Six Mile Run AMD Treatment & Waste Coal Reclamation Project

Broad Top Township, Bedford County, Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania Abandoned Mine Reclamation Conference

State College, PA

June 26 – 27, 2014

Bradley R. Shultz, E.I.T., Skelly and Loy, Inc., 449 Eisenhower Blvd, Suite 300, Harrisburg, PA 17111, (717)232-0593, bshultz@skellyloy.com

Terry Schmidt, P.E., Skelly and Loy, Inc., 449 Eisenhower Blvd, Suite 300, Harrisburg, PA 17111, (717)232-0593, tschmidt@skellyloy.com

AMD Pollution in Broad Top Township Located in northeastern Bedford County

Municipality with population less than 2,000

Over 80 identified AMD discharges

Three primary 303(d)-listed watersheds (28 square miles): Longs Run

Six Mile Run

Sandy Run

Historic underground (approx. 184 mine entries) and surface coal mining legacy of isolated Broad Top coal field since the 1800’s

Abandoned underground mines filled with water and drainage from partially reclaimed surface mines have created AMD throughout the Township

Broad Top Township/Coaldale Borough Watershed Advisory Committee (a.k.a. Six Mile Run Area Watershed Committee)

2001 AMD Assessment & Remediation Plan

Six Mile Run, Broad Top Township, Bedford County

Six Mile Run (SX0-D8) AMD Remediation Project

Annually 0.9 tons of iron, 0.8 tons of aluminum, and 8.5 tons of acidity estimated from AMD source

Conducted feasibility study of treatment options in 2008-2009 Reviewed mine maps in area

Collected additional flow and water quality data (weekly)

Peak flow rates much lower (never exceeded 72 gpm)

Determined available treatment area for passive treatment

Flows: Range from 18 gpm to 150 gpm, average ~50 gpm

Chemistry: Net Acidic, Moderate Fe & Al, low Mn

Site needed downstream due to location of borehole Six Mile Run Volunteer Fire Co. property – 1,800 feet downstream

Existing Township right-of-way along stream for sewer line

Stream crossing(s) needed for pipeline

SX0-D8 AMD Discharge Location

SX0-D8 AMD Discharge Location

Source to Treatment Area PlanSix Mile Run

SX0-D8 Existing Overall Site Plan

Exploratory Excavation of Borehole

Township personnel conducted exploratory excavation efforts of the borehole believed to be the AMD source

Borehole was clogged and most of water was upwelling adjacent to the borehole

Installed a vertical pipe into the upwelling to test ability to increase elevation of the source

Raised source elevation several feet to provide reasonable elevation drop to system

Cleaned up area at source eliminating a safety hazard in residential area

Elevated, contained and routed AMD to area where passive treatment possible

Exploratory Excavation of Borehole & Pipe Installation

Pipe Installed @ AMD Source

4-5’ Increase

Engineering Design Challenges

Limited elevation drop from source to treatment site, significant distance (~1,800 feet)

Right-of-way for sewer line not entire distance, multiple stream crossings?

Sewer lines – Pipeline, treatment area, and building expansion

Buildings and other items in residential yards

Considerable waste coal material at proposed treatment site (site previously housed a tipple coal processing facility)

Six Mile Run Volunteer Fire Co. – Expansion of existing facility and potential use of AMD for geothermal heating/cooling system

Use of VFW in residential area (odors???)

Potential to tie 2nd AMD source into pipeline (SX0-D7)

Too much iron for flushable limestone bed (8.5 mg/L)???

SX0-D7 AMD Source

SX0-D7 enters Six Mile Run near the SX0-D8 AMD source; flow & quality: acidity = 159 mg/L, flow = 20 gpm, Fe = 2.5 mg/L, Al = 17.7 mg/L, & pH = 3.4

Waste Coal Removal: Treatment System & Fire Company Facility Expansion

After lab analysis of the waste coal material, Six Mile Run Area Volunteer Fire Co. reached agreement with Robindale Energy Services for hauling to Seward Power Plant Low sulfur (0.7%) and moderate BTU (~6,000)

Incidental coal removal agreement thru Cambria DMO

Rough-grading of treatment system ponds

Greater than 21,000 tons of waste coal material removed from the site over 4 month period

Cleaned up coal refuse and barren area in Coaldale Borough/Broad Top Township to improve water quality and improve the community

Created level area for constructing fire company building expansion (average of 6’ of refuse removed from site)

Interim Site Plan: Waste Coal Removal-Treatment System Area

SX0-D8 Future Treatment Location (Approx. 1/3 miles from AMD Source)

Significant coal refuse removed and hauled to Waste Coal Power Plant

Rough grading of future treatment ponds

Seed & Mulched Area of Waste Coal Removal (Between System & Building Expansion)

Treatment System Design Evaluation report determined passive treatment applicable based on

available area and flow and water quality data

PA DEP Section 319 Grant funding

Pre-treatment settling pond, VFW, settling pond, and polishing wetland VFW aerial acidity loading rate = 20 g/m2/day

2,500 tons of limestone, 1.5 ft of compost

Coordination with Building Expansion Architect

SX0-D7 and SX0-D8 combined flow and water quality

Easily accessed site – O&M activities

Pipe clean-outs – Over 2,000 feet of proposed piping

Last Minute Change – FLB instead of VFW Odors from VFW outfall

O&M – Iron removal and compost stirring

Additional limestone & automatic flushing structure

SX0-D8 System Design Plan

SX0-D8 Project Permitting

NPDES – Discharge of Stormwater Associated with Construction Activities (PAG-02)

Erosion & Sediment Control Plan (County Application)

Chapter 105 – Stream crossings (pipeline installation beneath stream bed) and work within the floodway/floodplain Restoration waiver – Section 105.12(a)(16) of Chap. 105

Incidental Coal Removal – Cambria DMO

HEC-RAS modeling needed or is FEMA floodplain mapping available (see FEMA flood insurance map)

How long does it take for permit approval? SX0-D8 – Approximately 5 months (Chapter 105)

ROWs, utilities, etc.

Permitting Process – Chapter 105 EA Restoration Waiver

Permitting Process – Chapter 105 EA Restoration Waiver

Treatment System Construction

Treatment System & Pipeline Construction

SX0-D8 AMD Source: Before & After

Which backyard do you prefer?

Final SX0-D8 AMD Treatment System & Reclaimed Site Aerial View

New Building Addition to Fire Co.

SX0-D8 FLB Passive Treatment System

SX0-D8 FLB Based Passive Treatment System

3,000 ton FLB

Pre-Treatment Settling Pond

SX0-D8 Settling Pond & Polishing Wetland (2012)

SX0-D8: Polishing Wetland & Fire Co. Building Addition (2014)

SX0-D8 Treatment System: 2012-2014

Average Raw AMD:Flow = 47 gpmpH = 3.6Cond = 933 µS/cm

Average Final Outfall:Flow = 52 gpmpH = 6.4Cond = 820 µS/cm

Six Mile Run – Passive AMD Treatment Township is still working with residents to capture, collect, and

incorporate the 2nd AMD source (SX0-D7) into pipeline/system

With more than 10 passive treatment systems upstream, completion of SX0-D8 provides significant restoration downstream

Instream water quality just below SX0-D8 proves the efforts to date have worked (TMDL Monitoring Point 68): March 2006: pH = 5.4, Alkalinity = <10 mg/L, Hot Acidity = 10 mg/L

April 2012: pH = 7.4, Alkalinity = 15 mg/L, Acidity = 1.6 mg/L

Next two downstream AMD passive systems recently constructed (2014) and help to increase the restoration efforts towards the mouth No more restoration waivers for Chapter 105

Township is committed to maintain the successful operation/function of the systems (minimal O&M needed since 2012)

Six Mile Run Downstream

Questions???