1986-12-08_GENERAL DOCUMENTS - M1977493 ‎(2)‎

• Permit No: M1977493
• IBM Index Class Name: GENERAL DOCUMENTS
• Doc Date: 12/8/1986
• Doc Name: METHODS AND COSTS FOR STABILIZING FINE-SIZED MINERAL WASTES
• From: DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
• To: DRMS
• Media Type: D
• Archive: No

•
CONTENTS
Page
Abstract.. .. . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . ... . . . . . .. . .. .. . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Stabilization procedures.. .. .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .-. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Physical stabilization.. . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . ... . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . 2
Chemical stabilization.... .. . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Chemical field trial. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . .. . . . .. .. . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Vegetative stabilization.. . .. . . . . . .. . . . .. .. . . . . . . . . . . .. . . .. . . . . . . . . 7
Preliminary vegetative testing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Species selection. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. .. . . .. . . . . . . . 8
Microvegetative stabilization. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Chemical-vegetative procedure.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . .. . .. . . . . .. . 9
Field tests. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . .. .. . . . . . . . .. . 11
Comparative costs. . . . .. . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . 12
Ongoing Bureau of Mines research. . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . 13
Reducing maintenance costs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . .... . . . . . . . . . . 13
Vegetating adverse tailings.. .. . . . . .. . . . . .. . . . . . .. . . . .. . .. . . . . . . . . . 14
Salinity and heavy metal salt problems. . . . . . . . . . . . ... . ... . . .. . 14
Effect of heavy metal salts on seed germination. .. .. . . . . . . . . . . 15
Interactions of fertilizers and heavy metal minerals.. . . . . . . . . 15
Overcoming salinity and acidity problems. .. .. . . ... .. . . .. . . . .. . 16
Modification of tailing pH. . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . ... .. . . . . . .. . . . 17
Altering the structure and organic composition of tailings. . . . . . . . . 18
Structural and organic modifications of tailings.. . . . . . . . . . . . .. 18
Buried organic layers. . . . . .. . . .. .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
• Pelletization of tailings.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . .. . . . . . . . . .. 21
Combination of pelletization and buried organic layers. . . . . . . . 22
Costs of methods using sludge as pellets. . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . .... . . . . . . . 23
Conclusions. . . . . o . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . o o .. . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . .. .. . . . . . . 25
References. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
ILLUSTRATIONS
I. Water jet. . . . . . .. . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . 0 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
2. Wind tunnel. . . . .. .. ... . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
3. Effect of a buried sewage sludge layer of 16-3/4-inch depth
on the oxidation of tailing sulfides. . . . . . . . 24
S. Effect of a buried sewage sludge layer of 4-3/4-inch depth
on the oxidation of tailing sulfides.. . . . . . . . . . . . o . . . . .. oo . . . . . . . . 24
TABLES
Cost comparison of stabilization methods. . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
2. Germination and survival of four species of plants with 2-inch
sludge layers at various depths. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
3• Plant and root growth of tomatoes. , . . . . . . . o . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . o . . . 0 . . . . 20
Germination and survival of plants with buried sludge layers
and pelletized cover. . . o . . . . . . . . o . . . . . o . . . . . . . . . o . . . . . . . . . . . . o . . . . 21
�• Comparison of overall germination and survival of plants on buried
sludge layer plots. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
�• Cost comparison of auxiliary stabilization methods. . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . 23