000 feet
in the crystal air and cold sun, the mill and the process plant glisten. Inside
is that chaos and cornucopia of metal, fluid, and noise. Calmly presiding over
all this is Adam Whitman, a thirty-something metallurgical engineer. He has a
degree in metallurgical engineering and a master of business management (MBA)
from Montana Tech. He lives in a Victorian house and leaves the quiet of the
town for corporate deliberations in
Here is his
description of his work and objectives (his words): Combining desired
efficiencies for low-cost production, managing persons from both a higher and
lower management status, reaching compromise between the goals of the budget
and operational desires, understanding, overseeing, and interpreting laboratory
analysis to meet or improve upon desired cost, extraction, or regulatory
compliance goals. Uncompromising compliance with environmental laws and safety,
while pursuing production needs. My job is much more than
His technicians
are a happy group. They willingly help me dig test pits, collect soil samples,
ship drums of rock to out-of-state laboratories, plot contours on computers,
collate reports, and find something to eat because I forgot to bring a
lunch-pack. They take time off from their regular jobs of adjusting the mill
and process equipment, replacing warn parts, dealing with vendors, and
maintaining security systems in the lonely hills. You can see why the mine
deserves its award.
I have met and
been honored to work with other from
Edgar Smith:
His intense energy and penetrating questions have left me gasping for facts and
figures to support recommendations, but I have always felt like a professional
in working with him. He appears to have a talent for focusing on the key issue
and driving forward to a solution. Rather than write more, I asked him to
explain how he got involved in Beartrack and what his vision is for the
long-term future of the site.
To conclude: I am guilty of association with
Indiana
“What other abandoned mined land site can
boast of being an operating landfill, a growing community recreational center,
the site of a world championship racing event, and the site of an NCAA
Championship event? The reclaimed
Victory Mine Site was once a barren and eroded abandoned mine refuse area that
created sedimentation and acid mine drainage problems into an adjacent
stream. The site was also used as a
trash disposal area for years and an open mine entry presented a hazard to
human safety. Today the site is a major
community recreation area and the location for local, national, and world
sports events. The site has come a long
way in the last few years and the story is remarkable.”
Thus
begins the submission of reclamation of the Victory Mine for the Indiana
Abandoned Mine Reclamation Award for 2003.
I do not know if this mine site reclamation won in 2003, but I do know
that it is worth reading the submission for indeed “the story is
remarkable.” The submission provides the
details of the site’s use and abuse over the years during which coal was mined,
the mined out area used for waste disposal, and the area allowed to erode and
contaminate streams. Then reclamation
work was put in place and today the area is, as noted in the paragraph quoted
above, and area used and enjoyed by the community. I leave you to read the details; the text and
photos will reward your time.
Nevada
A useful checklist of
items to consider when estimating the cost of closure of a mine is provided by
Items listed include:
- Reclamation plans and specifications
- Drill hole abandonment
- Access roads and drill pads
- Waste and development rock piles
- Dams for tailings ponds
- Impoundments for tailings
- Heaps from leaching
- Solution ponds, settling ponds, and other
non-tailings impoundments
- Building foundations, facilities, structures,
and other equipment
- Open pit mines
- Underground mines
- Revegetation
- Supervision
- Site maintenance and site monitoring
- Contractor administrative overhead
- Contractor profit
- Lead agency overhead
New Jersey
If ever proof
were needed that a mine closure plan is needed and that this plan should
include some form of post-closure care, the following story provides it. This
is from the EPA:
“Furthering the
progress toward cleaning up the Ringwood Mines and protecting the surrounding
community, EPA today restored the Ringwood Mines/Landfill site in
“I made a
commitment to the community that this site would be put back on the Superfund
list, and this is the last step in that process,” said Regional Administrator
Alan J. Steinberg. “Thanks to EPA Administrator Steve Johnson this site got the
highest level of attention and we were able to get it restored to the list
quickly. While cleanup work has been progressing all along, now that this is an
official Superfund site, the community can apply for grant funds to obtain
EPA is
currently overseeing several investigations at the site and the continuing
removal of paint sludge. These investigations will help to identify additional
areas of contamination that may not be visible from the surface as well as
ground water sampling in various parts of the site. The goal of these
investigations is to better understand the nature and extent of the
contamination at the site to make sure all potential sources are addressed.
The Ringwood
Mines/Landfill site is located in an historic iron mining district in
Pennsylvania
“Nearly
one of every ten people in
·
Construct a
mine drainage treatment facility to treat upto 1,000 gallons per minute of
acidic discharge from long-abandoned underground mines.
·
Replace the
community baseball fields currently on the site with a modern multi-sport
recreation facility to be built on approximately 10 acres of abandoned mine
land closer to the community and donated by the responsible mining
company.
Go
to this
link for more on
Utah
This
volume is the best primer on Mine Reclamation I have yet come across: The
Practical Guide to Reclamation in Utah. I can find no date on the
e-file at the link; the guide talks of “at the start of the new millennium” and
the latest reference date is 1998, so maybe it comes from the early
2000’s. Regardless of when it was
written, it should be your first stop on a tour of mine reclamation reading,
even if your mine is not in
With
over 160 pages of well-written, clear and logical text, this guide covers
mine-reclamation topics including: shaping the land--visual considerations;
reclaiming waterways—drainage reclamation and streambank bioengineering; handling
soils; and revegetation. And that is
just Part 1 of the guide. Part 2
includes fifteen Technique Sheets that provide practical guidelines to
reclamation activities including: surface roughening; erosion control; check
dams; and sediment ponds.
Here
are some observations from the guide that caught my attention:
- In many areas of
- When dealing with
unconsolidated materials such as waste and tailings piles, the straight
slopes should be graded to respond to the contours of the area. Generally, the straight slopes should be
curved and irregular in both plan and profile.
- The final surface
[of a cover] should have surface roughness to improve retention of seed
and soil, while minimizing erosion.
The surface roughness may increase retention and infiltration of
precipitation until a sufficient amount of vegetation has grown. These opposing concepts of water
retention versus water shedding will need to be balance on the basis of
site-specific conditions.
- A person familiar
with fluvial processes should design perennial and intermittent channel
reclamation. Familiarity with
geomorphology, channel and meander geometry, and the natural tendencies
for channel adjustment to stability is needed to predict the most
effective design for long-term stability and function.
And
so on. I cannot possibly do the guide
total justice, so if the topic interests you, download it, read it, enjoy it,
and implement it.
Utah
This
is a valuable reference if you mine in
I
refer to the 2005
There
are some 17,000 to 20,000 abandoned mines in
The
management plan sets out to start a process of action. Its most generally applicable contribution to
the wider mining industry is a summary of the Best Management Practices for
addressing situations commonly encountered at abandoned mines.
Other
content in the management plan of general interest is information about the location
of mines and mining districts in
Washington
Now
there is only one document you need to read to get most of the story about the
Midnite Mine in
At
nearly 250 pages long, I cannot begin to summarize the wealth of detail in this
ROD. Suffice it to note here that the
selected remedy includes:
- Containment of mine
waste in pits.
- Water collection
and treatment.
- Residuals
management.
- Surface water
sediment management.
- Monitored natural
attenuation of groundwater.
- Institutional
controls and access restriction.
- Long-term site
management.
- Contingent action
planning.
A
sad part of the story that is told in this somewhat edited quote:
- “In 1991, Dawn
submitted a reclamation plan. This
plan was not accepted by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM).
- In 1996, Dawn
produced a revised reclamation plan.
BLM considered the revised plan sufficient for inclusion as one of
the several reclamation options to be evaluated under NEPA following
additional site studies.
- In 1998,
negotiations involving the Department of the Interior (DOI), EPA, and the
Department of Justice (DOJ) led to an interim agreement between DOJ, DOI,
EPA, Dawn, and Newmont.
- Dawn and Newmont
fulfilled the terms of the Interim Agreement [by conducting] field work in
1999 and 2000, followed by reporting in 2000 and 2001.
- Negotiations with
Dawn in 1999 to conduct a Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Study (RI/FS)
were unsuccessful, leading to an RI/FS conducted and funded by EPA.
- EPA performed the
RI/FS from 1999 to 2006.
- In 2005, the
Wisconsin Mine
Reclamation
“Successful reclamation means the restoration
of all areas disturbed by mining activities including aspects of the mine
itself, waste disposal areas, buildings, and roads and utility corridors. It is the product of thorough planning and
execution of a well conceived reclamation plan.
Restoration means returning of the site to a condition that minimizes
erosion and sedimentation, supports productive and diverse plant and animal
communities and allows for the desired post-mining land use.”
Thus
begins the Wisconsin Mining Information Fact Sheet Reclamation
and long-Term Care Requirements for Metallic Mining Sites in Wisconsin. This fact sheet and the following can be
accessed at this link.
- The Permitting
Process for a Metallic Mineral Mine.
- How the Department
of Natural Resources Regulates Metallic Mining.
- Protecting
Groundwater at Metallic Mining Sites.
- Local Decisions in
Metallic Mining Projects.
- Addressing Public
Concerns with
- Cumulative Impacts
of Metallic Mining Developments in
Taken
together, these fact sheets present an interesting survey of mining activities
and requirements in a state not normally thought of as a leading mining
community. Thankfully the fact sheets
are brief, but informative. For example
the fact sheet that is the subject of this piece manages in a mere seven pages
to summarize all the relevant issues involved in mine reclamation, setting out
the basic requirements for a Mine Reclamation Plan. Take a look at this for a basic check
list.