Dust Control – Soil Stabilization – Erosion Control

Posts Tagged ‘haul road’

[Transportation of,moving ,transporting,hauling] the mined ore in any mining [operation,business,company,venture,undertaking] is one [area,part] that gives [several,more than a few,a number of,numerous] opportunities for [cost,expenditure,expense] savings. Maintaining a [dust free,dustless,clear] haul road is [just,only,merely] one [method,technique,practice] by which a mining [operation,business,company,venture] can [start,begin,set out] to [reduce,decrease,lessen,trim down,shrink,lower] operating [costs,expenses].

One [may,might,could] think of a haul road as [just,only,merely] a [dusty,dirty,filthy] [road,path] that [only,merely,simply,just] serves one [purpose,objective,end], and that is to [move,transfer,relocate,transfer,transport,redistribute] the mined ore from one [location,site] to [another,a new]. But that [dusty,filthy,dirty] road is the artery of the [entire,whole,total] operation. [Without,Devoid of,Lacking] that dusty haul road a mining [operation,business,company,venture] would [soon,almost immediately,quickly] [die,expire,pass away,pass on,crash]. To [care for,properly maintain] the road is [essentially,basically,in essence,in effect] the same as [caring for,taking care of] one’s [own,personal,individual] [health,physical condition].

We [know,understand,appreciate,realize,recognize] what [happens,occurs] when our arteries stop [working,operating] [properly,correctly], but what [happens,occurs] when a [haul,haulage] road is [not,no longer] maintained [properly,correctly,appropriately,as it should be].

On a [typical,normal,standard,average] [haul,haulage] road you [will,may] have [haul,haulage] trucks [traveling,roaming] day and night. [Some,Several,Various,Certain,Particular] [haul,haulage] roads have as many as 500 trucks [per,for each,for every] day. [While,At the same time] others [may,might,can,could] have [fewer,less] trucks but the trucks they do [have,possess,own,control] are many times [larger,bigger] [and,as well as] heavier. [Again,Once more] many of the operations are [24,twenty-four] hours [each,every,all] day [every,each] day with no [time,occasion] for stopping and [starting,re-starting].

[When,While] you have [continuous,nonstop,constant,uninterrupted] traffic on these [roads,haul roads,haulage roads] you [must,have to,have got to,should] do something to [eliminate,get rid of,do away with,eradicate,reduce] the dust. [Many,A lot of,Several] of these [haul,haulage] roads are [over,in excess of,more than,greater than] 5 miles long and [typically,normally,usually,on average,in general,more often than not] 50 feet wide. [Each,Every] one of these roads [will,may] [require,need] [approximately,about,around,roughly,more or less] one gallon per square yard [each,every] day to keep the dust [down,abated]. If [you were,one was] to [calculate,work out,compute,analyze,evaluate] these [figures,numbers] you [will,may] [find,discover] that a [typical,normal] haul road dust control [program,plan] will [require,need,necessitate] millions of gallons of water [every,each] week. In [some,a number of] [places,locations] water is a [very,extremely,incredibly] [valued,treasured] commodity that [should,ought to] be [conserved,preserved] [whenever,when] [possible,feasible] not only for the availability [but,yet] also for the [cost,expense,expenditure] of [acquisition,attainment,acquirement]. [What would,Just ask yourself, what would,imagine, what would,Think about it, what would] your water [bill,statement] be like if you [used,consumed] [over,in excess of,more than] a million gallons [each,every,each and every] week?

[As,Since,When] the [Haul,Haulage] road is watered to [maintain,keep,sustain,keep up] [manageable,controllable] levels of fugitive dust, the road [will,may] [start,begin] to [erode,wear away]. This erosion will [cause,bring about,produce,set off] pot holes and [other,further,new] imperfections [which,that] over time [will,may] cause the road to [become,be,turn out to be] un-drivable. Not only will this [become,turn out to be,turn into] a [terribly,awfully,dreadfully,horribly] [rough,uneven,bumpy,irregular] road, but those [conditions,circumstances] will [also,as well,in addition,furthermore] cause [premature,early,untimely] failure to the [haul,haulage] trucks.

[Furthermore,Also,In addition,Still,Additionally,Moreover,What's more], the [cost,price,expense] of maintaining [haul,haulage] trucks increases [dramatically,radically,noticeably,considerably] when they [must,have to] [operate,function,work,run] in a dusty [environment,location]. There are [many,a lot of,lots of,numerous,countless] parts on a truck that [fail,stop working,break down] [faster,sooner,quicker] when they are [surrounded,encircled,bounded] by dust. The engine will [ingest,consume] dust from the [haul,haulage] road which will [inevitably,unavoidably,predictably] end up in the engine oil, [thus,therefore,consequently,as a result] causing a [premature,early,untimely] [failure,breakdown] of the truck and thousands of dollars in [repairs,maintenance,upkeep].

[Working on,Maintaining] a [haul,haulage] truck is not a [simple,easy,uncomplicated] [task,job,duty,commission]. You [could,might,can] [imagine,picture,envision] having to [change,replace] a tire that is 10 feet [tall,high]. The [yearly,annual,year on year] [cost,expense] to [operate,run] these behemoths is [more,greater] than most American families [make,earn,take home,get paid,receive] in five years. If you can [lower,lessen,reduce,bring down] that [cost,expense] you will be saving the [company,corporation,business] [vast,huge,enormous,immense] amounts of [money,cash,capital] that [could,might,possibly will,may well] be directed at something more [beneficial,helpful,useful,valuable,positive,constructive].

Alleviating these [costs,expenses] is [rather,quite,very] [simple,easy,straightforward,uncomplicated]. One [only,simply,merely,just] needs to [employ,use,utilize,make use of] a [modernized,efficient] road dust control [program,plan] that not only [controls,regulates] the dust [but,yet] will [also,in addition] add a [high,elevated] level of erosion control. The more successful programs [will,may] [actually,in fact] [transform,change,convert] the old dusty dirt road into a [solid,hard,rock-solid,unyielding] stabilized driving surface [comparable,similar,akin] to many asphalt roads. This in turn will [eliminate,get rid of,do away with,eradicate,abolish,reduce] the need for water as a dust control agent and will deliver a [very,extremely,exceptionally] [smooth,level] dust free driving surface that [lowers,will lower] the [cost,expense] of operating the million dollar trucks.

[Adding,Tallying,Totaling] all these savings [together,at once] will [easily,without difficulty,effortlessly,without doubt] help a mining operation [lower,reduce] their [operating,working] [costs,expenses] to the point where the dust control program has paid for itself [within,inside] a year’s time and the [funds,money,resources,cash] from such can [then,after that,subsequently] be added to the bottom line.   

Haul Road Dust Control is a vital element to the efficient operation of a mining business. Not just with regards to safety but as well to the workers health.  Surface mining operations make use of large off-road haul trucks considerably to transfer material on mining properties. Historical investigation, using the United States Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) emissions factors for unpaved haul roads, has revealed that haul trucks generate the preponderance of dust emissions from surface mining sites, accounting for roughly 78%-97% of all dust emissions. This is even greater with low value haul road dust control programs.

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U.S. Department of Labor
Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA)

Respirable coal mine dust can cause lung diseases such as coal workers’ pneumoconiosis (CWP), emphysema, silicosis, and bronchitis—known collectively as black lung. Black lung can lead to lung impairment, permanent disability, and even death. While there is no cure for black lung, there are important and potentially life-saving measures that MSHA requires to be undertaken to reduce exposure to respirable coal mine dust and prevent disease. Even though these measures have been required for many years, new cases of black lung disease continue to occur among the nation’s coal miners, even in younger miners.

Recently, MSHA conducted a targeted enforcement initiative that focused on miners’ exposures to respirable coal mine dust at selected underground coal mines. As a result of the lessons MSHA learned during this initiative, the agency requests that underground coal mine operators conduct audits of their respirable dust monitoring and control programs and address any deficiencies.

Dust sampling programs did not adequately address proper maintenance of sampling equipment or ensure that samples are collected at the required times (either on shifts or days).

Many mining operations implement a haul road dust control program in order to decrease the level of fugitive dust in the work area. 

Full story here

Haul Road Dust Control  is a fundamental element to the efficient venture of a mining company. Not only with regards to security but as well to the employees wellbeing.  Surface mining operations use huge off-road haul trucks extensively to move material at mining properties. Historical research, using the United States Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) emissions factors for unpaved haul roads, has revealed that haul trucks produce the bulk of dust emissions from surface mining sites, accounting for approximately 78%-97% of total dust emissions. This is even greater with a low value haul road dust control  program.

Observations of dust emissions from haul trucks prove that if the dust emissions are unrestrained, they can be a safety danger by means of impairing the operator’s visibility. This increases the likelihood for haul truck accidents. Yet, the greatest long-term health risk of dust generated from hauling operations is due to breathing of the respirable dust [median diameter <4 micrometers (μm)] and thoracic dust, which is equivalent to the EPA’s definition of PM10 [particulate matter with a median diameter <10 μm]. Exposure to respirable dust has always been considered a health hazard on surface mining operations, particularly if silica dust is there.

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Mexico’s pocito coal mines are in a few ways stuck in the times of yore – the far-off past.

Mined by means of air hammers as well as pickaxes, bereft of dust control or consistent monitoring of volatile methane gas, the pocitos utilize methods old-fashioned within the United States a century before.

Two latest disasters that killed 25 miners exposed the ancient state of affairs. Last week, 13 miners drowned after a mine called La Espuelita flooded and the men couldn’t flee. The catastrophe came four months following another pocito, La Morita No. 49, exploded and killed 12.

Each one of the pocitos, approximately 30 miles apart in Mexico’s solitary coal-mining region, had a solitary vertical bore, violating safety standards adopted within Mexico and other countries long ago.

“Today, American coal mines are required to have a minimum of 2 shafts. That’s something that we learned way back in the 19th century,” said mine engineering Lecturer Chris Haycocks of the Virginia Polytechnic Institute.

Small seams of coal resembling those that pocitos mine are disregarded by up to date American operations, said Jerry Herndon of the United States Mine Health and Safety Academy in West Virginia.

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One topic the county commissioners, city Council members and mayors of Green River and Rock Springs will address at a workshop Nov. 6 is turning what remains of the old highway into a serviceable alternate road between the two cities.

The commissioners began planning the workshop last August.

“We do this kind of work every day,” Rock Springs Mayor Tim Kaumo said. “If we all come together, we can come up with a product that will meet the needs of our community.”

Opinions on how this might be accomplished vary. County Engineer John Radosevich envisions a crushed base surface, with a magnesium chloride treatment for dust control two or three times a year, depending on volume of use. Kaumo thinks milled up asphalt would work better.

This is the type of project SCI thrives on, by utilizing the soils that are native to the area we would be able to transform what is considered an unusable road into a very usable and manageable road for a fraction of the cost they are looking at spending. By the time this is published here we will have contacted the public workers regarding their options. dust Control is just another part of the benefit to using Top-Seal

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The design of the latest Cat mining trucks exceeds its predecessors and offers the ultimate in productivity, durability and low cost of operation even in the most challenging mining operations.

97F Cat® Mining Truck
The 797F, with 4,000-horsepower (2983 kW) and rated payload capacities to 363 tonnes, combines the strengths of its predecessors with a new engine, redesigned operator station and custom body systems to deliver even lower costs per tonne – with less environmental impact.

The 797F also offers easier maintenance and enhanced safety provisions. Ground level service points ease access, and 1,000-hour hydraulic filter service intervals reduce required maintenance. Safety enhancements include wider walkways, a rear access ladder and a bumper-mounted, three-way, lock-out tag-out box.

The 20-cylinder, 4,000-gross-horsepower Cat C175-20 ACERT engine has a single engine block and is the heart of the new truck. The engine has accumulated more than a quarter-million hours of field testing in mining trucks and power-generating systems. The C175 displaces 5.3 litres (323 in³) per cylinder – for a total displacement of 106 litres (6,458 in³). The 797F develops 450 horsepower more than its predecessor, the 797B, which used a 24-cylinder Cat 3524B engine displacing 117 litres (7,143 in³).

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A month ago, U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords told a Green Valley newspaper that she’s not “anti-mining.” Late last week, she proved it. At a three-hour tour of Freeport McMoran’s Sierrita complex north of Green Valley, at a site where copper has been mined for a century, Giffords was as effusively friendly as she has been critical of the proposed Rosemont Mine in the Santa Rita Mountains across the valley.

She had many reasons, but they boiled down to differences between living with an existing mine in a long-compromised area and bringing a new one into a more pristine site — and to differences in trust between neighbors of Freeport and of Rosemont.

Freeport’s mine — where mining has occurred for a century — employs 1,000 people and sprawls 1.5 by 2 miles in its open pit. A peek inside the 1,500 foot deep pit shows about 25 mine benches, each about 50 feet tall, heading toward the bottom. To the pit’s west lies the rocky Sierrita Mountains.

The mine processes 160,000 to 170,000 tons of ore daily, down in this recessionary area from 220,000 a year ago. Rock is blasted five days a week, three to five times daily. Electric shovels cost $25 million and stand 64 feet high. Each of 18 haul trucks can carry 162 tons for crushing. A mill building stands five stories tall.

Finally, the company’s 3,500 acre tailings impoundment stands as a testimony to past dust complaints from residents but also offers promise for future groundwater cleanups and newer dust control equipment, since the company is proposing to do a massive, very expensive cleanup of tainted groundwater lying underneath and spreading from the tailings.

At one point, Giffords marveled to company officials: “You’ve got quite a piece of land. How did it get like this?”

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Stark County Commission members’ Tuesday vote gives GTL Energy USA Ltd. the go ahead to operate a coal beneficiation plant near South Heart during their Tuesday meeting.

The commissioners decided during their meeting to change the land from agricultural to industrial.

Mary Hodell, who spoke on behalf of Neighbors United at the meeting, is against the zoning change.

“Why does it have to be right in the middle of agricultural land?” Hodell asked.

Chairman Duane “Bucky” Wolf said accessibility to the railroad and Interstate 94 makes it a good place.

Hodell also wants the commission to set strict rules for the trucks going to and from the plant, saying she’s already seen trucks breaking from suggested routes.

“If you’ve got road agreements, what’s the consequence when they don’t follow this? And they haven’t been,” Hodell said.

Commissioner Russ Hoff said the road agreement between GTL and Stark County covers “anywhere from dust control to different roads that they’re taking, signage on roads, weight permits — it pretty much covers it all.”

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State authorities are suing Bonzi Sanitation Landfill for millions of dollars needed to close it by early 2011.

The troubled landfill, at 2650 W. Hatch Road, west of Carpenter Road, also must correct groundwater contamination threatening the drinking water of 300 people in the Riverdale Park neighborhood three miles southwest of Modesto, California Attorney General Jerry Brown demands in the lawsuit.

“These people have really been able to skirt, duck and evade their obligations,” said Cris Carrigan, senior staff counsel with the state Water Resources Control Board, which has been on Bonzi’s tail for more than 20 years. “It’s gotten to the point where the board just didn’t think we had any other recourse (than to sue).”

Also, Riverdale Park residents this week received notices to boil water before drinking it for reasons unrelated to the landfill. Water in distribution lines has high levels of bacteria, a relatively common problem that could be corrected in a few days or less, a Stanislaus County official said. Read the rest of this entry »