Remediation Technology Demonstration Project Profiles
Coal Combustion-Byproduct (CCB)-Based Grouting of Acid Mine Drainage (AMD) at Frazee Mine Near Friendsville in Western Maryland
Last Updated: June 29, 2007 |
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| Site Identifying Information | ||
| Site Name, Location: | Frazee Mine, Winding Ridge near Friendsville, Maryland, United States
(EPA Region 3) |
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| Cleanup Program: | Not Specified | |
| Entity Responsible for Cleanup: | Not Specified | |
| Site Type: | Metal Ore Mining and Smelting | |
| Government Affiliation: | Non-Federal | |
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| Project Information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Project Name: | Coal Combustion-Byproduct (CCB)-Based Grouting of Acid Mine Drainage (AMD) at Frazee Mine Near Friendsville in Western Maryland | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Project Status: | Complete | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Contaminants Treated: |
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| Media Treated: |
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| Demonstration Technology and Type: | Solidification/Stabilization (Ex Situ) (Ex Situ Physical/Chemical) |
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| Geology and Hydrogeology: | The mine is covered with approximately 30.5 meters (m) of shale and sandstone, with a 2-m thick Upper Freeport coal layer, and a 0.15- to 0.45-m continuous rider coal seam. The floor of the mine consists of dense, dry weathered shale and a low hydraulic conductivity clay layer. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Comments for Media: | Preliminary analysis showed that the rider coal seam is the only other source of acid mine drainage (AMD) in addition to the Upper Freeport coal layer. The Frazee Mine consists of four mine openings (MO) located along the south side of the mine and designated as MO1 through MO4. AMD was occurring only at MO2 from a lower seep and an upper seep. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Demonstration Start Date: | 1996 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Demonstration Completion Date: | 2004 (Actual) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Demonstration Year: | 2004 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Year of Publication: | 2005 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Goal of the Demonstration: | The objective of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of CCB-based grout mixtures in reducing AMD. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Design and Operations: | This study involved the use of CCB-based grout mixtures which form a cement-like grout when mixed with Class F fly ash and water. The CCB-based by-products were obtained from Mt. Storm Power Plant and Morgantown Energy Associates Power Plant located in West Virginia. A preliminary laboratory study was performed to analyze grout mixtures with different proportions of CCB-based by-products such as flue gas desulfurization (FGD) and fluidized bed combustion (FBC) by-products. Based on the results of the laboratory study, an FBC/FGD-based grout mixture was selected as opposed to a lime-based mixture for field-scale application. In total, 3,800 tons of FBC by-product, and 1,200 tons each of FGD by-product and Class F fly ash were required to inject 4,300 cubic meters of grout into the mine. The grout was pumped into the mine via a 125-millimeter polyvinyl chloride casing that was hung into boreholes across the mine. Pre- and post-injection water quality monitoring of ground water included measurement of parameters indicative of AMD, such as pH, total acidity, iron, aluminum, and other trace metals, including nickel, zinc, arsenic, cobalt, copper, lead, and chromium. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Performance Data Relevant to Demonstration Goals: | Results from 8 years of post-injection monitoring events indicate a significant decrease in concentrations of major contaminants and trace metals in the mine water. In addition, a significant decrease in total acidity and a slight increase in pH were observed. The post-injection concentrations of contaminants detected in ground water were noted as follows: 5.2 to 71.67 mg/L for calcium; 0.1 to 47.59 mg/L for iron; 2.3 to 38.69 mg/L for magnesium; 1.06 to 3.9 mg/L for potassium; 0.34 to 25.4 mg/L for sodium; 0.1 to 10 mg/L for chloride; 2.2 to 279.2 mg/L for sulfate; 0.01 to 0.3 mg/L for aluminum; 0.01 to 0.07 mg/L of antimony; 0.01 to 0.04 mg/L for arsenic; 0.05 to 0.23 mg/L for barium; 0.5 to 2 µg/L for beryllium; 0.02 to 0.05 mg/L for cadmium; 0.03 to 0.06 mg/L for chromium; 2 to 7.9 µg/L for cobalt; 0.03 mg/L for copper; 0.042 to 0.08 mg/L for lead; 0.67 to 3.75 mg/L for manganese; 0.2 µg/L for mercury; 0.02 to 0.11 mg/L for nickel; 0.01 to 0.05 mg/L for selenium; 0.01 to 0.17 mg/L for silver; 0.02 to 0.05 mg/L for thallium; 2 to 17 µg/L for vanadium; and 0.03 to 0.18 mg/L for zinc. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Interesting Aspects or Significance of the Demonstration: | Unusual or Novel Aspects of Technology Design | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lessons Learned: | During the injection of grout, a fluctuation in contaminant concentrations was observed in the lower seep area. The fluctuations in acidity and in the concentration of iron and aluminum are attributable to the lowering of the mine pool due to pumping during grout mixing. Lowering of the mine pool may have exposed previously-submerged mine areas to oxidizing conditions and could have created acidic conditions. The decrease in the post-injection concentration of iron may have resulted from the formation of a physical barrier between iron pyrite and oxygen and water, which prevents oxidation of pyrite. Insoluble ferric hydroxide precipitated due to higher pH during neutralization process. Concentrations of calcium and sulfate increased after injection of grout. This increase may have occurred as a result of the contact of mine water with grout surface containing calcium sulfate and sulfite minerals. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Other Demonstration Information (such as cost data, if available): | Total cost for the use of CCB was estimated to be $37,000, which included $27,000 for transportation of the by-product and a total of $10,000 toward labor costs. The CCB was obtained free of cost from two power plants located in West Virginia. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Vendor(s) or Consultant(s) Associated with the Demonstration: |
Environmental Resources Management University of Maryland at College Park |
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| Information Source(s) for the Demonstration: |
Bulusu, Sowmya, Ahmet H. Aydilek, Paul Petzrick, and Robin Guynn. 2005. Remediation of Abandoned Mines Using Coal Combustion By-Products. Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering © ASCE / August 2005, pp. 958 - 969. http://www.glue.umd.edu/~aydilek/Mine.pdf |
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| Contact Information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Point(s) of Contact: |
Sowmya Bulusu Graduate Research Assistant Univ. of Maryland at College Park 1163 Glen Martin Hall College Park, Maryland 20742, United States |
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Paul Petzrick Energy Resource Administrator Maryland Power Plant 580 Taylor Avenue, B-3 Annapolis, Maryland 21401, United States E-mail: ppetzrick@dnr.state.md.us |
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Robin Guynn Staff Geologist ERM, Inc. 2666 Riva Road, Suite 200 Annapolis, Maryland 21401, United States E-mail: robin.guynn@erm.com |
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Ahimet Aydilek (Primary Contact) Univ. of Maryland at College Park College Park, Maryland 20742, United States E-mail: aydilek@eng.umd.edu |
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