ASTM D7629/D7629M-10

Failures associated with coal refuse structures have resulted in loss of life, destruction of property, and extensive environmental damage. Notable examples include the 1972 failure of a slurry impoundment on Buffalo Creek in Southern West Virginia that killed 125 people and rendered over 4,000 people homeless. In 2001, an impoundment near Inez, Kentucky broke through underground mine passages, releasing approximately 250 million gallons of slurry into adjacent waterways, causing extensive damage to property and habitat along 75 miles of streams.

Surface mining in steep slope areas has created thousands of valley fills, burying hundreds of miles of ephemeral and intermittent streams. Scientific studies have suggested additional negative impacts on downstream aquatic habitat resulting from this practice.

Federal regulation does not provide explicitly for compilation of standardized databases that would facilitate monitoring and analysis of mining activity at regional or national levels. This standard addresses the need for a national database which can serve as a starting point for inquires and analysis related to the locations of mining fill structures, their relative abundance, and spatial pattern.

Within its area of exclusive jurisdiction, each RA is the ADS for coal mining spatial data that it creates and uses to regulate mining activity.

This geospatial data standard will help ensure uniformity of data contributed by each RA and assist organizations in efforts to create, utilize, and share geospatial data relative to SMCRA and it will lead to better communication between state, tribal, and federal regulatory offices, the public, and industry.

Limitations of Use—Uses of the national dataset are limited by several factors affecting the accuracy, currentness, and completeness of various data sources.

Completeness—Participation in the compilation of spatial data is not uniform across RAs, which may affect completeness, both in terms of spatial data and associated attributes. For some RAs, this standard may not be applicable because features described herein do not occur within their area of responsibility.

Currency—Source data is subject to change as a result of regulatory actions that may change the geographical location, extent, or attributes of particular features which may not be reflected in the national dataset. If detailed information is needed for individual features, the appropriate RA should be contacted for additional information.

Data compiled in accordance with this standard is not intended to be used as a primary source for evaluating risk or safety.

Data compiled in accordance with this standard is intended for informative purposes; it is not authoritative. The data is not a direct product of survey and has no standing as a legal document.

This standard conforms to the definition of a Data Content Standard as promulgated by the U.S. Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC) (See ANSI INCITS 61-1986 (R2002), ANSI INCITS 320-1998 (R2003), and Project 1574-D).

1.1 This practice defines a set of terms, procedures, and data elements required to develop a national spatial dataset of features associated with excess spoil and refuse materials produced by coal mining operations. These features include excess spoil structures, coal preparation plants, and coal refuse structures.

1.1.1 Excess Spoil Structures—are created when the total spoil produced during mining exceeds the volume of material that can be utilized for reclamation. This occurrence is common in steep slope areas, where the final grade of reclaimed slopes is limited by stability requirements. It also occurs where overburden volume is significantly larger than the volume of minable coal. Spoil also exhibits a net increase in volume due to the introduction of void spaces in fragmented rock when overburden is removed to expose underlying coal seams. The production of excess spoil requires the creation of disposal structures that extend outside the mined area. These structures usually take the form of out-of-pit spoil piles, side-hill fills, or valley fills (See Fig. 1).

1.1.2 Coal Preparation Plants—are facilities where coal is separated from non-combustible materials, and potentially crushed, resized, and blended with other grades of coal. Preparation plants produce refuse as a byproduct.

1.1.3 Refuse—is a waste byproduct of coal processing, generally categorized as either coarse or fine. Fine coal refuse often is handled as a slurry containing a blend of water, fine coal, silt, sand, and clay particles.

1.1.4 Impounding Refuse Structures—create a holding area for slurry that allows solids to settle out and water to be recovered. Cross-valley and diked impoundments utilize an embankment, often constructed of coarse coal refuse, which forms a basin for slurry retention, as shown in Fig. 2 and Fig. 3 respectively. Incised impoundments dispose of slurry in an excavated area below the natural surface and do not utilize a significant embankment for slurry retention (See Fig. 4).

1.1.5 Non-Impounding Refuse Structures—may contain slurry that has been dewatered and stabilized prior to disposal. Non-impounding structures also may utilize slurry cells to dispose of fine refuse. Methods that significantly reduce the water content of fine coal refuse may allow a refuse structure to avoid being classified as an impoundment.

1.2 This practice addresses coal mining geospatial data relative to the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 (SMCRA). SMCRA authorizes state and tribal Regulatory Authorities (RAs) to regulate surface coal mining operations (SCMO). Each RA shall be the authoritative data source (ADS) for coal mining geospatial data associated with its area of responsibility.

1.3 This standard is one of several that have been approved or are in development related to SMCRA approved coal mining operations. Also under development is a terminology standard. Initial development of these standards is being done on an individual basis; however, they may be consolidated to reduce repetition of information between them.

1.4 The values stated in either SI units or inch-pound units are to be regarded separately as standard. The values stated in each system may not be exact equivalents; therefore, each system shall be used independently of the other. Combining values from the two systems may result in non-conformance with the standard.

1.5 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulator limitations prior to use.

1.6 This practice offers a set of instructions for performing one or more specific operations. This document cannot replace education or experience and should be used in conjunction with professional judgment. Not all aspects of this practice may be applicable in all circumstances. This ASTM standard is not intended to represent or replace the standard of care by which the adequacy of a given professional service must be judged, nor should this document be applied without consideration of a project’s many unique aspects. The word “Standard” in the title of this document means only that the document has been approved through the ASTM consensus process.