Biochemical Reactors for Treating Mining- influenced Water

ITRC BCR Implementation Cherri Baysinger, MO David Cates, Ok Steve Hill, RegTech Garden Grove, California 3/26/14

Today’s Implementation Session  Guidance Overview  Demonstration of the use of the Guidance  Collecting Implementation target information 3 We need your help to identify implementation targets!

Biochemical Reactors for Mining Influenced Water 4

What is a Biochemical Reactor (BCR)?  …engineered treatment system that uses an organic substrate to drive microbial and chemical reactions to reduce concentration of metals, acidity, and sulfate in MIW. Penn Hill #2 BCR, PA

Biochemical Reactors for Mining Influenced Water  There are over 500,000 abandoned mine sites in the U.S.  MIW impacts state lands, federal lands, public land, private lands  Many sites are in remote areas with extreme climates  Monitoring and maintenance is required  Local environmental groups can help remediate MIW  Liability (Good Samaritan Act) 6

Advantages  Low energy requirements  May be low maintenance if designed properly  Can be used in remote situations  Removes metals  Flexible and versatile  Treats wide variety of MIW  Will improve ecological function of receiving stream

Cautions  BCRs may not consistently meet strict water quality standards  BCRs are not walk away systems  Monitoring is required  Maintenance may be needed periodically

Biochemical Reactors for Treating Mining-Influenced Water - Guidance  Applicability  Testing  Design  Construction and startup  Monitoring, operation and maintenance  Challenges  Fact Sheet in your booklet defines a BCR 9

Applicability 

Is My Water BCR-Worthy Figure courtesy of Jim J. Gusek, 2009 Elements in Blue can be treated in a BCR Periodic Table of Treatable Elements

Testing  Proof of Principle  Bench Testing  Pilot Testing  Solid Substrate  Liquid Substrate

Design

Construction Subgrade Organic Matter & Limestone Mix Gravel Drainage Layer Drainage system Geosynthetic liner Discharge In flow Sampling Port Light Weight Fill Topsoil Inoculum Geotextile Geosynthetic liner Down flow Organic Matter & Limestone Mix

Lady Leith BCR, Jefferson Co, MT 1 Source 4 Receiving Stream 3 Completed BCR2 Construction ITRC BCR-1, 2013 : Appendix B14

Monitoring  Can be frequent and seasonal  Mostly manual (can include lab analysis)  Influent Flow and water chemistry  System effluent & other pre- and post-treatment units Flow and water chemistry Collecting effluent samples from the Luttrell BCR, MT

Substrate Monitoring  Chemistry (compare to design conditions)  Substrate testing – ORP & Physical collection  Substrate test for disposal  Substrate replacement or additional amendment Centimeters Oxide Zone Transitional Zone Sulfide Zone Relatively fresh Substrate

Troubleshooting  Chemical trends  Physical Trends ITRC BCR-1, 2013 : Section Adjustable Elevation Head Weir for BCR Effluent

Challenges  Rumors that BCRs do not work should be dispelled  Better design  Monitoring is required  Maintenance is required  Barrier  State or Federal Good Samaritan Legislation will allow application of BCRs at abandoned and remote sites

Animas River Stakeholder Group  Act of Congress: Good Samaritans and Draining Mines 2014  Video 12 minutes, 31 seconds  e=youtu.be e=youtu.be 20

User Groups: Use and Benefit 21 EXPECTED USER GROUP INTENDED USE BENEFIT TO BE RECEIVED BY USERS ConsultantsUse the BCR document as a Technical guide for preparing work plan submittals to regulators Provides more consistent content of workplans RegulatorsReview workplansGood checklist of technical elements that should be in a work plan ConsultantsUse as justification to clients when submitting a proposal Integrity of ITRC and their guidance offers confidence / acceptability of the proposal Community and Tribal stakeholders Good Samaritan Act can limit third party liability. Site cleanup!

Demonstrating Document Use  Consultant uses the ITRC guidance to prepare a proposal (work plan) for the regulator to use,  The regulator uses the ITRC doc to review and comment on the proposal (work plan)  The message is “the ITRC BCR Guidance can provide a synergy among the parties by providing proposal or work plan containing the elements described in the BCR guidance.  Everyone should then be on the same page to streamline the process. 22

23 Small Group Discussion  What ideas do you have for getting the ITRC Biochemical Reactors for Mining-influenced Water Web- based Guidance used on streams impacted by Mining- influenced Water  Do you know of any state or other agency guidance that would benefit by incorporating or referencing this ITRC document  Do you know of any sites where the BCR guidance would apply Small group facilitator will collect information on handout and provide to Team Leaders for follow-up

24 Example Implementation Targets 1,2 3, ,14,

Help Us Build ITRC Success  Identify target users  Promote document use to colleagues by sharing document information sheet  Promote free web-based document and online training  Report document use to ITRC 25 What action are you going to take?