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METAL MASS RETENTION IN PASSIVE TREATMENT SYSTEMS AT THE TAR CREEK SUPERFUND SITE
Nairn, R.
2018 National Meeting of the American Society of Mining and Reclamation, June 3-7, St. Louis, MO: The Gateway to Land Reclamation. 59 slides, 2018

The Tri-State Mining District (TSMD) was a major producer of lead and zinc concentrates in the 19th and 20th centuries. Upon cessation of mining operations, mine voids filled with groundwater and several dozen artesian discharges of metal-contaminated waters began flowing in late 1979. U.S. EPA identified four TSMD-related CERCLA sites in Oklahoma, Kansas, and Missouri. Mine water discharges were especially pervasive in the Tar Creek Superfund Site. Since 2008, two full-scale mine water passive treatment systems (PTSs) have been installed to address waters showing elevated concentrations of Fe, Zn, Pb, Cd, As, and Ni. The Mayer Ranch PTS and Southeast Commerce PTS produce effluents that are circumneutral pH and net alkaline and contain concentrations of ecotoxic metals that meet receiving water in-stream criteria. Based on their annual retention date, these systems, if they continue to function as designed throughout their 20-yr design lifetimes, collectively will retain ~1,700 metric tons of Fe, 110 metric tons of Zn, 8 metric tons of Ni, 600 kg of Pb, 540 kg of As, and 250 kg of Cd.
Longer abstract: https://www.asmr.us/Portals/0/Documents/Meetings/2018/Nairn-OK-Abstract-Mass.pdf
Slides: https://www.asmr.us/Portals/0/Documents/Meetings/2018/5A-200-Nairn.pdf



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