Resource Recovery: Fact or Fiction

Resource Recovery: Fact or Fiction

Daniel Sammarco,P.E.Chief-Planning,Development & AMD Operations

DEP/BAMRCambria District Office

286 Industrial Park RoadEbensburg,PA 15931

(814)472-1800fax: (814)472-1839

[email protected] 25, 2006

Outline

� The Age of Resource Recovery

� Implementing a Business strategy

� A few “base hits”�Metals recovery �Mine pool reuse

�The Age of Resource Recovery

• 1916 Calumet Mine, Mt. Pleasant Twn., Westmoreland Co.

• 1992 metal harvesting discussions at the AML Conference in Pittsburgh (Ron Donlan / Tom Morrison)

• 1993 Heinz Foundation grant to SAC -Juniata College

• 1994 US Dept. of Agriculture – SBIR grant to Hedin Environmental to investigate resource recovery opportunities.

• 1995 Heinz Foundation grant to SAC to evaluate metal recovery market potential (CTC).

The Age of Resource Recovery

• 1999 US Patent Office grants a patent for production of pigment grade iron oxides from polluted mine waters.

• 2000 17th annual ASMR paper discusses potential beneficial use of FeOOH’s from the Cedar Grove site in Washington Co, PA to enhance soil phosphorus (P) sorption capacity.

• 2001 Lowber iron oxide recovery project in Westmoreland Co. successfully markets 1,000 tons of FeO from AMD.

The Age of Resource Recovery• 2002 “Environmentally friendly” marketing strategies of FeO

products.

Growing Greener grant to TCWA –AMD/Fish Culture Station demonstration project

• 2003 USDOE mine water for cooling water application study.

Topper Run/Sulfur Creek study by DTICdemonstrated cavitiation flotation technology

• 2004 University of Pittsburgh’s Geology & Planetary Sciences Dept. preliminary study indicates potential in treating for arsenic,selenium, & phosphorous.

The Age of Resource Recovery• 2004 Growing greener grant proposal for

aquaculture application (based on DusquesneLight’s Warwick plant and Mettiki AMD plant).

Damariscotta Alumina Recovery project processes an alumina material . Comments challenging economy of scale issues.

USGS’s Ozone demonstration at DEP/BAMR’sLittle Toby plant successfully recovers Mn.

Over 200 people attend DEP sponsored resource recovery symposium in Johnstown, PA.


• 2005 SAC/ViroMine TM study using St.Michaels shaft discharge successful in neutralizing AMD and sequestering phosphorous in agricultural settings.

• DEP/AMD 04 grant proposal to determine effectiveness of using AMD recovered FeO in wastewater treatment to remove nutrients and sequester heavy metals.

• Mn metal recovery project using steel slag to remove Mn from mine drainage and to attempt to recover Mn for economic benefits.


• 2005 Mine Water Treatment Technology Conference, Pittsburgh,PA

• 2005 additional treatment technology proposals such as liquid-to-liquid extraction and electrocoagulation processes for metals recovery.


What have we learned from the past decade?

Resource recovery is no longer a question of , “Can we do it”? We are at a crossroads between technology development and business application. Market factors will govern future progress.

�Implementing a Business Strategy

Considerations:1. Are companies willing to invest millions for

R&D if risks are too high?2. A certified AMD characterization is needed to

understand supply issues.3. Environmentally friendly marketing strategy

advantageous.4. U.S. legislation that would assist in overcoming

“barriers to entry”…i.e. green seal accreditation, EPA certification/approval.

5. Legal issues?? Who owns the resource??

Implementing a Business StrategyConsiderations:6. The “New Product-Development Dilemma

it is risky!…~75% new products fail @ launch* *Industrial Marketing Management, May 1991

Texas Instrument lost $660m before withdrawing from home computer business.RCA lost $575m on its videodisc players Ford lost $350m on its EdselDupont lost ~$100m on its synthetic leather called Corfam.

7. Where are we on the product development ladder?idea screening?,

concept development testing?,

product development?,

test marketing?,

product launch?

Implementing a Business Strategy

8. SWOT analysisStrengths: environmental friendly by-product

unique, no one is doing it yet.

Weaknesses: perceptions,lack of good supply data,qualitychallenges, R&D capital

Opportunities: offset AMD treatment costs, untapped market

Threats: barriers to entry, economics, product substitutes, supply, product handling and transportation


9. Processing/Distribution Assessment

Metals Recovery Processing/Distribution Center


9. Define a marketing mix: the 4 P’s

Product : needs assessment basis, physical properties (wet,dry, particle size, content,etc.)

Price: competitive to substitutes, price premium possible

Placement: packaging, transportation cost, supply chains

Promotion: Environmentally friendly feedstock, EPA certification

� A few “base hits”

• Metals recovery:

• Mine water reuse:

A few “base hits” – metals recovery

• Cement IndustryRecycled materials used in the Cement Industry:

> foundry sands > used solvents> slags > wood waste> fly ash > meat and bone meal> used grease > Sludges> by-product gypsum> pickling wastes

A few “base hits” –metals recovery

Typical Cement composition:Calcium oxide (64%)

Aluminum oxide (5.5%)Silicon oxide (21%)Ferric oxide (4.5%)Magnesium, oxide (2.4%)Sulfate (1.6%)

A few “base hits”- metals recoveryTrial Underway:

100 tons of DEP’s Rausch Creek AMD Treatment Plant will be supplied to a cement plant in Eastern PA.

Upon successful production, trails will be planned at other plants.

The Portland Cement Association has invited RJ Lee Group to give a presentation at their upcoming Chicago meeting next month.

A few “base hits”-metals recovery

Study summary:Preliminary assessments show it is

feasible for use .

Major issues may not be the chemistries but rather water content,trucking,handling, and perception.


• Pressed Bearings:

Step One: MIXING Step Two: COMPACTING Step Three: SINTERING


• Iron/Calcium Oxide Powder (SMPM)

Three separate compositions were used:Three separate compositions were used:

1.) 100% Sludge1.) 100% Sludge

2.) 80/20 Bronze Sludge2.) 80/20 Bronze Sludge

3.) 80/20 Steel Sludge3.) 80/20 Steel Sludge

The bearings were then tested comparatively to accepted P/M The bearings were then tested comparatively to accepted P/M material compositions.material compositions.


• R J LeeGroup, Inc. Corrosion-inhibitor product for concrete

.. Based on the concept of chloride scavenging and corrosion inhibitor

.. The product requires large amounts of calcium and iron

.. RJ LeeGroup has produced powder from DEP’sBrandy Camp AMD treatment plant.


• BioMost,Inc.’s Manganese Resource Recovery project

Used steel slag to remove manganese from AMD and to attempt to recover a portion of the manganese for beneficial reuse.

A few “base hits”-mine pool reuse

• Lancashire No. 15 AMD Treatment Plant7–10 MGD treated water will be used for agricultural needs on the WBSR. SRBC financing O&M.

• Blue Valley AMD/Fish Culture Station project



• Shannopin AMD Treatment Plant- treated water to be piped to GenPower’s Longiew Power Plant in Maidsville, WVa

Anthracite Region Plants (Plants Using Mine Pool Water)

COMPANY NAME PLANT LOCATION

GENERATING CAPACITY

SOURCE OF COOLING WATER

WITHDRAWAL RATE DISTANCE FROM MINE POOL TO PLANT

LENGTH OF TIME USING MINE POOL WATER

Gilberton Power Company

Frackville, PA

80 MW Unamed mine pool833 gpm

1,500 gpm (pump capacity) 500 MG/year

1.5 miles change in elevation of

550 - 600 feet> 15 years

Northeastern Power Company

McAdoo, PA

50 MW Drainage tunnel for Silverbrook mine

100 gpm 3,00 feet 14 years

Panther Creek Generating Station

Nesque- honing, PA

83 MW Lausanne mine tunnel

764 gpm 1.1 MGD

5 to 6 miles 11 years

Schuylkill Energy Resources, Inc.

Shenan- doah, PA

80 MW Maple Hill mine 1,100 gpm 3/4 mile 14 years

WPS - Westwood Generation Plant

Tremont, PA

31 MW Lyken mine 800 gpm < 200 feet 17 years

Wheelabrator Frackville Energy Co.

Frackville, PA

42 MW Morea mine 600 gpm < 1 mile 15 years

PLANT CHARACTERISTCS

* Table information from Table 5-1, page 26 of "Use Of Mine Pool Water for Power Plant Cooling", September 2003

“Small opportunities are often the beginning of great enterprises.”

--Demosthenes

Resource Recovery: Fact or Fiction

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