Mine waste and water management at the Upper Blackfoot Mining Complex

摘要

The Upper Blackfoot Mining Complex (UBMC) is located at the headwaters of the Blackfoot River in Lewis & Clark County, Montana. Underground lead, zinc, and silver mining activities occurred at several mines within the UBMC, beginning near the turn of the century and terminating in the 1950s. Drainage from adits and erosion of waste rock piles within the UBMC were shown to contribute to water quality degradation in the Upper Blackfoot River. In 1993, private mining companies began implementing a systematic remediation program in the UBMC under a proactive agreement with the Montana Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ). The program includes relocation of waste rock to a series of three engineered repositories and passive treatment of waters draining from the Mike Horse Mine. This paper describes the mine waste relocation efforts, repository design and construction, the treatment system design, and the performance of the treatment system in terms of metal removal.