Pulsed limestone bed treatment is a new technology for the processing of acid mine drainage that utilizes limestone in fluidized bed reactors for an economical method of neutralizing acidity, adding alkalinity, and removing metal contaminants from mining impacted waters. The technology was developed by the U.S. Geological Survey, at the Leetown Science Center in Kearneysville, West Virginia. Previous demonstrations of this technology have taken place at coal mining sites in the Appalachian region. In this demonstration project, funded by the Mine Waste Technology Program of EPA, the Pulsed Limestone Bed (PLB) technology is being demonstrated at the Argo Tunnel Water Treatment Facility, which currently treats metal mining impacted waters flowing into Clear Creek. A 230 liter per minute pilot treatment system was installed in a moving van trailer and transported to the site in summer of 2004. Untreated water at the Argo site typically contains about 600 mg/L acidity (as CaCO 3), due to the presence of hydrolysable metals including iron, aluminum, copper, zinc and manganese. Shakedown tests of the system were conducted by project cooperators from the Colorado School of Mines, and demonstrated an increase in pH from 3.0 to 7.0, nearly complete removal of iron and aluminum and an effluent alkalinity of about 100 mg/L as CaCO 3. Post-treatment of the process effluent was required for removal of Mn and Zn, but test results indicated a decrease in reagent costs, as well as decreased sludge volume, due to the replacement of lime or sodium hydroxide by limestone as the neutralization agent. Complete process testing is scheduled for summer 2005.
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