The National Mine Land Reclamation Center was initiated in July 1988 to conduct coordinated research and technology transfer programs to improve the technologies available for the cost-effective and environmentally acceptable reclamation of land disturbed by both underground and surface mining operations. Programs of the Center address reclamation problems for abandoned and active mine sites. The initial focus of research will be on coal mine lands. Future programs will address reclamation problems associated with mining for other minerals.
The need for reclamation and improved technology transfer programs has been identified and documented in recent years in reports issued by regional and national committees. Benefits to be obtained from such programs include more successful short term and long term solutions for mitigating and eliminating the adverse effects that mining has on land, water resources, and structures, and, a more rapid transfer of reclamation technology to coal mine operators and regulatory agencies. Reduced land reclamation costs will promote an increased use of coal to strengthen our energy independence.
The National Mine Land Reclamation Center is organized around three Regional Centers located within the major coal-producing regions of the country. This approach provides industry and government regulatory agencies with a flexible and regionally responsive research tool. Direct involvement of industry and government regulatory agencies in the program will assist in guiding the research toward development of improved, practical reclamation technologies.
These activities are coordinated by the National Center located in Morgantown, West Virginia, and implemented by the three Regional Centers: Eastern, Midwestern, and Western. Research and technology Transfer programs will be developed in cooperation with Advisory Committees comprised of representatives from state and federal agencies, industry, and academic institutions in each region.
The following paper outlines the objectives of the National Mine Land Reclamation Center, its philosophy, its organization and its approach to the problem of developing practical reclamation technologies.
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Effective 1 July l988, the National Mine Land Reclamation Center was established for the purpose of stimulating new initiatives toward the resolution of the outstanding technical challenges that still face the U.S. mining industry. These include such items as acid mine drainage, restoration of prime farmland, soil and groundwater salinization.
The objective of the National Mine Land Reclamation Center is to develop better, more cost effective and environmentally acceptable technologies for the reclamation of lands affected by mining operations.
Reclamation research is applied research. Its purpose is to develop practical technologies. This requires a close linkage between the developers of technology and the users of that technology. The scope of most reclamation problems requires large-scale, long-term, interdisciplinary approaches. In short, this means a higher level of organization than has been customary in university research programs in the past.
The strategic role of the National Mine Land Reclamation Center is to provide that organization, both nationally and regionally. The following discussion Summarizes the functions of the National Center, its Regional Centers and the means by which it is organizing the National Reclamation Research Program.
A summary of the major functions of the Center are:
The program cannot develop practical reclamation technologies without the active participation of industry and government. The reasons are simple:
In short, many reclamation technologies which look good in the laboratory or in small field trials fail when applied on the large scale. Many times the failure is the result of incompatibility with equipment, mining systems, problems applying the material or even operator reluctance. Most of the time these problems are not evident until large-scale application is tried.
Engineers as a profession, are familiar with the concept of scale up. Scale-up minimizes the up-front risk inherent in the adoption of any new technology. Scale-up trials Occur in that region between the laboratory and adoption. Such trials take a new technology through prototypes to full-scale operating units.
Each step is monitored and adjustments are made throughout the development process. The scale-up process most often occurs with the close involvement of the operating department of the user company. If it does not the result is likely to be a square peg for a round hole. Successful companies rarely make this mistake. The Japanese are very good at avoiding it.
We primarily see coal companies becoming involved at the scale-up stage. We see companies evaluating our own or other small-scale, exploratory projects and selecting those which have potential for their operations. Such initiatives would translate into field scale-up projects in which the company would contribute primarily by supplying the equipment, manpower, site and supplies to create the test site. The National Mine Land Reclamation Center would contribute to the cost of the research, management and analytical components.
We also see the companies suggesting areas to which exploratory research could be usefully directed. Industry is then given the opportunity to monitor the progress of the projects and to evaluate the opportunities.
Reclamation is a rapidly changing, technology-intensive field. It is not unique in that it has suffered from a gap between the technology developers and the technology users. We are attempting, through these organizational mechanisms, to ensure that the technologies developed through the National Mine Land Reclamation Center are: 1) needed, 2) usable and 3) used.
The National Mine Land Reclamation Center consists of five universities organized within three regional centers. These participating universities are responsible for conducting the program's research activities. In addition, there is a series of independent advisory bodies which culminate in a National Advisory Council.
Each regional center has, as an advisory body: a regional advisory committee. These committees offer advice regarding strategic directions, priorities and access to potential industry and governmental collaborators in research projects. Membership of the Eastern Regional Advisory Committee is listed in Appendix
The U.S. Bureau of Mines has oversight responsibility for the program's federal funding. The relationship among regional centers, their advisory committees, the national center and the Bureau of Mines is illustrated in figure 1.
This organizational format was developed and agreed upon by the participating universities, the NMLRC and the Bureau of Mines in September 19ee. It recognizes the need for regional focus and close collaboration with local industry and governmental bodies. It also provides for a coordinating mechanism through the NMLRC and a single window for its interaction with the Bureau of Mines and the National Advisory Council.
In August 1988 Dr. Paul Ziemkiewicz, was selected to serve as the first Director of the National Mine Land Reclamation Center.
Procedures have been established for reporting as well as proposal development and approval. The schedule for proposal development and annual program approval follows.
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15 Nov. |
NMLRC solicit project renewal and new proposals. |
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3 Jan. |
Proposals submitted to Regional Centers. |
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1 Feb. |
Review of proposals completed by Regional Centers. |
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15 Feb. |
Regional programs assembled by NMLRC |
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1 Apr . |
Submit the National Program to the Bureau of Mines. |
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1 Jul. |
Commence research projects. |
The program is managed through a cooperative agreement between the West Virginia Board of Regents on behalf of West Virginia University and the U.S. Department of Interior Bureau of Mines. Subcontracts between the West Virginia Board of Regents and the member universities control regional programs and payments.
Technology transfer refers to that group of activities which expedite the application of new technologies. Within the industrial context, the first step in technology transfer is identification of the user community. The technical requirements of the users then must be identified and the user community be convinced that the technology has economic and technical value within the context of ongoing operations.
In mine reclamation there are two primary elements to technology transfer: 1. Coordination with the user community and 2. Presentation of new technologies.
The driving force in mine reclamation technology development is industry's desire for greater operating efficiency in response to regulatory requirements. In order to be effective, the NMLRC must be in the mainstream of mining industry technical challenges and advances. In addition, it is necessary that technologies developed through the NMLRC be acceptable to the government regulatory agencies. This approach will include response to new regulations and solutions to the resulting requirements. More importantly, NMLRC is expected to reduce technical uncertainty in the regulatory sphere and thereby lead to a more efficient process.
To maximize its application, reclamation research should be managed so as to serve the needs of an identified user group. The user group will ultimately evaluate the technology and decide whether it has value and whether it will be applied. In reclamation the "market" for these technologies is defined by the mining industry and the government regulatory agencies.
Coordination with the user community is achieved at several levels:
- Through the Regional Advisory Committees and the National Advisory Council;
- Through company participation in research projects;
- Through personal contacts;
- Through public presentations, written material etc.
Each of these means addresses a separate audience and is equally valuable. The nature of mine reclamation requires, however, that every effort be made to personally include representatives of the industry and the regulatory agencies at the earliest possible point in the technology development process.
In addition to the organization of industry/government coordinating mechanisms, the program includes traditional means of technology transfer including preparation of project and program reports, brochures and visual presentations. This aspect of the program will gain greater significance as the research projects begin to generate results.
The U.S. Bureau of Mines is a major participant in reclamation research. The Bureau's Pittsburgh Research Center, in particular, is a leader in the area of acid mine drainage. Discussions are underway with the Center to ensure that research efforts are complementary and that a free flow of information exists between the Pittsburgh Research Center and NMLRC. In addition, a listing of NMLRC projects has been sent to the Pittsburgh Center. To ensure that a good working level contact is maintained, Dr. Robert Kleinmann, of the Pittsburgh Research Center serves on the Eastern Regional Advisory Committee.
Twenty-seven reclamation research projects are underway. Federal contributions total $927,000 while university and industry contributions bring the total research budget to $1,710,000. Tables 1 to 5 indicate the projects currently underway, their cost and source of funds. None of the projects will be completed until Sept. 1989 so there are few results to report.
1989 is the second of a multi-year research program. Most of the projects initiated in 1988 will continue this year. Five of the short-term projects are scheduled for completion in 1989. Most of these are scheduled to end on 30 Sept. 1989 while one will end on 31 Dec. 1989. The completed projects included the following topics: Mycorrhizal inoculation of aspen on mine spoil, phosphatic clay slurries for AMD control, implementation of SMCRA, soil compaction, geomechanics of coal slurry and pyrite removal from coal slurry.
New projects are proposed in the areas of acid mine drainage (2 projects), subsidence, waste material handling and soil reconstruction. Figures 2a,b and c indicate the status of completed, new and ongoing projects. Completed in this case refers to those scheduled at the end of the 1988/89 fiscal year and new projects are those proposed for the new year beginning on 1 July 1989. The projects are arranged within the figures so as to show their relationship to each other and to NMLRC objectives and priorities.
The National Mine Land Reclamation Center will maintain a base of small, exploratory research projects. However, the driving force behind future program growth will be large-scale industry and government sponsored projects. NMLRC will make every effort to keep industry and government agencies current with promising technologies and will assemble research proposals in response to their interest. As a management model it is responsive and flexible. With the proper support and diligence we should be able to make rapid and significant advances in reclamation technology in the coming years.
Eastern Regional Advisory Committee - NMLRC
Mr. Ben Greene (CHAIRMAN)
President
WV Mining and Reclamation Assoc.
1624 Kanawha Building, East
Charleston, WV 25311
(304) 346-5318
Mr. Buddy Beach
Vice President
Environmental Affairs
Consolidation Coal Company
Pittsburgh, PA 15241
(412) 831 4530
Mr. Richard Bielicki
Director, Bureau of
Abandoned Mine Reclamation
Fulton Bank Building
Harrisburg, PA 17120
(ALTERNATE for Dr. Grace)
Dr. James R. Grace
Deputy Secretary for Resource Mgt.
Department of Environmental Resources
Fulton Bank Building
Harrisburg, PA 17120
(717) 787 5028
Mr. Roger Hall
WV Department of Energy
1615 Washington Street, East
Charleston, WV 25311
(304) 348-3500
Dr. Robert Kleinmann
Bureau of Mines
Pittsburgh Research Center
P.O. Box 18070
Pittsburgh, PA 15236
(412) 892-6555
Mr. Lawrence Streets
President
Allegheny Mining Corporation
P.O. Box 232
Mt. Storm, WV 26739
(304) 693-7621
Mr. Alfred Whitehouse
Deputy Assistant Director
Program and Technical Support
OSMRE - Eastern Field Operations
Ten Parkway Center
Pittsburgh, PA 15220
(412) 937 2814