INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGICAL SOLUTIONS TO ENVIRONMENTAL TREATMENT ISSUES

David J. Reisman, Director, Engineering Technical Support Center, Office of Research & Development, U. S. Environmental Protection Agency

Since the 1980’s, the Engineering Technical Support Center (ETSC) has been a focal point within the U.S. EPA for developing innovative approaches for treatment technologies to solve difficult cleanup sites. The Center has assisted EPA Regional personnel on over 1000 hazardous waste sites across the United States . The presenter will show how the Center operates within the EPA structure, and highlight some of the technologies that have been used on these sites.

A main focus of the presentation will be on the development and testing of technologies for the treatment of water from hard rock mineral mines in the United States . Acid mine drainage (AMD) from mines is a world wide problem, and a significant one in the United States with an estimated one hundred thousand abandoned mines creating severe pollution to surface and ground water, especially in the mountainous regions of the country where these sites are located. As water passes through the mined site, it accumulates high concentrations of metals that are toxic to humans and other life forms. Significant obstacles to known active treatment methods include little or no power for electrical equipment to operate, harsh climate that limits treatment to small temporal windows due to non-accessibility during inclement weather, and large amounts of water and irregular flow conditions due to winter snow melt and summer droughts.

For the last ten years, ETSC has been developing an alternative technology program for the EPA regions that uses more passive and semi-passive treatment methods for the treatment of this acid drainage. The systems under development must be designed with physical, chemical and biological processes working together to create a sustainable system that will reduce the metals concentrations while reducing operation and maintenance costs and needs. The presentation will highlight the use of the biological processes, including wetlands and bacteria, for the treatment of the water to remove toxic metals to meet ambient water quality criteria for human and ecological health. Examples of 3 different types of treatment systems being demonstrated by the EPA will be shown and reviewed.