Thursday 28th March 2024
Hydrogeological Consultancy
Groundwater Protection & Leachate Management

Deep Mines and Spoil Heaps

Nick’s experience related to mines and minewater includes water quality issues from deep mines (mainly coal but also gold), from (colliery) spoil heaps (called bings in Scotland) and from the backfilling of opencast mines.

Key to each of these areas is the design of robust sampling and analysis programmes to avoid problems associated with dissolved metals precipitating out and being filtered out before analysis. This, and an informed review of historical water quality data, reduces the risks of inadequate design of minewater / spoil heap leachate treatment schemes.

Deep Mines

Nick’s work on the quality of water associated with deep mines includes:

Spoil Heaps

Nick has also reviewed the water chemistry and pollution impact on adjacent streams of colliery spoil heaps (bings) in Scotland. Sites include the Riddochhill and Whitrigg Bings for West Lothian Council and the Polkemmet Bings for Ecosse Generation.