Abstract: Tetra Tech developed worksheets for the U.S. Department of the Interior, Office of Surface Mining (OSM) to allow a consistent, accurate, and rapid method of estimating the costs of long-term treatment of mine drainage at coal mines, in accordance with the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act (SMCRA) of 1977. This paper describes the rationale for the worksheets and how they can be used to calculate costs for site-specific conditions. Decision trees for selection of alternative treatments for acidic or alkaline mine drainage are presented.

Abstract: A Mn-oxidizing fungus was isolated from a constructed wetland of Hokkaido (Japan), which is receiving the Mn-impacted drainage, and genetically and morphologically identified as Paraconiothyrium sp.-like strain. The optimum pHs were 6.45-6.64, where is more acidic than those of previously reported Mn-oxidizing fungi. Too much nutrient inhibited fungal Mn-oxidation, and too little nutrient also delayed Mn oxidation even at optimum pH. In order to achieve the oxidation of high concentrations of Mn like mine drainage containing several hundreds g-m(-3) of Mn, it is important to find the best mix ratio among the initial Mn concentrations, inocolumn size and nutrient concentration. The strain has still Mn-tolerance with more than 380 g-m(-3) of Mn, but high Mn(II) oxidation was limited by pH control and supplied nutrient amounts. The biogenic Mn deposit was poorly crystallized birnessite. The strain is an unique Mn-oxidizing fungus having a high Mn tolerance and weakly acidic tolerance, since there has been no record about the property of the strain. There is a potentiality to apply the strain to the environmental bioremediation.