Abandoned Mine Posts

In this two part series at Abandoned Mine Posts, we’ll examine the potential for minepool water to be used as a geothermal heat source. This week , we’ll look at efforts already underway in Canada to tap into the heat below. In the second installment of the series, we’ll stay closer to home and see how others think the Pittsburgh seam minepools can serve as an alternative energy source.

Part I: Canadian Efforts

By Andy McAllister, Watershed Coordinator

With the first days of autumn finally upon us, those crisp fall mornings begin to shake us out of our warm summer stupor and bring us to the one stark reality of winter–heating our homes. This harvest season, we suggest something different, harvesting energy from abandoned mine workings.

The amount of underground mine water located throughout Appalachia’s coal regions is immense and while it may seem cool to the touch as it discharges to the surface, it remains at a fairly constant temperature deep within the earth (somewhere near the low to mid-50s Farenheit). This groundwater stored in abandoned underground mine workings, is an incredible thermal resource just waiting to be tapped. With the help of geothermal heat pump technology, minewater at that temperature could be used to help heat homes and businesses.

In fact, our neighbors to the north have been exploring geothermal energy possibilities for some time. In Nova Scotia, Canada, the town of Springhill (a town with a long history of coal mining and mine disasters) is using its minepool water not just to heat the community center, but to cool the ice for its hockey rink. The town of Springhill isn’t alone in its exploration of innovative ways to heat and cool, the town of Yellowknife in Canada’s Northwest Territory, 250 miles south of the Arctic Circle, is also looking into using old mine workings as a geothermal heat source. Yellowknife’s geothermal feasibility study, released earlier this spring, revealed that the the network of old mine tunnels below the south end of town can be used to help heat up to 2,000 homes.

Click here to read a Canadian Broadcasting Company (CBC) article about how Springhill became the first in the world to use water from an abandoned mine to make ice for its hockey rink.

Click here to read a short article on the CBC website about the results of a geothermal feasibility study conducted on the mines below Yellowknife.

CBC video links about Geothermal energy

Click here to watch a video on CBCs “Green Rush” series website entitled, ” The Godfather of Geothermal”. The video features Ralph Ross of Springhill, Nova Scotia who has been working in geothermal energy since the 80’s and is finally seeing his idea take off.

Click here to watch a CBC video entitled, “The Heat Below” explaining geothermal heating, also at the “Green Rush” series website.

Since the passage of significant new amendments to the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act in December 2006, the Pennsylvania Dept. of Environmental Protection’s (PADEP) office of Mineral Resources Management has been grappling with the provisions within the new law that could have an effect on the future of Abandoned Mine Reclamation (AMR) and the work of the AMR community.  Principle among those changes is the provision that now allows states to choose to set aside up to 30% of their annual grant to put toward Abandoned Mine Drainage (AMD) projects. Previously, states were only allowed to set aside up to 10% of their annual grant for AMD projects.

In response to the increased flexibility afforded by the new law, and in an effort to gain feedback on how to proceed with the new options, particularly the 30% set aside, the PADEP held 10 public roundtables throughout the state in 2007. One of the most commonly mentioned points from the attendees was that the State should take the full 30% set aside to put toward AMD projects.

In July 2008, the PA DEP’s Office of Mineral Resources Management issued a draft Position Paper clarifying the Department’s decision regarding the 30% set aside. While the Department clearly states a desire to take the full 30% set aside, it also recognizes its responsibility to reclaim abandoned priority mine-related land hazards specified in SMCRA. Accordingly, the state’s position is that it “...shall take the maximum 30% abandoned mine drainage set aside at the earliest possible time that provides a balance with the state’s land reclamation responsibilities.”

In addition to that position, a number of other positions of perhaps lesser significance, yet important nevertheless, are developed in the same document.  For instance, DEP’s positron on providing funding for operations and maintenance for AMD treatment systems is espoused there.  DEP has done a nice job of not only articulating its positions, but also providing the background and framework on which it develops those positions. Anyone who has a stake in these matters should indeed become familiar with this document, as it will likely be a cornerstone in DEP’s use of AMD Set-aside Program program as it passes from draft to finalized form.

To read DEP’s complete draft AMD Set-aside Program Position Paper, click here.

Well before the SMCRA public outreach roundtables in 2007, the PA DEP began an initiative to evaluate the performance or success of passive treatment systems built with public funds to examine the effectiveness of various treatment technologies and develop treatability criteria and project selection guidelines. Proposed in draft form is the Mine Drainage Treatability and Site Selection Guidelines, a framework for AMD project selection which takes into account a whole host of considerations in making the ultimate decision of whether or not a specific source of AMD should be funded for remediation. A key component among the considerations is the selection of methodology for treating and/or abating AMD. Whereas in the past decade or so the virtual de facto choice in Pennsylvania has been for passive AMD  treatment, an evaluation mechanism has now been devised and spelled out favoring “proven, reliable, and predictable” treatment approaches.  Almost certainly the choice of some passive treatment methodologies will become more limited to less risky situations in which those methodologies have had generally good track records.

The original draft document was made available to a focus group earlier this year followed by a meeting in State College where the document was discussed and comments were accepted.  A comment period following that meeting provided additional opportunity to provide input to DEP.  Available now is the Draft Guidelines with Integrated Written Public Comments.

We understand DEP will continue to develop these guidelines over the period of many months.  In that we are still in the first of a 5 year ramp-up period before the full thrust of SMCRA funding will fully be felt, we are comfortable that DEP is doing its due diligence in properly developing these guidelines. As with the AMD Set-aside Program Position Paper, when finalized the Mine Drainage Treatability and Site Selection Guidelines  will likely be a cornerstone in DEP’s use of AMD Set-aside Program.

To read DEP’s Draft Mine Drainage Treatability and Project Selection Guidelines, click here.

By Andy McAllister, Watershed Coordinator

The Ohio River Watershed Celebration (ORWC) cruise is a hugely successful, free event that takes place every year aboard the Gateway Clipper Fleet’s vessels in downtown Pittsburgh.  The editors of Abandoned Mine Posts (AMP) recently spoke with Tom Grote of Stream Restoration, Inc. and member of the ORWC planning committee to find out more about the 2008 celebration slated for September 25th.

AMP: Tom, tell me a bit about the Ohio River Watershed Celebration.
GROTE:  The event came about as a way to celebrate the restoration of the Ohio River Watershed that has taken place over the last 20 years. Most of the restoration success is the direct result of small watershed groups working in the headwaters of the Allegheny and Monongahela watersheds.  The idea is to have people from all walks of life meet those who clean up the rivers while cruising up and down the river on a Gateway Clipper Fleet boat.  One of the things we realized when this started 7 years ago is that a lot of people don’t know the story about how the river got cleaner.  By having this celebration and having it free to the public, we feel it’s a way to spread that story.

AMP:  Historically, the Ohio River had been in pretty bad shape?
GROTE:  Actually, all three rivers:  the Allegheny, Monongahela, Ohio were heavily polluted in the past.  The steel industry had been responsible for part of that but a lot of it came from the historical coal mining activities throughout the watershed.  That mine drainage went into the different watersheds which eventually flow into the Ohio River. Today, the river has improved so much that a significant number of bass have returned to the three rivers.  The return of the bass was so pronounced that the International Bassmasters Tournament was actually held right here in Pittsburgh in 2005.

AMP:  So what’s on tap for this year’s cruise?
GROTE:  We’ve been very pleased over the years that the number of K-12 students attending the celebration has been growing significantly.  In 2007, we had about 800 attendees, of which 300 were school children.  Given the event’s popularity among kids, the planning committee decided that for 2008, we needed a second boat (the Empress) to provide a more extensive educational program for students K-12. So, this year is we’re offering the two cruises.  The “Imagination Cruise”, taking place aboard the “Empress” is designed for K-12 school kids.  Since we’ll be cruising on the Ohio River this year, they’ll be learning about all facets of the Ohio River.  Jenning Environmental Center’s Wil Taylor has been in charge of coordinating the program for the children’s “Imagination Cruise”.  In fact, to give you an idea of how popular this event is among school children and their parents, once we opened the registrations for the children’s boat, it only took two days to reach our registration capacity!  The other vessel is the adults only boat, the “Networker Cruise” aboard the “Majestic”.  Both vessels will be cruising the Ohio River at the same time.

AMP:  Can I still make a reservation for the adults only “Networker Cruise” aboard the “Majestic”?
GROTE:  Absolutely, we’re still accepting reservations for the adults only boat.

AMP:   What kind of activities take place on board and on the dock?
GROTE:  Boarding for the cruises begin at 12:30 PM and both boats leave the dock at 1:00PM but we have activities for adults and children on the dock starting at 10:30 AM.  This year we have folks from The National Aviary and the National Audubon Society giving presentations on the dock.  Also, the US Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) aquatic biologists will be on hand educating folks about stream invertebrates.  Those are just some of the things happening on the dock before the cruise begins.  Also, food and beverages will be available for purchase both on the boat and on the dock.
Between 10:30 and Noon, the attendees may get on either boat to check them out.  We’re encouraging the kids to visit the “Networker Cruise” to see what displays are like on the adult boat.  At Noon, everyone must get off both boats, then at 12:30, once both boats are empty, you then board the specific boat you’re registered for. 

AMP:  What do you have planned for the “Networker Cruise?
GROTE:  The “Networker Cruise” is meant to celebrate the work of Watershed Groups and to let them know we appreciate their efforts while at the same time celebrating the efforts of business and industry in cleaning up the watershed.  This year, our theme is “Innovative Energy for a Green World”.  We’re looking at different types of energy, ways to use energy more efficiently, new types of energy, and focusing on organizations that are doing things with new energy sources. 

In addition to providing networking opportunities, we will have several mini-presentations on some of these innovative energy topics and a narration by Dave Plank, retired from PA DEP’s Southwest Regional Office and Joe Dinkle from the Westview Water Authority.  Dave and Joe will be talking about the river, from its uses for transportation and community water supplies to historical sites along the river. It promises to be very informative.   We also have the watershed awards.  A panel of judges will examine each small watershed group’s display and will select the winners of four $500 awards and four $250 awards.  Former DEP Secretary, Dave Hess is one of the sponsors of these awards and will be on hand to give the awards out. The award categories are: Community Outreach and Education; Most Innovative and Cutting-Edge Projects; Best Overall Display; and Best Example of Partnership. To be eligible for an award, a group must be from the Ohio River Watershed; Work on a local watershed issue; Be a formal or informal association, alliance, conservancy, hunting or fishing club, school group, environmental group, FFA, 4H, or other like-minded group; Not be a local, state, or federal agency or private consulting firm.

AMP:  Sounds good to me!  What do I have to do to get a spot on the Majestic?
GROTE:  The ORWC steering committee raises the funds through sponsors to pay for the entire trip, so it’s free to the public!  All anyone has to do is register online.
Go to http://www.streamrestorationinc.org and click on event registration and if you’re an adult, 18 and over, select the “Networker Cruise”.   Please remember that the networker cruise is for adults, 18 and over. Dress is casual. The celebration happens at the Gateway Clipper Fleet’s dock on the Southern Bank of the Monongahela River in Station Square, Downtown Pittsburgh. Once you arrive at Station Square, you will find plenty of all-day pay parking at the Station Square parking lot right next to the Gateway Clipper’s entrance. For directions to the Gateway Clipper Fleet’s dock, click here.

AMP:  What about the schoolchildren who wanted to go on the “Imagination Cruise” aboard the Empress?
GROTE:  As I mentioned, that cruise is already full, however we’re keeping a record of everyone who tried to register for the children’s boat after it filled up and we expect to come up with a solution for next year. If you have any questions about this year’s event, you can call us at: 724-776-0150