Abandoned Mine Drainage (AMD) has been identified as a major source of water pollution in affected areas by private citizens, government agencies, and non-profit organizations. Several methods for treating AMD are available, but recent focus has been on using passive treatment systems because of the financial, ecological, and aesthetic benefits they provide. Passive treatment systems generally consist of:
- a collection system used to capture polluted water exiting abandoned mines,
- passive chemical treatment (generally limestone beds) to bring the pH of the captured water closer to neutral, allowing heavy metals to coagulate and settle to the bottom,
- settling pond(s) where heavy metals can settle to the bottom, out of the water flow, and
- wetland areas where wetland plants continue the process of removing harmful substances from the water by natural processes.
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| Drainage from an abandoned mine | A treatment wetland |
After the water has run through the passive treatment system, it is clean enough to enter the natural watershed without detrimental effects to flora and fauna. In fact, fish were observed in a stream where they are believed to have been absent for a century less than four years after the installation of a passive treatment system to clean the AMD entering the stream.
Also important in the reclamation of abandoned mine lands is the removal of coal refuse (gob) that was frequently left in large piles near the mine site. Not only are these piles unsightly, water running down or through them reacts with the iron sulfide they contain. This reaction forms a number of compounds (one of which is responsible for the red color associated with mine drainage), including sulfuric acid. Sulfuric acid is dangerous to most living things, and the run-off from gob piles pollutes the ground under and around them, as well as the water resources it enters, including the ground water. The gob is trucked off-site, mixed with a neutralizing agent, and used as fill for the same and/or other abandoned mine reclamation projects.
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| A gob pile left from coal mining | Removing gob for neutralization |
The Slippery Rock Watershed Coalition (SRWC) was organized to remediate the effects of AMD on the Slippery Rock Creek Watershed. SRWC has the cooperation and support of local, state, and federal agencies and governments, as well as academic institutions, private companies, and non-profit organizations. These organizations have worked together to design and implement innovative solutions to the mine drainage problem, which are now being monitored to provide data for other impacted waterways. Aquascape Wetland and Environmental Services is active in the Coalition by:
- Preparing grant applications for project funding
- Obtaining waivers of permit requirements and other necessary environmental clearance for project construction
- Designing and supervising the construction and planting of treatment wetlands
- Constructing and installing habitat structures such as bluebird boxes, wood duck boxes, bat boxes, and a bat hibernaculum
- Providing tours of restoration projects to students, educators, and environmental professionals
Project Profile