Coal

Coal
Author: National Research Council
Publisher: National Academies Press
Total Pages: 183
Release: 2007-12-21
Genre: Science
ISBN: 030911022X

Coal will continue to provide a major portion of energy requirements in the United States for at least the next several decades. It is imperative that accurate information describing the amount, location, and quality of the coal resources and reserves be available to fulfill energy needs. It is also important that the United States extract its coal resources efficiently, safely, and in an environmentally responsible manner. A renewed focus on federal support for coal-related research, coordinated across agencies and with the active participation of the states and industrial sector, is a critical element for each of these requirements. Coal focuses on the research and development needs and priorities in the areas of coal resource and reserve assessments, coal mining and processing, transportation of coal and coal products, and coal utilization.

Management and Effects of Coalbed Methane Produced Water in the Western United States

Management and Effects of Coalbed Methane Produced Water in the Western United States
Author: National Research Council
Publisher: National Academies Press
Total Pages: 239
Release: 2010-10-15
Genre: Science
ISBN: 0309162939

In some coalbeds, naturally occurring water pressure holds methane-the main component of natural gas-fixed to coal surfaces and within the coal. In a coalbed methane (CBM) well, pumping water from the coalbeds lowers this pressure, facilitating the release of methane from the coal for extraction and use as an energy source. Water pumped from coalbeds during this process-CBM 'produced water'-is managed through some combination of treatment, disposal, storage, or use, subject to compliance with federal and state regulations. CBM produced water management can be challenging for regulatory agencies, CBM well operators, water treatment companies, policy makers, landowners, and the public because of differences in the quality and quantity of produced water; available infrastructure; costs to treat, store, and transport produced water; and states' legal consideration of water and produced water. Some states consider produced water as waste, whereas others consider it a beneficial byproduct of methane production. Thus, although current technologies allow CBM produced water to be treated to any desired water quality, the majority of CBM produced water is presently being disposed of at least cost rather than put to beneficial use. This book specifically examines the Powder River, San Juan, Raton, Piceance, and Uinta CBM basins in the states of Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah. The conclusions and recommendations identify gaps in data and information, potential beneficial uses of CBM produced water and associated costs, and challenges in the existing regulatory framework.

Mining and its Impact on the Environment

Mining and its Impact on the Environment
Author: Fred G. Bell
Publisher: CRC Press
Total Pages: 561
Release: 2006-09-27
Genre: Architecture
ISBN: 0203969510

Winner of the 2007 E.B. Burwell, Jr. Award of the Geological Society of America Mining activity has left a legacy of hazards to the environment, such as waste, unstable ground and contamination, which can be problematic when redeveloping land. This book highlights the effects of past mining and provides information on the types of problems it may cause in both urban and rural areas. By way of example, the book also demonstrates how such problems may be anticipated, investigated, predicted, prevented and controlled. Furthermore, it shows how sites already affected by mining problems and hazards can be remediated and rehabilitated. Covering subsidence, surface mining, disposal of waste, problems resulting from mine closure and mineral processing, Mining and its Impact on the Environment is an excellent reference for practising mining and geotechnical engineers, as well as students in this field.