In the last 20 years, coal mining in Appalachia has produced approximately 1500 pollutional discharges. State and Federal agencies are developing a strategy, which includes consideration of treatment costs, to ensure long-term treatment of these discharges. The U.S. Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSM), in cooperation with the states of Pennsylvania and West Virginia, developed a free Windows-based computer program, termed AMDTreat, designed to estimate the capital and annual costs to abate pollutional mine discharges. AMDTreat uses a three-step approach to estimate treatment costs: 1. Users enter water quality and quantity data, 2. Users "build" an active and/or passive treatment system by selecting the applicable treatment components from the software menu, and 3. Users customize each treatment system to site-specific conditions by controlling the size, quantity, and unit cost of treatment components. Treatment types for which AMDTreat can estimate costs include vertical flow pond, anoxic limestone drain, Mn removal bed, anaerobic and aerobic wetlands, oxic limestone channel, hydrated lime, caustic soda, anhydrous ammonia, pebble quicklime, and soda ash. The model combines costs from these treatment methods with costs of ancillary treatment components, such as settling ponds and ditching, to calculate a site-specific capital cost. Similarly, AMDTreat calculates annual costs by taking into account user-provided information regarding sampling, labor, maintance, pumping, chemical consumption, and sludge removal. Capital and annual costs can be used in conjunction with AMDTreat's financial forecasting utility to evaluate the economics of long-term treatment. Additional features of the application include the ability to forward predict or back calculate costs, and an extensive help system. AMDTreat was designed for anyone interested in mine drainage treatment; including State and Federal agencies, industry, and watershed groups.

Abstract. Abandoned mine drainage is a major source of water pollution in Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and other historical mining districts. Technology which utilizes no harsh chemicals and no electricity, and requires minimal maintenance known as passive treatment is being developed to address this pollution problem in a relatively cost-effective manner.

In Boone County, West Virginia, small valley fills composed of overburden from the Number 5 Block coal seam were constructed during previous mining operations before overburden analysis was required to predict acid-producing potential. Using the modified acid-base accounting procedure, we found that these fills contain acid-producing materials, and in fact, they do produce acidic drainage. Black Castle Mining Company began operating in the area during the late 1980s and, in the process of removing coal from deeper in the geologic column, encountered alkaline sandstone, which they used to construct valley fills around and below the pre-existing fills that were discharging acidic drainage. Water quality from existing fills had pH from 3.5 to 4.5, and acidities up to 200 mg/L as CaCO 3 . After covering the existing fills with alkaline sandstone, drainage water had a pH of [6.2 and contained net alkalinity. This has eliminated the need for chemical treatment of acid mine drainage from the preexisting, pre-law valley fills.

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