You will be reading 4 articles then will be answering questions…

Question Answered step-by-step You will be reading 4 articles then will be answering questions… You will be reading 4 articles then will be answering questions about the 4 articles. Articles: AMD Reading On-LevelARTICLE 1What can be done to prevent or clean up acid mine drainage?–American Geosciences Institutehttps://www.americangeosciences.org/critical-issues/faq/what-can-be-done-prevent-or-clean-acid-mine-drainageWater flowing through active or abandoned mine sites can become polluted by the material being mined[1]. By far the most common mine drainage problem is that of acid mine drainage (AMD). Sulfuric acid is produced when water interacts with sulfur-bearing materials in the presence of oxygen and common bacteria[1]. The acidic water formed by this process can dissolve many metals in bioavailable forms, posing a threat to humans and wildlife[2]. If AMD gets into surface waterways, both the acidity and metal content can produce significant environmental problems over large distances[2].There are a variety of approaches to preventing and cleaning up acid mine drainage. Most of these focus on trying to neutralize the acid, prevent exposure of mine materials to oxygen and flowing/percolating water, or otherwise prevent bacteria from catalyzing the necessary reactions. Some common methods include:Reclamation of contaminated land[2] by (1) adding lime or other alkaline materials to neutralize the acidity, and (2) adding uncontaminated top soil, planting vegetation, and modifying slopes to stabilize the soil and reduce infiltration of surface water into underlying contaminated material.Soil removal to relocate contaminated material to new sites where it can be monitored and treated[2].Direct treatment of the contaminated water, either through treatment plants (where lime or other neutralizing materials are added to reduce the acidity, which causes metals to precipitate out of the contaminated water) or artificial wetlands (which help sequester contaminated material in place, and where microbial action produces oxygen-free conditions to help prevent further sulfuric acid formation)[2].Filling in abandoned mines with materials that will prevent the formation of AMD. This can include flooding the mines with water to remove the oxygen necessary to form AMD, or filling in mines with alkaline materials to prevent the formation of acidic water[2,3].Relocation and isolation of mine waste that may produce AMD if allowed to react with water. This often involves isolating the waste from interaction with groundwater by moving the waste above the water table, treating it, and covering it with a layer of impermeable material to keep out surface water[3].Bacteria control – certain common bacteria substantially speed up the formation of AMD. Some efforts to prevent AMD involve the use of bactericides to kill these bacteria, or the addition of organic waste to provide an alternative energy source for some of these bacteria and produce oxygen-free conditions that prevent the formation of sulfuric acid[3].Diverting water from the mine site to prevent it from running through AMD-forming materials[3].Disposing mine waste underwater to prevent exposure to oxygen[3].In addition to the methods listed above, a wide variety of alternative methods have been employed to prevent or treat acid mine drainage. See below for resources that provide a comprehensive discussion of treatment options.References1 Abandoned Mine Drainage Environmental Protection Agency2 Metal Mining and the Environment American Geosciences Institute3 Handbook of Technologies for Avoidance and Remediation of Acid Mine Drainage National Mine Land Reclamation Center, West Virginia UniversityLearn More Abandoned Mine Drainage (Website), Environmental Protection AgencyIntroduction to Abandoned Mine Drainage with links to supplementary fact sheets, reports, and information resourcesHandbook of Technologies for Avoidance and Remediation of Acid Mine Drainage (Handbook), National Mine Land Reclamation Center, West Virginia University1998 handbook covering the wide range of AMD cleanup and avoidance techniques. Despite its age, this handbook provides an unusually extensive treatment of the subject and is still highly relevant to AMD issuesAcid Drainage Technology Initiative (Website), Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement, U.S. Department of the InteriorInformation about ADTI and how it is addressing the pervasive problem of acid mine drainageNational Mine Land Reclamation Center (Website), West Virginia Water Research InstituteWebsite for this national center focused on issues related to abandoned coal and metal minesAbandoned Mine Site Characterization and Cleanup Handbook(Handbook), Environmental Protection AgencyComprehensive handbook for assessing and remediating abandoned mine sitesAcid Mine Drainage Abatement and Treatment Plans(Handbook), Ohio Department of Natural ResourcesGuidance document used in Ohio for developing AMD abatement and treatment plansUSGS Mine Drainage Activities (Website), U.S. Geological SurveyUSGS programs, activities, projects, publications, and meetings on mine drainage issues ARTICLE 2Abandoned Mine Drainage–EPAhttps://www.epa.gov/nps/abandoned-mine-drainageAbandoned mine drainage is water that is polluted from contact with mining activity, and normally associated with coal mining. It is a common form of water pollution in areas where mining took place in the past. There are several issues with abandoned mines that impact water quality:acid mine drainage (the most prevalent; see below)alkaline mine drainage (this typically occurs when calcite or dolomite is present)metal mine drainage (high levels of lead or other metals drain from these abandoned mines)Acid mine drainage is the formation and movement of highly acidic water rich in heavy metals. This acidic water forms through the chemical reaction of surface water (rainwater, snowmelt, pond water) and shallow subsurface water with rocks that contain sulfur-bearing minerals, resulting in sulfuric acid. Heavy metals can be leached from rocks that come in contact with the acid, a process that may be substantially enhanced by bacterial action. The resulting fluids may be highly toxic and, when mixed with groundwater, surface water and soil, may have harmful effects on humans, animals and plants.ARTICLE 3Bringing geoscience to bear on the problem of abandoned minesBy Sara E. Pratthttps://www.earthmagazine.org/article/bringing-geoscience-bear-problem-abandoned-minesNote:The following is a section of the article 3. Good SamaritansA wide range of private groups — from industry to wildlife conservation and recreational boaters and anglers — take an interest in mine remediation to clean up local waterways. Good Samaritan laws offer them protection from historic liability. Here, boaters celebrate the reopening of the Animas River for recreational use on Aug. 18, 2015. Credit: La Plata County Sheriff’s Office.Some of the private funding comes from corporations or groups — like Trout Unlimited, a nonprofit organization dedicated to conserving trout fisheries — that have a vested interest in cleaning up their local waterways. However, under certain laws anyone involved with mine cleanup in any way over the years can potentially be held responsible for environmental damage, even that which preceded their involvement with cleanup, and be liable for legal damages and cleanup costs.Thus, Good Samaritan laws offer permits to waive or reduce the liability of private parties that want to participate in environmental cleanup projects. For example, if a group helped remediate a polluted stream that was previously unable to support aquatic life to the point that fish could survive in it, but not necessarily to the point that the water met the standards of the Clean Water Act, Good Samaritan laws might exempt the company from the more stringent requirement.South Dakota and Pennsylvania are currently the only states with “Good Sam” laws. In Pennsylvania, Cavazza says, the 1999 law increased the number of private parties participating in acid mine drainage cleanup projects. But, he says, he suspects that many potential corporate partners are still dissuaded by legal teams who do not want to risk federal liability.”I don’t know why you would want to discourage anybody from going in to try to clean something up that they had nothing to do with creating, that they are not in any way liable for, and for which they are providing their own resources,” says Cavazza, who last fall testified in his capacity as past president of the National Association of Abandoned Mine Land Programs (not in his role as a state official) to the benefits of Good Sam laws before the House subcommittee.   ARTICLE 4New Projectshttps://mde.maryland.gov/programs/LAND/mining/Pages/Interesting-Projects.aspxNote:The following is a section of the article 3.Casselman River Watershed?Four years ago, MDE’s Abandoned Mine Land Division had an award-winning project cleaning up the acid mine drainage in the Aaron Run watershed in Garrett County which allowed populations of  brook trout to flourish once again.Now, the division, headquartered at the agency’s office in Frostburg, has another major success story — covering a much larger area in the Casselman River watershed — to hang its hat on.The Casselman project marked the first time of the widespread usage of limestone sand — a source for alkalinity to counterbalance acidity – and leach beds of crushed high-calcium limestone for water treatment in a large watershed. The 66-square-mile Casselman watershed is west of the Continental Divide in the drainage area of the Ohio River basin stretching north into Pennsylvania while Aaron Run is in the Chesapeake Bay watershed.”The fish recovery has been remarkable due to the Abandoned Mines Land Division’s recently completed projects,” said MDE Abandoned Mine Division Chief Mike Garner. In addition to recovery of fish species, observers say that numbers of aquatic macroinvertebrates in the tributary streams have soared. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has published success stories on some of the treated streams.Four of them in the Casselman watershed–  Alexander Run, Big Laurel Run, Spiker Run and Tarkiln Run — have been delisted for low pH, because of the restoration activities implemented by the Abandoned Mine Lands group.Alan Klotz of the Maryland Department of Natural Resources provided MDE with a brook trout population update in August. Among Klotz’s observations were that brook trout were collected for the first time in the North Branch of the Casselman River and that Alexander Run had been fishless because of acidity but 18 adults and 60 young were counted in 20 minutes of electrofishing. At Tarkiln Run, Klotz noted that one brook trout was collected in a 1997 survey and it was fishless in 2014. But 17 brook trout were collected in 10 minutes during a July survey.  Acid mine drainage from abandoned mine lands and acid rain over decades led to low levels of pH in the Casselman and its tributaries and a federal listing for low pH impairment in 1996. The acid also created a significant reduction in native brook trout numbers in the watershed.A total of 18 limestone sand application sites and four limestone leach beds were constructed at targeted locations throughout the main branches and tributaries from 2012 through 2017. It didn’t take long for the pH water tests to meet Maryland water quality standards of 6.5 to 8.5 with dramatic improvements in brook trout health population and “phenomenal biological community improvements.””It’s a very low tech and much cheaper solution than other projects using dosers from the past,” said Environmental Program Manager Connie Loucks. “It’s important to make sure you have your sand application sites properly located.” ? Questions: Article 1 What is the most common mine drainage problem?  How sulfuric acid is produced? What is the most common approach to preventing and cleaning up acid mine drainage? What are the two ways of cleaning the AMD in the reclamation method? In the soil removal method, which part of the soil is removed? Name the two ways of treatments in the direct treatment method. In the filling in the abandoned mines method, name the two ways to fill in the mines. In the relocation and isolation methods, how is waste isolated?  In the bacteria control method, how do the bacterias get under control?  Define the diverting water method.  How do the disposing mine waste underwater method control AMD? Article 2 What is abandoned mine drainage?What are the three ways that abandoned mine drainage impacts water quality? Fill in the blank:             This acidic water forms through the chemical reaction of ____________            (rainwater, snowmelt, pond water) and ___________________ with rocks that              contain ________________minerals, resulting in _______________. Which metals reaction with the acid can be enhanced by bacterial action? Article 3 Who are “good samaritans”? Which states currently work under a “good sam law”? Article 4 What is the source for neutralizing, alkalinity, water in the Casselman project? In which watershed is Aaron Run located? Which aquatic species have been soared in the tributary streams since the the project has been completed? Why have Alexander Run and Spiker Run been delisted for low pH? Why was there a significant reduction in native brook trout impairment in 1996? What is the Maryland water quality standard for pH? Fill in the blank:           A total of 18 _________________sites and four ____________________           were constructed at targeted locations throughout the main branches and               tributaries from ________through __________.  Arts & Humanities Writing ENGLISH 101 Share QuestionEmailCopy link Comments (0)