Biochemical Reactors for Treating Mining-influenced Water

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Biochemical Reactors for Treating
Mining-influenced Water
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ITRC BCR Implementation

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

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Todays Implementation Session

• Guidance Overview
• Demonstration of the use of the Guidance
• Collecting Implementation target information

We need your help to identify implementation
targets!
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Biochemical Reactors for Mining Influenced Water
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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
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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)

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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

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Cautions

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

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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

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Applicability

• http//itrcweb.org/bcr-1/

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Is My Water BCR-Worthy
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Testing

• Proof of Principle
• Bench Testing
• Pilot Testing

• Solid Substrate
• Liquid Substrate

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Design
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Construction
Geosynthetic liner
Topsoil
Sampling Port
Light Weight Fill
Inoculum
In flow
Organic Matter Limestone Mix
Discharge
Organic Matter Limestone Mix
Down flow
Gravel Drainage Layer
Subgrade
Geosynthetic liner
Geotextile
Drainage system
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Lady Leith BCR, Jefferson Co, MT
4 Receiving Stream
1 Source
3 Completed BCR
2 Construction
ITRC BCR-1, 2013 Appendix B14
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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
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Substrate Monitoring

• Chemistry (compare to design conditions)
• Substrate testing ORP Physical collection
• Substrate test for disposal
• Substrate replacement or additional amendment

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Troubleshooting

• Chemical trends
• Physical Trends

Adjustable Elevation Head Weir for BCR Effluent
ITRC BCR-1, 2013 Section 6.3.2
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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

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Animas River Stakeholder Group

• Act of Congress Good Samaritans and Draining
  Mines 2014
• Video 12 minutes, 31 seconds
• https//www.youtube.com/watch?vXkjFdgshv1Yfeatur
  eyoutu.be

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User Groups Use and Benefit
EXPECTED USER GROUP INTENDED USE BENEFIT TO BE RECEIVED BY USERS
Consultants Use the BCR document as a Technical guide for preparing work plan submittals to regulators Provides more consistent content of workplans
Regulators Review workplans Good checklist of technical elements that should be in a work plan
Consultants Use 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!
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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.

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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
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Example Implementation Targets
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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

What action are you going to take?