0. U.S. EPA Hardrock Mining Conference 2012: Advancing Solutions for a New Legacy
April 3-5, 2012
Denver, CO
Douglas Grosse
U.S. EPA/ORD/NRMRL

1. Acknowledgements Doug Grosse, ORD Rob Weber, Region 7
David Reisman, ORD
Jim Lazorchak, ORD
Shahid Mahmud, OSWER
Chris Impelletteri, ORD
Barbara Butler, ORD
Alina Martin, SAIC
Michele Mahoney, OSWER
Susie Warner, SCG
Gwen Campbell, Region 8
John McCready, ORD
Joy Jenkins, Region 8
Cindy Sundblad, Region 8

2. Can We Efficiently
Extract and utilize resources (including by-products)
Manage wastes
Reclamation/restoration
Produce socio-economic advantages
Advancing Solutions for a New Legacy
Sustainable development that applies to the industrial minerals sector include:
How can we extract and utilize resources (including by-products) more efficiently?
How can we manage wastes more efficiently?
How can we reclame and restore the lands we used for mining more efficiently
How can we produce more socio-economic advantages (i.e profitability, closure, liability, etc)?
How can we accomplish best practices with maximum economical effects while still incorporating a life cycle approach?

3. Estimate of Mining Sites in the USA
Mining waste generated by active and inactive mining production facilities and its impact on human health and the environment are a growing problem for government entities, private industry, and the general public.

4. Collaboration EPA Program & Regional Offices NRMRL/ORD
Industry Partners
States/Tribes
Western Governors Association
Academia
BLM/Forest Service
DOE/DOD
USGS
The MWTP has multiple partnerships industry, academia, BLM, Forest Service, DOE, Western Governors Association. It is critical to the MWTP’s success to collaborate with others. It is also been critical to identify a certain personality type that is willing to try new things:
Bill Adams, EPA Region 10
Ken Wangerud, EPA Region 8
Mike Bishop, EPA region *
Shannon Dunlap and Bill Upton all with Placer Dome
Over the history of the MWTP, we have collaborated with dozens of entities

5. ORD’s Mining Programs Mine Waste Technology Program
Engineering Technical Support Center
Technology Transfer Program
Two big mining efforts in ORD are the :1.) Mine Waste Technology Program and 2.) Engineering Technical Support Center

6. Mine Waste Technology Program
EPA-NRMRL
Technical Direction/Oversight
Quality Assurance Oversight
DOE
Administrative Oversight
MSE
Applied Research
Field Demonstrations
Technology Implementation
Montana Tech
Basic Research
The Department of Energy performs the administrative oversight and the National Risk Management Research Laboratory in Cincinnati does the technical oversight.
The program is based out of Butte, Montana where MSE-Technology Applications performs the technology demonstrations while Montana Tech does the basic research. We have a Technical Integration Committee (TIC), which includes representatives from industry and state and federal regulatory communities reviews proposals and determines the direction of research within the MWTP. Projects are also peer reviewed by EPA-NRMRL at least twice a year. All final reports are peer reviewed.
The MWTP also performs the following functions:
Issue Identification
Quality Assurance
Training/Education
Technology Transfer
The MWTP is administered from MSE’s Butte, Montana office. The fact that large volumes of aqueous and solid mine waste are available in Butte has provided test beds for MWTP projects. Other locations around Montana have provided the majority of additional sites for MWTP projects.

7. NRMRL Engineering Technical Support Center
Constructed Wetlands
Bioremediation
MIW Treatment Processes
Liquid/Solid Partitioning
Electrolytic Processes
Sequestration
Capping
In an era of shrinking funding, treatment technologies must be cost-effective, with low operating and maintenance costs, and be sustainable treatment technologies. ETSC researchers are testing low-cost and innovative biochemical reactors that combine bacterial reactions with chemical processes (lime dissolution)
to increase the pH of the acidic mine water.
Constructed Wetlands with Bioreactors – Peerless Jenny Mine in Montana
Sulfate Reducing Bioreactors – Leviathan Mine Site in California
Biochemical Reactors – Luttrell Repository in Montana

8. ORD Technology Transfer and Outreach
1998 Heavy Metals Contamination Workshop – 150 attendees
1998 Mining Workshop – 300 attendees
1999 Heavy Metals Contamination Workshop – 180 attendees
1999 Pit Lakes Workshop – 240 attendees
2000 Mercury Workshop – 275 attendees
2001 Arsenic Workshop – 70 attendees
2002 Hard Rock Mining Conference – 375 attendees
2003 Workshop on Mining Impacted Native American Lands – 275 attendees
2004 Pit Lakes – 250 attendees
2005 Abandoned Mine Lands Workshop – 100 attendees
2006 Hard Rock Mining Conference – 350 attendees
2007 Abandoned Mine Lands Workshop – Coeur d’Alene, Idaho
Mine Operations, Design, and Closure Conferences
These are the major meetings that have come out from ORD…….they are mostly Mine Waste Technology Program sponsored but you don’t need to say that.

9. 2012 Registration by Affiliation
Affiliation Type
No. of Registrations
Percentage
Academia 22 6%
Consultant
120
31%
Federal Agency
116
30%
Local Agency 2 1%
Non-Governmental Organization
Non-Profit Association 18 5%
Other 6 2%
Private Sector 64
17%
Regional Agency 1 0%
State Agency 20
Trade Association
Tribal 10 3%
Total
381
100%

10. U.S. EPA HRM 2012 Conference Agenda
Tuesday, April 3rd
Plenary – Doug Grosse and David Reisman, ORD
Case Studies – Joy Jenkins, Region 8
Innovative Technology and Techniques – Rob Weber, Region 7
Evening – Poster Session
Wednesday, April 4th
Remediation and Stabilization: Natural Materials – Michele Mahoney, OSWER
Monitoring and Treatment – Erna Waterman, Region 8
Engineering Covers and Capping – Doug Grosse, ORD
Metals and Metalloids – Barbara Butler, ORD
Rare Earth Elements – Gwen Campbell, Region 8
Sustainability/Life Cycle – Carol Russell, Region 8
Thursday, April 5rd
Opportunities for Re-Use and Site Management – Shahid Mahmud, OSWER
Closing Remarks and Q&A

11. U.S. EPA Websites EPA’s Abandoned Mine Lands Program:
Mine Waste Technology Program:
NRMRL:
Some of the mine related websites