The overall objective of MWTP, Activity III, Project 42, Physical Solutions for Acid Mine Drainage at Remote Sites is to design, construct, and test the operation and functionality of a treatment facility to remove arsenic and heavy metals from the selected demonstration site, the Susie/Valley Forge Mine discharge in Rimini, Montana. The concept for this novel approach would be to utilize the physical characteristics of the mine in such a way as to enhance the overall efficiency of the proposed treatment process. The goal for the Process is to treat the Susie Mine water to meet the Montana Circular WQB-7 Standards or to less than 10 g/L. The bench-scale results and work to date will be presented and discussed in this presentation.
Project Description
BackgroundThe information in this paper is taken from the Interim Report for Mine Waste Technology Program (MWTP), Activity III, Project 42, Physical Solutions for Acid Mine Drainage at Remote Mine Sites Demonstration Project. The interim report provides information on the work completed and the findings by MSE Technology Applications, Inc. (MSE) and contract project personnel during the execution of the bench-scale testing as outlined in the Phase I scope of work in the project work plan (MSE,2003a) and the project quality assurance test plan (MSE, 2004). Representatives from the Montana Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) Environmental Management Bureau and Mine Waste Cleanup Bureau, EPA Region 8, CDM Federal Programs Corporation (CDM), and MSE met in Helena, Montana on March 26, 2003. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss options for source control and reduction of metals loading from acid mine drainage (AMD) to the Tenmile Creek in the Rimini Mining District, which is approximately 15 miles West of Helena, Montana. The Upper Tenmile Creek Mining Area Site Remedial Design Acid Mine Drainage Study, (CDM, 2003) prepared by CDM for EPA in consultation with the MDEQ, was discussed. This report highlighted 17 mine discharges as contributing to metal loadings in Tenmile Creek. The project and how it could support sustainable remediation efforts for the Tenmile Creek drainage were also discussed. Representatives from both the MDEQ and EPA Region 8 requested that MSE, as part of this project, perform treatability studies on 3 of the 17 mine waters to determine viable treatment options. The three metal laden mine waters, which contribute over 65 percent (%) of the metals loading, were the Susie/Valley Forge, Lee Mountain, and Red Water. It was also decided that the same treatability studies would be performed on a combination water comprised of the three mine waters. The reasoning behind evaluating the combination water was that the MDEQ had been approached previously by the Corp of Engineers with the concept of collecting these metal laden mine waters prior to their entering the Tenmile Creek and treating them in a single treatment system. The treatability work performed in this project would support that concept.In addition to the Rimini Mining District wat...
