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Coal slurry, a waste product of coal mining, is stored in aboveground ponds or underground mines. It contains potentially toxic compounds and heavy metals. Impoundment ponds and underground injection have caused environmental damage and health concerns. Coal slurry pipelines are used for transportation. Alternative processing methods could reduce the amount of waste generated.
Coal slurry is a waste product of coal mining and processing and contains both liquid and solid constituents. Coal particles, water, and chemicals used to prepare the coal for market make up the slurry. No proper methods of treating coal slurry for reuse or return to the environment have been implemented, so the waste is stored in aboveground ponds or pumped into depleted underground mines. Failures of surface sewage embankments and pipelines have caused damage to the environment and property, raising concerns for their safety. Potential groundwater contamination is a problem with underground disposal methods.
The components in the slurry come from the coal and the chemicals used in its processing. The scrubbing or purification process reduces the pollution-causing contaminants in the coal, but these impurities then become part of the slurry. The composition of coal slurry varies depending on the coal and processing methods. The waste products of coal mining and preparation contain potentially toxic organic and inorganic compounds, sulphates, ammonium and heavy metals. Alternative processing methods, including dry processing techniques, could reduce the amount of coal slurry generated.
Impoundment ponds are created as part of the mining process, using the solid rock left over after coal mining. Dams are built using rock and soil and are usually located at the head of a valley near the coal-making plant. Some impoundment ponds hold billions of gallons of sewage. Under certain circumstances a tailings dam could be prone to failure, resulting in the release of large quantities of coal slurry.
Underground injection is another method of coal slurry disposal. Sewage is pumped into abandoned coal mines. Initially thought to be a safer method of disposal, groundwater leaks have been reported. This has caused wells near abandoned mines to become contaminated, and users of the wells say their many health problems are related to the contaminated water.
Coal slurry pipelines are a method of transporting usable coal to power plants or shipping ports when the availability of preferred modes of transportation is not available. This type of slurry contains pulverized charcoal mixed with an equal portion of water. It flows from the mine to its final destination through specially designed pipelines and must be dried out before it can be used. Waste sewage pipelines are used to move the material left over after processing to a disposal site.
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