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West Virginia Water Research Institute
West Virginia University

Monongahela Basin Mine Pool Project

News Flash

  • MINE WATER still flooding McDonald
    A contractor last night worked to contain a mine breakout that was discharging an estimated 4,000 gallons of water a minute onto the streets of McDonald, Washington County. www.post-gazette.com/pg/05027/448727.stm
  • MCDONALD SITUATION may take weeks to resolve
    A federal agency on Wednesday was set to take temporary measures to divert water gushing from a ruptured mine void in a McDonald neighborhood, but a permanent solution may be weeks away.
  • WEST VIRGINIA researchers predicted mine burst
    In a study completed last year, researchers at West Virginia University predicted that water would soon begin to burst from flooded abandoned mines in the region.
  • NO QUICK FIX for coal overflow
    Water gushing from an abandoned coal mine in McDonald will not subside for at least 12 days and could take as long as three weeks to drain, authorities said Wednesday. www.pittsburghlive.com/x/tribune-review/trib/regional/s_297391.html

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Underground Mine Pool Flooding (3:33)

Bandwidth: 56K | Cable/DSL | T1

Background Return to top

Phase I, funded by the U.S. Department of Energy - National Energy Technology Laboratory was a multi-disciplinary project incorporating the expertise of researchers with three major universities: West Virginia University, University of Pittsburgh, and Carnegie Mellon University. The objectives include: mapping underground mine pools, monitoring mine water levels, water chemistry, and rates of water rise and differences between shallow cover near outcrops versus central basin. Stream water quality changes since the mid 1960's were evaluated. In addition, an attempt was made to evaluate the rate data to develop an improved macroscopic rate expression for the abiotic dissolution of pyrite and to develop the framework for a geochemical model that includes rate-limited and equilibrium reactions for water chemistry evolution in a water-pyrite system. The quantifying of economic values related to water quality changes in the Monongahela River were also initiated.

Phase II of the project was called the Abandoned Mine Pool Flooding of the Pittsburgh, Ohio, and Irwin Basins. This project was funded through Parsons Infrastructure Technology Group, Inc. and supported by the U.S. Department of Energy - National Energy Technology Laboratory. Objectives include: investigating flooding and post-flooding hydrology, hydrogeology, and geochemistry pertinent to long-term impacts on surface water ecosystems, modeling hydrogeological (flow) and geochemical evolution of modern and projected future mine-water discharges; conducting pilot field simulations to define and quantify technologies and design parameters for in situ treatment of high-iron net-alkaline mine discharges; continue quantifying economic values (both costs and benefits) related to water quality changes (part and potential future) in the Monongahela River; and expanding geographic information system (GIS) support for the project.

Phases III and IV of the project, called EPA Region III Mine Pool Project was a continuation of Phase II. The Final Reports incorporates all four phases.

Contacts Return to top

Principal Investigator

Paul F. Ziemkiewicz, Ph.D., Director
West Virginia Water Research Institute
West Virginia University
(304) 293-2867 x 5441
pziemkie@wvu.edu

Tamara F. Vandivort, Project Manager
West Virginia Water Research Institute
West Virginia University
(304) 293-2867 x 5448
tvandivo@wvu.edu

Co-Investigators

James Stiles, Ph.D., P.E., Environmental Engineer
West Virginia Water Research Institute
West Virginia University
(304) 293-2867 x 5491
jstiles2@wvu.edu

Joseph Donovan, Ph.D., Assoicate Professor
Dept of Geology
West Virginia University
(304) 293-2867 x 5463
donovan@geo.wvu.edu

Rosemary Capo, Ph.D., Assoicate Professor
Department of Geology and Planetary Science
University of Pittsburgh
(412) 624-8873
rcapo+@pitt.edu

David Dzombak, Ph.D., P.E., Professor
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Carnegie Mellon University
(412) 268-2946
dzombak@cmu.edu

Jerald Fletcher, Ph.D. Professor
Division of Resource Economics
Natural Resource Analysis Center
West Virginia University
(304) 293-4832
jfletch@wvu.edu

Bruce Leavitt, Consulting Hydrologist
Washington, PA
(724) 228-7385
bkleavit@bellatlantic.net

Project Listing Return to top

  • Phase I - Monongahela Basin Mine Pool Project
  • Phase II - Abandoned Mine Pool Flooding of the Pittsburgh, Ohio, and Irwin Basins
  • Phase III - EPA Region III Mine Pool Project
  • Phase IV - EPA Region III Mine Pool Project

Publications Return to top

  • Ziemkiewicz, P. F., et. al. December 2000
    WV173 Phase I Monongahela Basin Mine Pool Project Final Report. National Mine Land Reclamation Center, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia. 248 p.
  • Ziemkiewicz, P. F. et. al. February 2001
    WV173 Phase II Monongahela Basin Mine Pool Project Final Report. National Mine Land Reclamation Center, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia. 385 p.
  • Ziemkiewicz, P. F., et. al. January 2004
    WV173 Phase III Monongahela Basin Mine Pool Project Final Report. National Mine Land Reclamation Center, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia. 157 p. [PDF 10.3MB]
  • Ziemkiewicz, P. F. et. al. November 2004
    WV173 Phase IV Monongahela Basin Mine Pool Project Final Report. National Mine Land Reclamation Center, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia. 412 p. [PDF 247.2MB]

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