Control of mine drainage from coal mine mineral wates

A project has been underway which attempts to demonstrate practical means of abating pollution from coal mine mineral wastes. The site included a refuse pile occupying approximately 40 acres and a slurry lagoon complex of 50 acres. In the report, the characteristics and acid formation rate of the refuse pile are described. The average rate of acid formation for this refuse pile is 198 pounds of acidity, as CaCO₃, per acre per day. Acid contribution from the slurry lagoons was not determined but appears to be negligible. As an abatement measure, a number of experimental vegetative covers were tested. Grass was successfully established with and without the use of topsoil, weathering well for one year. The long-term effects of establishing a grass cover directly on the refuse without the use of topsoil are not known at this time.