Geology Reference
In-Depth Information
considering injection into active mines. The report recognized that safe and
nonpolluting disposal is the operator's responsibility. If regulations are imposed
that exceed this obligation, society must recognize its responsibility to avoid
inequitable distribution of added costs to some operators. Under the right set of
conditions, underground disposal of slurry is an attractive alternative to
impoundments and is currently being used where suitable opportunities exist
(
Table 7.2
).
Slurry injection creates additional factors that must be considered. Many
issues related to underground injection of slurry are independent of the method
of slurry injection. For example, it is essential to have an adequate supply of
water. This is especially true when water is not being recaptured from the
underground workings. Also, it is important to keep the solids content below 20
percent, and preferably in the range of 10 to 12 percent. Additional common
issues include surface ownership, permits, surface layout, and surface drainage.
In most cases, the right to mine coal is obtained after leasing the mineral
rights from the owner, but often, the rights to the surface have been severed.
Therefore, a lease to mine the coal does not automatically entitle the mine
operator to inject coal waste back into the voids created by the mining process.
Unless the mining company owns both the surface and the mineral rights, the
operator must obtain the landowner's permission to inject coal waste back into
the mine. In Kentucky, the state regulatory authority has determined that a
company cannot inject coal refuse into an underground mine for which it has
the mineral rights unless all of the surface owners above the underground mine
approve of the plan. In areas where multiple ownerships are common, this
policy seriously limits the areas available for underground injection.
Under SMCRA, each state's regulatory authority has responsibility for
issuing permits to inject coal waste into underground mines. The permit
application must address such issues as:
• Source and quantity of waste,
• Area to be backfilled and the method to be used,
• Approximate percentage of the voids that will be filled,
• Design of underground bulkheads,
• Potential influence on any active underground mines,
• Source of the water to be used,
• Methods of dewatering the backfill,
• Amount of water that will remain underground, and
• Water treatment system that will be used.
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