There are numerous active, inactive, and abandoned sites associated with metal extraction in the western United States. In the State of Arizona alone, there are, in addition to active mining operations, an estimated 60,000 to 100,000 inactive and abandoned mines that have contribute to pollution of about 320 km of surface water systems (Frisch-Gleason, 1995). We hypothesize that by examining representative mining and mining-impacted sites, including historical and current operational data for these sites, we can develop methodologies and techniques to effectively guide site evaluations and selection of innovative remedial strategies for stabilizing or removing metal(loid)s. We propose a three- pronged, parallel approach. One branch focuses on the historical and current process steps used in extraction and/or refining different metals (copper, lead, zinc and gold) from different ore bodies. Central to this effort is the identification of appropriate sampling methodologies to characterize mine waste piles. The second branch combines field and laboratory studies to quantify the stability of mining waste products in the environment and to test innovative means to monitor contaminant transport in the field by on-site and/or remote means. This tasks includes adapting a passive monitoring device for metal(oid)s and developing an array of continuous flowmeters for monitoring streams. The third branch integrates the characterization for monitoring streams. The third branch integrates the characterization and monitoring information obtained in the other two tasks to develop and test innovative metal removal processes. Based on our previous research at a stream affected by mining wastes, we have proposed to pilot-scale tests both a biological reactor and phytoremediation reactor to remove metals from stream water. In addition, to address the problem of abandoning mines, we will investigate the use of advanced metallurgic techniques the use of advanced metallurgic techniques to economically reprocess and stabilize mining wastes. Currently, we are focusing on three State of Arizona Water Quality Revolving (WQARF) Registry sites: Pinal Creek (active cooper mining, surface water-groundwater contamination); Klondyke (abandoned lead/zinc ore tailings pile, remote area); and, Vulture Mills (abandoned gold ore tailing pile, urban area).
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