(NAS Colloquium) Geology, Mineralogy, and Human Welfare (1999) / Chapter Skim
Currently Skimming:
Negative pH, Efflorescent Mineralogy, and Consequences for Environmental Restoration at the Iron Mountain Superfound Site, California
Negative pH, Efflorescent Mineralogy, and Consequences for Environmental Restoration at the Iron Mountain Superfound Site, California
Pages 3455-3462
The Chapter Skim interface presents what we've algorithmically identified as the most significant single chunk of text within every page in the chapter.
Select key terms on the right to highlight them within pages of the chapter.
From page 3455... ...
ALPERST * United States Geological Survey, 3215 Marine Street, Boulder, CO 80303-1066; and tUnited States Geological Survey, Placer Hall, 6000 J Street, Sacramento, CA 95819-6129 ABSTRACT The Richmond Mine of the Iron Mountain copper deposit contains some of the most acid mine waters ever reported.
|
From page 3456... ...
Acidity and metals, formerly contained in the acid mine water, are stored in the salts, which can quickly be dissolved by a rising groundwater table or be dissolved when exposed to rain and flowing surface waters, and then infiltrate to groundwaters. The Iron Mountain Mine Superfund site is an extreme example of how the formation of soluble efflorescent minerals can make certain remediation alternatives much more risky and potentially disastrous than might otherwise be imagined.
|
From page 3457... ...
Acid Effluent from the Richmond Mine Conditions at Iron Mountain are nearly optimal for the production of acid mine waters, and this mine drainage is some of the most acidic and metal-rich reported anywhere in the world (14, 15~. In the Richmond Mine, about 8 million tons of massive sulfide remain (13~.
|
From page 3458... ...
For example, a Table 3. Compositions of five extremely acid mine water samples from the Richmond Mine Concentration of element in sample, mg/liter 90WA103 90WA109 90WAllOA 90WAllOC 91WA111 34.8°C 38°C 42°C 46°C 28°C Element pH 0.48 pH -0.7 pH -2.5 pH -3.6 Aluminum 2,210 6,680 1,420 6,470 Antimony 4.0 16 29 15 Arsenic(III)
|
From page 3459... ...
Identification of these soluble salts made it possible to estimate what the composition of a mine pool formed by mine plugging might be. Soluble Salts and Consequences of the Mine-Plugging Scenario Ten soluble iron sulfate salts plus gypsum and chalcanthite were identified in the Richmond Mine.
|
From page 3460... ...
A condensed version of the main remedial alternatives is as follows: No action Surface-water diversion Lime neutralization Capping (partial or complete capping of the mountain to prevent infiltration) Enlargement of Spring Creek Debris Dam (acid water storage and release structure)
|
From page 3461... ...
This structure will capture the largest remaining loads of Cu and Zn and divert them to the neutralization plant for treatment. The remaining remediation is now focused on Boulder Creek, lower Spring Creek, Spring Creek Reservoir, and the metalenriched sediments that formed in Keswick Reservoir from the neutralization of acid mine waters for nearly 50 years.
|
From page 3462... ...
(1982) BALANCE A computer program for calculating mass transfer for geochemical reactions in ground water, U.S.
|
Key Terms
This material may be derived from roughly machine-read images, and so is provided only to facilitate research.
More
information on Chapter Skim is available.