An Overview of the EPADOE Mine

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An Overview of the EPA/DOE Mine
An Overview of the EPA/DOE Mine
Waste Technology Program
Waste Technology Program
Roger C. Wilmoth
Chief, Multimedia Technology Branch
USEPA
National Risk Management Research Laboratory
Cincinnati, OH 45268
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DOE
UNIVERSITIES
STATES
BLM
WESTERN
GOVERNORS'
ASSOCIATION
USEPA National Risk Management Research
Laboratory
Cincinnati, OH 45268
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History of the Mine Waste Technology Program

• Started 1991
• Congressionally-mandated

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Mine Waste Technology Program Oversight

• EPA Office of Research and Development
• Roger Wilmoth and staff
• EPA Region 8
• Mike Bishop
• Department of Energy
• Mel Shupe, Gene Ashby
• Technical Integration Committee
• Rory Tibbals - -Golden Sunlight Mine
• Dave Gaskins - -State of Nevada
• Ron Hill - - Environmental Consultant
• John Ray - -Montana Environmental Information
  Center
• Bob Robinson - - US BLM
• Daryl Reed - -State of Montana
• Tom Wildeman - -Colorado School of Mines
• Norm Yogerst - -US Forest Service
• John Pantano - -ARCO
• John Martin - -EPA SITE Program
• Rocky Leo - -West Virginia Dept of Natural
  Resources
• Tom McIntyre - -Advanced Silicon Materials

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Magnitude of Mine Waste Problem

• Mining waste generated by active and inactive
  mining production facilities and its impact on
  human health and the environment are a growing
  problem for government entities, private
  industry, and the general public
• Total remediation costs for these states
  estimated at anywhere from 4-47 billion

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Magnitude of Ore Mine Waste ProblemNumber
Indicates Number of Mines
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Gold Mines Mercury Mines
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Distribution of Funds FY 00
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Programmatic Functions

• DoE
• Administrative Oversight
• NRMRL
• Technical Oversight and Recovery Research
• Montana Tech
• Basic Research
• MSE-Technology Applications
• Technology Demonstrations

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Accomplishments

• Technology Transfer
• Transfer information to other researchers, mining
  industry, regulatory agencies, general public
• Volumes defining the State-of-Knowledge relative
  to various mine waste forms 10
• Brochures 10
• Final and Interim
  Reports 35
• Published Papers 15
• Technical
  Presentations 60
• Published Abstracts 17
• Guided Tours 4
• Annual Reports 6

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Accomplishments

• Education
• Mine and Mineral Waste Emphasis Graduate
  Students 30
• Graduate Research Students 20
• Undergraduate Students 30
• K through 12 Students 200
• Seminars and Workshops 15
• New College Level Courses 12
• Students in New Courses 450

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Major Meetings

• Three Mine Waste Camps - - avg attendance 100 ea
• 1998 Heavy Metals Contamination Workshop - - 150
  attendees - -Carol Browner gave keynote, Sen.
  Baucus and Sen. Burns spoke interactively
• 1998 Mining Workshop - - 300 attendees
• 1999 Heavy Metals Contamination Workshop - -180
  Attendees
• 1999 Pit Lakes Workshop - -240 attendees
• Planned Mercury Workshop - -fall 2000
• Mine Operations, Design, and Closure Conferences,
  1993-2000, over 1,000 attendees. Sponsors
  include USFS, BLM, MT DEQ, MWTP

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Minority Initiative - Native Americans

• Culturally Sensitive Short Courses Developed - 3
• Courses Delivered - 5 - at
• Salish Kootenai College
• Fort Belknap Reservation
• Indian Pueblo Cultural Center
• New Hampshire AMD Site
• Developing Short Courses - 2
• Internet Courses - 4 - Targeting Tribal Colleges
• Tribal Partners - Haskell, Fort Belknap, Dine,
  Sinte Gleska, Menominee Nation, D-Q, Stone Child,
  Salish-Kootenai
• Curriculum Dev. - MT Tech, Dartmouth, MI State,
  Middlebury
• Web Based - Environmental Learning Community
  Under Construction - multimedia.mtech.edu/elc/
• All Product is delivered at no cost to Indian
  Communities.

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Summary

• 10 Issue Identification and Prioritization
  Volumes
• 19 Field-Scale Demonstration Projects
• 8 Bench-Scale Development Projects
• 11 Berkeley Pit Innovative Technologies Projects
• 12 Pit Lake Characterization Projects
• 150 Technology Transfer Activities
• Over 3,000 Individuals Affected by Educational
  Activities

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www.epa.gov/ORD/NRMRL/std/mtb
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Butte Quicktime VR
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?10,000 miles of workings
? 42 miles of shafts
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Berkeley Pit , circa late 1970s
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Circa 1995
30 billion gallons
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High Speed Wench System
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Biological Survey
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Research/Demonstration Priorities

• 1. At-Source Controls
• Grouting
• In-situ SRB Reactors
• Mine Sealing
• 2. Treatment Options
• Remote Site Neutralization
• Arsenic
• Cyanide
• Mercury
• Nitrate
• Selenium
• 3. Revegetation /Stabilization
• Capping
• Revegetation

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Summary of the Mike Horse Experience
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The Mammoth Tailings Site
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Major Goals Improve Outreach efforts Use
Web! Use Web!! Use Web!!! Use Web!!!! Use Web!!!!!
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The End
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Heres Diana!!!!!!!