Bulk infilling of underground mines: mine waste sandfill.
Authors
Levens RL; Boldt CMK
Source
Mining Environ Manage 1994 Dec; 2(4):16-17,19-20
Link
NIOSHTIC No.
10012535
Abstract
The backfilling of underground mines is a well known, if not commonly practised, method for disposing of mine waste while providing structural support. In recent years, increasing environmental pressure against surface methods of waste disposal and concern about subsidence have resulted in an increase in the popularity of infilling of mine adits. For example, backfilling of abandoned mines in the U.K. is seen as a means of reducing the possibilities of subsidence, thereby opening up 'under-mined' areas for potential development. This apparently ideal solution for the disposal of mine wastes is now being questioned in the U.S. on environmental grounds. The concern is that the wastes might be geochemically unstable and lead to contamination of the soil and groundwater. This is particularly the case when the infill being used has a high metal content. This article discusses research that was carried out by the U.S. Bureau of Mines in response to the Underground Injection Control Regulatory Programme. This regulatory programme, which encompasses the bulk infilling of underground mines, was set up by the Environmental Protection Agency under the auspices of the Safe Drinking Water Act (1974).
Links with this icon indicate that you are leaving the CDC website.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) cannot attest to the accuracy of a non-federal website.
Linking to a non-federal website does not constitute an endorsement by CDC or any of its employees of the sponsors or the information and products presented on the website.
You will be subject to the destination website's privacy policy when you follow the link.
CDC is not responsible for Section 508 compliance (accessibility) on other federal or private website.
For more information on CDC's web notification policies, see Website Disclaimers.
CDC.gov Privacy Settings
We take your privacy seriously. You can review and change the way we collect information below.
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we will not know when you have visited our site, and will not be able to monitor its performance.
Cookies used to make website functionality more relevant to you. These cookies perform functions like remembering presentation options or choices and, in some cases, delivery of web content that based on self-identified area of interests.
Cookies used to track the effectiveness of CDC public health campaigns through clickthrough data.
Cookies used to enable you to share pages and content that you find interesting on CDC.gov through third party social networking and other websites. These cookies may also be used for advertising purposes by these third parties.
Thank you for taking the time to confirm your preferences. If you need to go back and make any changes, you can always do so by going to our Privacy Policy page.