US EPA Region IV Surface Coal Mining Field Activities 2009-2012
Adventures in Mountain Top Mining / Valley Fill Chris Decker
Slide 2
Overburden Removed Spoils placed in adjacent valley, Diagram of
MTM/VF Process
Slide 3
Draglines remove coal, create spoil piles Regrading and
continued dragline removal Final regrading, revegetation
Slide 4
Slide 5
Environmental Impacts Water Chemistry: Increased conductivity,
Ca, Na, Se, K, Mg, Mn, and SO 4 impacts fish &
macroinvertebrates Hydrology downstream greater base flow
Compaction of soils slow regrowth of trees & and woody plants
Loss of streams and wetlands Fragmentation of forests Terrestrial
animal communities Increase grassland birds & snakes, decrease
in amphibians cumulative environmental costs have not been fully
investigated social, economic and heritage issues x
Slide 6
Regulations Mining operations are regulated under: Clean Water
Act (CWA) Section 402 discharges to streams EPA, States Section 404
filling of streams/wetlands EPA & ACOE Surface Mining Control
and Reclamation Act of 1977 (SMCRA) Operating standards, permits,
inspections DOI
Slide 7
What Have We Been Asked To Do Assess current conditions in
order to guide permit decisions Establish baseline data for
continued monitoring Investigate cumulative impacts
Slide 8
A Typical Study Site
Slide 9
Field Activities Water Quality Assessment water samples and
in-situ monitoring conductivity, pH, dissolved oxygen, temp metals,
hardness, sulfate, chloride, alkalinity, solids Bioassessment
Macroinvertebrates - Kentucky MBI Fish - IBI and tissue Stream
habitat Hydrologic Permanence Evaluation North Carolina method
(2005) trace water flow to origins geomorphology, hydrology,
biology document ephemeral, intermittent, perennial Flow status has
regulatory implications x
Slide 10
Slide 11
Field Work 2009-2012 Number of Projects28 Streams187 Ponds70
Total Water Samples331 In-Situ Water Quality Observations414
Hydrologic Permanence Assessments54 Benthic Macro Samples179 Fish
Samples (Tissue)33 Fish IBI11
