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SMCRA contains five principal regulatory provisions that form the basis for its implementation: Performance Standards Performance standard safe intended to ensure that all surface mining is conducted in a way that protects the environment and the public and ensures that the mined land is restored to productive use following mining. Permits Before developing a surface or underground coal mine, an operator must have a permit issued under SMCRA. An application for a permit to conduct a surface coal mining operation is a detailed document that consists of text and numeric data describing the proposed mining and reclamation. Information must be furnished on pre-mining environmental conditions, existing land use, proposed mining and reclamation, how the performance standards will be met, and the post-mining land use. This provides the regulatory authority with the information necessary to determine that the operation can be conducted in accordance with the regulations. Performance Bonds Before a permit can be granted, an operator must post a performance bond sufficient to cover the cost of reclaiming the site in the event the operator fails to complete reclamation. The bond is not fully released until all performance standards have been met and reclamation of the site has been determined to be successful after five years in the East and Midwest, and after 10 years in the arid West. However, the bond can be partially released as various phases of reclamation are completed. Inspection and Enforcement If a violation of SMCRA or of a state surface mining and reclamation law is observed, an inspector issues a notice of violation to the operator. The violation must be corrected within a specific time, and the operator may also have to pay a fine based on the severity of the violation. If the violation is not corrected, acessation order is issued to immediately stop active coal mining, and the operator must pay a fine. If a violation is especially serious (for example, creates an Following reclamation, the land was immediately put back into agricultural production. Today, grain and corn crop yields have continually exceeded targets. 2 imminent danger to public health or safety or causes significant damage to land, air, or water resources) the inspector immediately issues a cessation order. An operator must correct all violations in order to obtain permits for new mines. Lands Unsuitable For Mining Congress recognized that certain coal deposits cannot be mined without permanent damage to unique cultural or natural resources. As a result, SMCRA protects these resources in two ways: It prohibits mining within the boundaries of national parks, forests, wildlife refuges, trails, wild and scenic rivers, wilderness and recreation areas; in areas which will adversely affect sites listed on the National Register of Historic Places; and within a restricted distance of occupied dwellings, public roads, buildings, parks, schools, churches, and cemeteries; and Provides a process that allows anyone whose interests may be adversely affected by proposed mining to petition to have specific lands designated unsuitable for mining.

Jan 1, 1992

By L. Y. Sadler

The Bureau of Mines conducted a study Lo determine the loss in weight of silica (Si02) volatilization from low-alumina (A1203) refractories used as hot face liner materials in such process equipment as coal gasifiers, synthesis gas transfer lines, and ammonia plant secondary re-formers. Small specimens of 80-and 40-pct-A1203 brick and 95-pct-SiO2 brick were exposed to steam in high-pressure furnaces at pressures of up to 1,000 psig and temperatures up to 1,400° C for periods ranging up to 120 h. Weight losses from the 40-pct-A1203 brick after 40 h of exposure were highest, 2.75 pet at 1,400° C and 1,000 psig. The rate of weight loss had dropped to near zero after 80 h of exposure at all temperatures. No relationship between total silica content of the specimen and weight loss could be established nor did scanning electron microscopic examination of the specimens before and after exposure identify specific regions (e.g., surface) suffering a disproportionate share of the silica loss. It was concluded that minor silica volatilization is likely to occur, if at all, at temperatures of less than 1,000° C and pressures below 1,000 psig, and that low-alumina refractories should be used as dry-ash coal gasifier hot face linings.

Jan 1, 1986

By Richard A. Winters

The 31,880-acre Battle Creek Wilderness Study Area (WSA) was evaluated for mineral resources by the U.S. Bureau of Mines in 1984. No mining district is in the area, nor were any mines or claims recorded or found. Oil and gas leases, or lease applications, covered about half the area in early 1984. No known exploration has occurred. The entire WSA is covered with thick volcanic flows. Faults in these volcanic rocks may have provided conduits for mineralizing solutions emanating from the basement rocks; however, no evidence of mineral deposits was detected from rock samples collected along the faults. Reconnaissance samples from sand and gravel deposits yielded gold at less than $0.02/yd3. The source of the gold is assumed to be intrusive rocks or the Challis Volcanics about 20 miles north of the study area near the headwaters of Battle Creek. No economic concentrations of minerals were found in the WSA. INTRODUCTION Mineral surveys of designated wilderness study areas (WSAs) 1/ are conducted by the U.S. Bureau of Mines (USBM) and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) at the request of the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM). The USBM researches the mining and mineral exploration history and evaluates mines, prospects, and mineralized areas within or adjacent to WSAs. The USGS studies WSAs by regional geochemical and geophysical surveys and geological mapping. The USBM and the USGS investigations are summarized in a joint report used to help determine the suitability of WSAs for inclusion into the National Wilderness Preservation System. Although the immediate goal of this USBM study is to provide data for the President, Congress, BLM, and the general public for land-use decisions, the long-term objective is to help insure that the Nation has an adequate and dependable supply of minerals at reasonable cost.

Jan 1, 1985

As part of the Bureau of Mines subactivity in secondary resource recovery and to expand the Nation's mineral base, the Tuscaloosa Research Center made characterization and preliminary beneficiation studies of the waste residues from various coal-conversion processes: from pilot plant tests of the Synthane process for coal gasification, the Synthoil process for coal liquefaction, and the solvent-refined coal (SRC) process for sulfur removal from coal. Those coal conversion processes selected for this study were based on the availability of pilot plant samples. Physical, chemical, and mineralogical examinations of the wastes made to determine the mineral content prior to physical beneficiation tests indicated that in addition to significant quantities of carbon, some trace elements offer potential for concentration.

Jan 1, 1980

By D. E. Emerson, C. G. Kirkland, E. M. Frost

An apparatus has been developed for determining the helium content of gases containing 40 percent or more helium . It utilizes activated coconut charcoal at liquid nitrogen temperatures to adsorb constituents other than helium in the mixture . Series of analyses have been run where the mean deviation was less than 0.05 percent helium . Twenty or more analyses can be made in an 8- hour day .

Jan 1, 1964

By Wesley A. Grosh

The Vest nickel prospect, in Floyd County, Va., was discovered about 25 years ago. Limited exploration of the deposit had indicated some appreciable nickel mineralization in the sulfide ore. The property was examined on March 9, 1943, by an engineer of the Bureau of Mines in company with C. W. Vest, owner of the property. A limited exploration program was recommended. Two holes totaling 320 feet were diamond-drilled in January 1944. Drilling indicated the sulfides are sparsely disseminated. The only nickel values of interest were at the old prospect shaft.

Jan 1, 1949

By Arnold J. Farstad

The Location Group conversed in the Petroleum Room of the Green Center with the purpose of addressing the following list of topics in light of the Bureau of Mines' requirements for detecting and locating trapped miners by electromagnetic methods. These topics include: Noise, Sources, Antennas (transmit and receive), the Propagation Medium, Signal Processing, Optimum Frequency, Receivers, Pulse vs. CW Techniques, Passive Location Techniques, and Obstacles. Practical constraints such as equipment size, weight and power requirements, cost and intrinsic safety were kept in mind during these discussions. It was emphasized that in-mine equipment must be inexpensive, rugged, simple and lightweight. Otherwise, the mine operators probably would not buy it nor would the miners be able to effectively use it. Present techniques for experimentally detecting and locating trapped miners were discussed, along with techniques to improve their location accuracy. Analytical, numerical, and scale modelling methods were considered as a means of giving further insight into measurement, anomalies caused by terrain variations, conductivity contrasts, and obstacles. After discussion of these topics, conclusions were drawn and existing problem areas were identified. These problem areas were addressed in developing guidelines for future efforts. Following the discussion period, the Chairman gave a summary of the Location Group report and comments were solicited from the entire group. 2.0 GROUP DISCUSSION HIGHLIGHTS 2.1 Noise W. Bensema asked the group whether the noise data provided by NBS was adequate. It was determined that for location systems analysis, the most important form of noise data was the frequency spectra of vertical and horizontal magnetic fields on the surface, and the answer to his question was affirmative. Drs. Wait and Frischknecht pointed out the difficulty in accurately measuring the true vertical magnetic field since these measurements are heavily influenced by the loop setting and the local geology. Nevertheless, these measurements are important since the same perturbations would also affect a receiving loop oriented to receive the vertical magnetic field. Dr. Rankin pointed

Jan 1, 1973

Monitoring systems can have numerous uses in the mine. They can aid in the efficient management of the mine by providing environmental trend data, production and maintenance control, and communications. In some cases, they can provide justification to petition the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) fog a variance of one of the mandatory safety standards. They may also increase the gross revenues of the mine by increasing the amount of coal produced or increase profits by reducing the cost of producing that coal. No single system will satisfy the requirement of all mines. Some may require simple hard-wired status-reporting systems; others, multipurpose computer-based systems that collect, analyze, and store data and perhaps control some mine functions. Even though systems vary in complexity, they are all composed of three functional components. The first component is sensors that measure the environmental or production parameters and produce an electrical signal that is fed into the telemetry. The second is telemetry devices that receive the signal from the sensors and transmit it in either analog or digital format to the third com¬ponent, analysis and display equipment. This equipment receives the transmitted signal and either stores it for later analysis or displays it. The analysis-display equipment ranges from simple strip chart recorders with preset alarms to computers, cathode-ray tubes (CRT's), and line printers that can also provide production reports. 4.2 Uses of a Mine Monitoring System A list of potential uses for mine monitoring systems, including both production-related functions and those related to health and safety, was used to develop a questionnaire. It was presented to representatives of the mining community to determine their current monitoring priorities. The responses indicated that the industry's priorities fall into the following two categories: First priority- Production and haulage Maintenance Second priority- Ventilation Communication Fire monitoring Personnel The survey shows that production-oriented systems were the most appealing to the questionnaire respondents. Since even small improvements in production efficiency and maintenance can have a large financial impact, the desirability of monitoring systems that focus on these areas is understandable. The results are summarized in table 4-1. The function that scored 100 was viewed as the most beneficial monitoring function.

Jan 1, 1984

By Mark W. Ryan

The U.S. Bureau of Mines conducted a study to determine if commercially available automatic sprinklers could withstand the high static pressures in deep underground coal mines without leaking and if exposure to the mine environment affected their leak pressures. New sprinklers and sprinklers exposed to the mine environment were subjected to increasing pressures until leakage occurred. The average leak pressures of the new sprinklers ranged from 640 to 2,300 psig and were significantly different for sprinklers from different manufacturers and for different types of sprinklers. Generally, standard-response sprinklers withstood higher pressures than fast-response sprinklers. The results indicated that most commercially available sprinklers would withstand the high static pressures in deep underground coal mines; however, they would not provide the same reliability and safety factor as sprinklers used aboveground at or below their rated pressure of 175 psig. The average leak pressures of the sprinklers exposed to the mine environment ranged from 740 to 1,180 psig. The mine environment affected the ability of 66% of the sprinklers to withstand high static pressures. New sprinklers were also evaluated at pressures of at least 500 psig for 30 days to determine their ability to withstand long-term exposure to high static pressures; no leakage was observed.

Jan 1, 2010

By H. O. McDonald

Solutions containing Cr6+ and sulfuric acid are used in a number of surface-finishing operations. Substantial quantities of chromium and copper are lost and pollution problems are created when the spent solutions are discarded. To minimize the undesirable environmental effects while improving secondary resource recovery technology, the Bureau of Mines is conducting research to detoxify and recover metals from these solutions. Spent etchants are treated to remove copper and reduce Cr6+ to Cr 3+ in an electrolytic cell. The anodes and cathodes are granulated coke. The spent solution is continuously pumped through the electrodes. Hexavalent chromium is reduced to trivalent chromium, and copper is recovered at the cathode. Reoxidation of Cr3+ at the anode was not observed. The removal and recovery of copper reduction of Cr6+ lessen chemical demand and increase efficiency in waste in treatment operations associated with the use of these solutions.

Jan 1, 1980

By Thomas E. Marshall, Roy H. Grau

The U.S. Bureau of Mines has developed an acoustic test for determining if a rock salt sample is from a "normal" nongassy salt face or from a gassy face where an outburst has the potential to occur. The test is based on the observation that a salt sample taken near an outburst-prone zone produces an audible popping sound when it is dissolved in water. The sound is produced when pressurized gas that is trapped in salt samples is released. In the acoustic test, the sound is electronically measured, digitized, and transmitted to a microcomputer; the output is an average decibel value that classifies the sample as "normal" or "outburst." The acoustic test procedure and equipment are described, and raw test results and data analysis are shown. Results are also shown for several salt samples that were analyzed using a laser Raman microprobe.

Jan 1, 1990

By Lucien Eaton

This paper describing the mining practices at Mine No. 2 of the Marquette Range, Michigan is one of a series being prepared by the Bureau of Mines on mining practices, methods, and costs in the various minim; districts of the United States. The publication, of this information should be of interest to the industry at large and the exchange of ideas thereby made possible should be of economic value to operators in all harts of the country. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The author is indebted to the superintendent, engineer, and mining captain of the property discussed in this paper for much of the information presented. The geological classification is taken from publications of the U. S. Geological purvey.

Jan 1, 1929

By M. J. Ferrante

Relative enthalpies of V20S from 298.15 to 1,101.0 K were measured at the Bureau of Mines to provide data needed for the advancement of min-eral technology. Enthalpies were measured with a copper-block calorimeter. A sharp melting point was found at 951 K, with [~~ = 15.690 kcal/ mol ] for the standard enthalpy of melting. Tabulated values are given at selected temperature increments between 298.15 and 1,500 K for the standard relative enthalpy [(HO -H~98),] heat capacity (CpO), entropy (SO), and Gibbs energy function [-(Go -H298)/T]. Standard relative enthal-pies are also given in equation form and combined with data from the literature to derive values of standard enthalpies of formation and Gibbs energies of formation.

Jan 1, 1986

By Charles W. Huggins

DEVELOPMENT of the electron microscope has permitted man to examine many small objects that could not be resolved by the light micro-scope. Diffraction, spherical aberration, and chromatic aberration are the main factors that limit resolution to about two-tenths micron with the light microscope. No matter how perfectly a light microscope is constructed and operated, it cannot possibly resolve points separated by less than two-tenths micron. Rapid development following World War II has produced many electron microscopes capable of 20 A resolution. Fibrous inorganic minerals are well suited for electron microscopic study. Many micrographs of chrysotile have been published, but electron microscopic study of the amphiboles has been somewhat neglected. New techniques in sample preparation have simplified the study of fibrous material. Ultrasonic energy has been very helpful in sample dispersion. This publication contains a representative group of electron micrographs of natural inorganic fibers that have industrial value. These fibers commonly are referred to as the asbestiform minerals. The Bureau hopes that the knowledge gained through electron microscopy and other scientific study of the natural inorganic crystalline fibers eventually will lead to the production of synthetic fibers that will satisfy the requirements of industry.

Jan 1, 1959

By R. P. Adams, R. A. Beall

The Bureau of Mines developed a method to melt and cast specimens of hafnium- carbon alloy and studied their properties . A rotating - ladle vacuum or inert atmosphere arc furnace was designed , special electrodes and molds were developed , and operating procedures were worked out for casting small shapes . The cast specimens were evaluated according to their carbon content for melting point , density , microhardness , electrical resistivity , and oxidation resistance . Lattice dimensions were determined , and metallographic specimens were prepared . Photomicrographs were taken of specimens containing 2.72 , 5.50 , 6.47 , 9.97 , 12.8 , and 15.7 weight - percent carbon , and their grain structures were compared .

Jan 1, 1963

By E. S. Shedd

The Bureau of Mines investigated electrowinning and tapping lanthanum metal from lanthanum oxide in a fluoride bath. The electrolyte was composed of LaF3, BaF2, and LiF. Metal containing 0.2 percent impurities was produced at a rate of over 2 pounds per hour. Principal impurities were carbon, aluminum, and silicon. Low-carbon metal was produced by continually discharging the carbon oxide gases and maintaining 0.1-atmosphere pressure. Anode reactions and cell design were found to be important factors in cell operation. Both frozen electrolyte skulls and tungsten metal crucibles proved satisfactory for collecting the metal and did not react with the molten lanthanum.

Jan 1, 1966

By Mary H. Brown

The heats of formation of oxalic acid and sodium, potassium oxalates, and lithium oxalates were related by solution calorimetry to the heat of formation of (COOH)2.2H20, a value believed to be reliable as reported in the literature. The following heats of formation were determined: (COOH)2(a), -198.1±0.1; (COOH)2(ß), -197.8±0.1; UAW,, -328.7±0.4; Na2C204 -316.2±0.1; K2C204, -321.9±0.2; and K2C204-H20, -393.5±0.2 kcal/mole. The heat of the crystalline transformation (COOH)2(a) ? (COOH)2(ß) was determined to be 0.30±0.02 kcal/mole at 298.15° K.

Jan 1, 1970

By J. W. Walkiewicz

One of the objectives of the Bureau of Mines is to develop substitution technology for scarce materials. In accordance with this goal, alloys containing lanthanum, cobalt, copper, and magnesium were investigated for fabrication of rare-earth-cobalt (RE-Co) permanent magnets. A complete substitution of lanthanum for samarium and a partial substitution of copper for cobalt was accomplished. Magnets of La-Co and La-Co-Cu-Mg alloys were fabricated by powder metallurgy techniques and evaluated. A maximum intrinsic coercivity of 23.2 kOe was obtained with a La-Co-Cu-Mg alloy. In comparison, maximum values of 9.3 kOe and 11.6 kOe were obtained with La-Co and La-Co-Cu alloys, respectively. The substitution of copper and magnesium for part of the cobalt resulted in a large increase of intrinsic coercivity, similar to the results of Bureau research with mischmetal-Co-Cu-Mg alloys. Unlike the mischmetal-Co-Cu-Mg magnets, the La-Co-Cu-Mg magnets showed signs of physical deterioration on exposure to air. The effects of fabrication parameters on the magnetic properties of the La-Co-Cu-Mg alloys were also determined.

Jan 1, 1982

By W. A. Jacob, E. W. Dean

The Pittsburgh petroleum laboratory of the Bureau of lines has recently developed an improved method for the determination of water in pctroleum emulsions. It has been described in detail in an article entitled "A convenient method for the determination of water in petroloum and other organic emulsions" by E. W. Dean and D. D. Stark (Jour. Ind., and Enc. Chem. Vol. 12, ſay, 1920, page 436). It is essentially a modification of the familiar procedure of "distillation with an iniscible solvent", the improvement consisting in the use of apparatus that is rºck more convenient than any previously employed. The method has been used with marked success in the Bureau's laboratories for a period of about a year and has also been tried with equal satisfaction by a number of other laboratories. It has been most extensively employed for determining the water content of heavy fuel oils but has been applied also to several other types of emulsions, including shale oils, tars derived from coal, greases, and mixtures of powdered coal, oil and water. The Bureau has received a number of requests for information regarding commercial sources for the apparatus used, and having been assured of the value of the method, has taken steps to render it available for general use. - The equipment is, with the exception of two items, made of parts that are obtainable from the ordinary stock of chemical supply houses. The two exceptions are (1) the so-called "distilling tube receiver" and (2) the electric heater. The former is an essential part of the equipment; the latter is a convenient ac cessory but it can if necessary be roplaced by a gas burner. Efforts on the part of the Bureau staff to ronder these two items of apparatus available for purchase from supply houses, or for production by the user are hero described.

Sep 1, 1920

By Ivan L. Nichols

Tailings dumps at Mercur, Utah, contain about $7 million worth of gold in 3.5 million tons of mill tailings assaying about 0.07 ounce of gold per ton. Commercial mining and milling at Mercur ceased in 1942. To determine whether improved technology was now available that might permit economic reprocessing of the Mercur dumps, the Bureau of Mines probed for a low-cost method that would be applicable to these tailings. A composite sample prepared for laboratory studies assayed 0.062 ounce gold per ton. About 10 percent of the gold occurred as a water-soluble cyanide. Conventional cyanide leaching dissolved 32 percent of the gold, and hot, strong cyanide solution dissolved 42 percent. Results were not improved by pretreatment with acids, bases, or oxidants. After expensive preroasting, gold recovery by cyanidation was increased to 65 percent. The simple procedures were ineffective, and more effective procedures were too costly for economical processing of Mercur tailings.

Jan 1, 1970