In coal and minerals mining; how do you define "endpoint" for post-mining pollutant treatment before a permit is issued? Will re-mining for further coal removal from abandoned mines reduce acid mine drainage (AMD)?
This issue is very difficult to fix, because the regulations in the various countries and the sentiment of people lving there what pollution is like are very different as it is the question to which extent the post-mining chemical and "mineralogical" impact of the various commodities mined in a site reaches. Some have a rather wide halo which also depends on the lithology, geomorphology and hydrology of the earth system around . It is also question of the mining technique applied: (1) underground mining classical, (2) underground solution mining, (3) open-pit mining. This gives you an idea of the complexity of the process. For example, you may rehabilitate the mining site of a U mine up to the backfill of the abandoned open pit so that no longer dumps are to be observed in the region but you need wells monitoring the water system. Underground solution mining forces the company responsible or the state authorities to wash out the circulating acidic fluids so that they can no longer be harmful to the people living around and the water has achieved full drinking water quality. There is not simple general question to he handed down but you have to consider the individual case histories be it metal or coal mining, each of which causes its peculiar post-mining problems.
Kind regards
H.G.Dill
Thank you Dr. Dill. I totally agree, as there is no straightforward solution to the problem. I agree that it depends on soil, geology, hydraulic connections, mining (underground, open pits, overburden, waste rock dumps, flotation tailings), type of treatments and technology (active vs passive), nature of reclamation/rehabilitation, and mining regulations, among others. While some sites may take few years to recover, other may take decades or even centuries. Remining abandoned mines may reduce AMD by decreasing pyrite, and recharge, but the effects are largely site specific. Cost-effective and sustainable treatments, long-term monitoring and effective policies and enforcement (effluent limitation, performance bonding, and others) must be a priority to avoid further ecological and hydrological damage
Check our recent review on Acid Mine Drainage on Journal of Hydrology: Article Acid Mine Drainage from Coal Mining in the United States – An Overview
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