English

Abstract

For the past 13 years, the Mine Waste Technology Program (MWTP) has been operated by MSE with administrative assistance from the Department of Energy (DOE)'s Western Environmental Technology Office (WETO) and technical direction from EPA's National Risk Management Research Laboratory (EPA-NRMRL). A portion of the MWTP funding has been used to perform Field Demonstrations of innovative technologies with the potential to address mine waste issues. This paper will highlight current and past MWTP successes and discuss important lessons learned. Over 70 distinct projects have been completed or are currently being performed by MSE and Montana Tech of the University of Montana. Some issues addressed by these projects include: sustainability; acid drainage/water treatment; trace/heavy metal removal; remote locations; source control; pit lakes; and heap detoxification/closure. Other projects are focused on prediction, characterization, and modeling. Within the past year, new MWTP management personnel have been assigned at MSE, EPA-NRMRL, and Montana Tech of the University of Montana providing an opportunity for positive evolution of the MWTP. Future strategies for MWTP success will also be presented.