Treatment and Control of Lead Mining Wastes
in S.E. Missouri
J. CHARLES JENNETT, Assistant Professor
BOBBY G. WIXSON, Associate Professor
School of Civil Engineering
The University of Missouri—Rolla
Rolla, Missouri
INTRODUCTION
Southeast Missouri is a beautiful rural region in the Ozark Mountains with
rolling hills and hundreds of clear running streams and well stocked lakes. In the
1950's and early 1960's geological exploration of the region indicated that major
deposits of lead, zinc, copper and silver lay in this region.
Preliminary research concerned with pollution from mines which have
developed in the "New Lead Belt" or Viburnum Trend of Southeastern Missouri was
presented at the 24th Purdue Industrial Waste Conference (1). Since that time
research has continued for techniques to improve the treatment and control of lead
mining wastes in this developing industrial district which has just earned the title of
the world's largest lead producing district by producing 432,576 tons of lead during
1970 or 74.4 percent of the entire U.S. lead mine production (2). This industrial
growth becomes even more evident when compared to the 212,611 tons produced in
1968 or 152,649 tons of lead produced in 1967. This prolific development of a new
mining area in the remote Ozark forests has taken place with a minimal amount of
environmental damage due to the modern approaches and coordinated efforts of
university researchers, industries, federal and state agencies working together to
implement effective pollution control programs and methods.
Prior work by Wixson (3) and others (4) confirmed that mine water drainage
and waste water from milling operations was causing stream pollution. In order to
evaluate the extent and causes of stream pollution, background sampling was carried
out and natural baselines established to determine pollution effects. The unusual
topography and drainage pattern of the Viburnum Trend was advantageous for
establishing a series of sampling stations below mines in the "New Lead Belt". It was
possible to select control sampling sites on unpolluted streams in the same area that
were not affected by increased population or industrial development. By use of the
selected sites, wastewater effects from individual mining operations and effects in the
streams could be studied. The location of the mining district, the unique stream
drainage pattern, mines, settling lagoons and sampling sites are shown in Figure 1.
Modern and efficient engineering designs have been incorporated into the
mines, mills and one lead smelter within the "New Lead Belt". Galena (lead) is the
principal ore mineral mined with lesser quantities of sphalerite (zinc), chalcopyrite
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