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Summary
Pages 1-12

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From page 1...
... A by-product of coal combustion is the formation of coal combustion residues (CCRs) , the noncombustible portion of the coal itself and residues from various air pollution control technologies.
From page 2...
... The study looked at the placement in abandoned and active, surface and underground coal mines in all major coal basins. The study considered coal mines receiving large quantities of coal combustion wastes.
From page 3...
... 11. Evaluation of the risks associated with contamination of water supplies and the environment from the disposal or placement of coal combustion wastes in coal mines in the context of the requirements for protection of those resources by the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA)
From page 4...
... The two most common CCR disposal options, surface impoundments and landfills, provide insights into the types of issues that can emerge when the soluble constituents of CCRs are not contained within the waste management system. Although disposal conditions may differ substantially from mine settings, landfills and surface impoundments are useful for understanding the specific conditions under which CCRs can potentially impact humans and ecosystems.
From page 5...
... Characterizing a Mine Site Disposal Option Characterization of the CCR material and the mine placement site is essential to engineering design, permitting decisions, reclamation management, and the
From page 6...
... To contribute to evaluation of the risk of placing CCRs at mine sites, the committee recommends that CCRs be characterized prior to significant mine placement and with each new source of CCRs. The CCR characterization should continue periodically throughout the mine placement process to assess any changes in CCR composition and behavior.
From page 7...
... The committee recommends that comprehensive site characterization specific to CCR placement be conducted at all mine sites prior to substantial placement of CCRs. Site characterization should encompass a full description of the hydrogeological setting, including aquifer locations and groundwater flow patterns, surface-water drainage and flow, and soil and overburden characterization.
From page 8...
... Based on its reviews of CCR post-placement monitoring at many sites visited during the course of this study, the committee concludes that the number of monitoring wells, the spatial coverage of wells, and the duration of monitoring at CCR minefills are generally insufficient to accurately assess the migration of contaminants. Additionally, the committee found quality assurance and control and information management procedures for water quality data at CCR mine placement sites to be inadequate.
From page 9...
... CCR Use in Abandoned Mine Lands and Re-Mining Sites Any regulatory standards for CCR use adopted under SMCRA for active coal mining would most likely apply to remining activities but would not apply directly to CCR use in abandoned mine lands. To ensure adequate protection of ecological and human health, the committee recommends that placement of CCRs in abandoned and remining sites be subject to the same CCR characterization, site characterization, and management planning standards rec
From page 10...
... This research should include studies to determine under what conditions CCRs can effectively ameliorate the adverse effects of acid mine drainage in surface waters, particularly over protracted time scales. This research should also include the application of existing reactive transport models to CCR mine placement sites to evaluate whether the transport and reaction processes in the model adequately describe the processes taking place at CCR mine disposal sites, including those processes that occur over protracted time scales.
From page 11...
... Public Participation In recognition of public concern over the potential for adverse environmental and health impacts from improper CCR disposal, government agencies responsible for regulating CCRs should ensure that the public receives adequate advance notice of any proposals to dispose of CCRs in mine sites. The committee recommends that any proposal to dispose of substantial quantities of CCRs in coal mines be treated as a "significant alteration of the reclamation plan" under SMCRA.
From page 12...
... CONCLUSIONS The committee believes that placement of CCR in mines as part of coal mine reclamation may be an appropriate option for the disposal of this material. In such situations, however, an integrated process of CCR characterization, site characterization, management and engineering design of placement activities, and design and implementation of monitoring is required to reduce the risk of contamination moving from the mine site to the ambient environment.


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