COAL PILE WATER QUALITY MANAGEMENT
-RESULTS OF A NATIONAL SURVEY
Dennis W. Weeter, Associate Professor
Department of Civil Engineering
The University of Tennessee
Knoxville, Tennessee 37916
INTRODUCTION
Coal storage is being recognized as a potential point and nonpoint source of water
quality degradation [ 1 ]. Since large volumes of coal are stored outdoors, it is reasonable
to assume that precipitation runoff and leaching will occur. Also, pollution at the coal
mine source is well documented and it is assumed that similar problems exist during
intermediate storage.
Table I presents coal storage runoff regulations for both coal mining point sources
and steam electric power generation. For coal mining point sources, Fe, Mn, total suspended solids (TSS), and pH are regulated whereas only TSS and pH are currently regulated for steam electric power generators.
Published literature on coal pile drainage (CPD) includes a study by Anderson and
Youngstrom [3]  of coal pile drainage at Cornell University. TVA [4,5]  has studied
CPD quantity, quality, and treatment options at several facilities. American Electric
Power [6]  has evaluated CPD problems at two coal transshipment facilities. TRC, Inc.
[7]  has studied CPD at two Pennsylvania power stations and Wachter [8], in a study
for EPA by Monsanto, conducted simulated laboratory CPD studies on six U.S. coals.
Reported data from these studies is included in data analyses as presented later in this
paper.
This paper is the result of a study funded by the Electric Power Research Institute
in 1977. The purpose of the study was to assess the availability of CPD data, evaluate
that data relative to quality, quantity, and treatment regulations, and then recommend
future potential research that should be considered. Eighty utility companies were can-
vased by questionnaire. Sixty-two responded to the questionnaire and nineteen actually
had studied CPD. Along with the earlier discussed literature studies, the collected CPD
data is evaluated in this paper relative to water quality criteria, surface and groundwater
impacts, and the effect of treatment.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Coal pile drainage general water quality is summarized in Table II which includes the
reported range of the parameter, the number of reported samples, existing water quality
criteria, and percent of samples which were in excess of the criteria. The parameters pH,
S04, alkalinity, the iron species, and manganese generally are in violation of criteria.
This was to be expected and is a function of the coal mineral source. TSS is also generally in violation of regulations and can be explained in that weathering and coal
handling generate considerable dust and particulate. The TRC study [7]  was able to
demonstrate a high correlation of TSS and pH problems associated with first flush
phenomena.
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