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By Jack L. Woodward

The evolution of surface mining equipment has resulted in larger, faster haulage units, loaders, etc., resulting in increased demands on steering technology. Careful analysis of these systems was warranted to determine if steering-related safety problems have been introduced. The objectives of this program were to: 1. Define the generic types of steering systems being used on mobile mining equipment used in surface mining operations. 2. Gather information on steering-related accidents in mining operations. 3. Assess the need for initiating government-sponsored research into steering system technology. A comprehensive literature survey was conducted concurrent with extensive contacts with mining operations, mining equipment manufacturers, steering system component manufacturers, and government agencies. A Technical Evaluation Group composed of representatives from the above organizations was formed to review the data gathered. It was concluded that the steering systems in use on surface mining equipment are reliable and do not present a safety problem. The Society of Automotive Engineers, Inc. is active in pre-paring voluntary consensus standards to assure that the minimum levels of performance are defined for industry.

Jan 1, 1979

By S. H. Ash

THIS REPORT covers the second in a series of five projects into which the Conowingo tunnel system has been divided for geographical and practical reasons. It outlines the construction work contemplated-to sink two shafts on the line of the main tunnel that are designated the Nos. 9A and 11 shafts, to turn off from the No. 9A shaft the Lansford and Lykens laterals, and to drive portions of the main tunnel. An emergency pumping plant, consisting of 2 separate pumprooms, each containing 3 horizontal-type centrifugal pumps of 100,000-gallons-per-minute (g. p. m.) capacity, will be constructed at the No. 9A shaft. From the No. 11 shaft will be turned off the Trevorton lateral and portions of the main tunnel, which will connect with the section driven from the No. 9A shaft. Under the proposed project, the Lansford lateral will be driven for a distance of 2 miles, the Lykens lateral for a distance of 10.56 miles, and the Trevorton lateral for a distance of 20 miles. To drive the Lykens and Trevorton laterals for the distance indicated, several construction shafts and slopes must be sunk to permit efficient and safe construction.

Jan 1, 1955

By James R. Boyle

The mining methods and practices used at the Young zinc mine, American Zinc Co. of Tennessee, have resulted in a low-cost, high-yield operation. Zinc ore (sphalerite) occurs in limestone-dolomite beds of the Kingsport Formation and is mined by modified room and pillar method. Utilizing trackless mining equipment which incorporates a high degree of flexibility, this operation has had a steady increase in productivity.

Jan 1, 1965

By Nirander M. Safaya

Revegetation success on surface mined lands is dependent upon the nature of the plant growth media. Soil physical and chemical properties dictate the needs for specific reclamation and subsequent management practices. Field experiments were conducted at six coal mine sites in Oliver and Mercer Counties, North Dakota to determine the subsequent effects of a single application of selected amendments on spoil and topsoils over the five year period, 1974-1978. Considerable variations in the physical and chemical properties were found in mine spoils from site to site. The texture of spoils ranged from sandy clay loamy at North Beulah I to loamy at Glenharold, and from sandy loamy at North Beulah 3 and South Beulah sites to loamy sands at the Center site. The pH of the sites ranged from 6.5 at South Beulah to 8.2 at North Beulah 3. In many cases, the pH values of mine spoils were not significantly different from the topsoils. The electrical conductivity (ECe) did not exceed 6 mmhos cm-1 at the test sites even though in other studies much higher values were recorded in the same vicinity. The spoils from Glenharold and North Beulah test sites can be classed as moderately saline, and those from Center and South Beulah as non-saline. The sodium adsorption ratios (SAR) varied from less than 1 to 32, with highest values in the spoils of North Beulah 3 followed by Glenharold; all other sites were nonsodic. Lowest SAR values (less than 1) were found in the topsoiled sites at South Beulah and Center. Spoils of North Beulah 3 test site were highly calcareous, followed by North Beulah 2 and Glenharold. Center mine spoils which were the least calcareous of the test sites, showed the calcium carbonate equivalent three times higher than that of the topsoil. The average calcium concentrations in the spoils of North Beulah 3 and South Beulah test sites were -13 and 14 me 100g -l while at North Beulah 2 and Glenharold test sites 25 and 22 me 100-1-1 were recorded, respectively. The overall magnesium concentrations ranged from an average of 4 to 16 me 100g 1. Sodium concentrations in all sites never exceeded 10 me 100g-1. Phosphorus concentrations on the average at North Beulah 1, North Beulah 2, and Center were 10.2, 4.6, and 22.2 µg g -1 spoil, respectively. Concentrations of potassium ranged from 200 ppm at South Beulah site to more than 375 pp in at the Glenharold site. High concentrations of sulfates (239-2778 µg g-1) seem to contribute to the salinity in these spoils. Chloride concentrations of spoils were low and never exceeded 40 µg g-1 spoil. Based on established critical levels of deficiency for micronutrients in agricultural soils, it seems that none of these were deficient. However, controlled environment experiments did reveal increased plant growth responses when some micronutrients were added to the mine spoils. Treatment effects were highly site specific depending on the nature of the soil/spoil characteristics and, of course, the properties of the various treatments. While slack coal amendment to the spoils at North Beulah 2 site affected significant increases in a large number of variables (both major and trace elements), amendment of the topsoils at the South Beulah test site with leonardite resulted in significant decreases in a number of variables, particularly trace elements. Spoils at Glenharold and North Beulah 3 demonstrated the fewest significant changes due to amendments. Calcium, magnesium, strontium, organic matter and nitrogen were consistently increased from site to site with the addition of lignitic materials. Other spoil/topsoil physical and chemical properties (30 variables) as affected by amendments and time are discussed.

Jan 1, 1982

By J. F. Barkley

To aid in winning the recent world war, the Bureau of Mines conducted a National Fuel Efficiency Program, directed to commercial plants throughout the Nation, to save greatly needed fuel, a basic resource vital to industrial production. In planning this program it was realized that to accomplish a satisfactory reduction in fuel consumption in any plant, it would be necessary to reach, enthuse, and usually educate to some extent the actual operators of the various types of plant equipment. A major part of the programs consisted, therefore, of visits to plants and work with the operators, including a review with them of their operating conditions and of educational and guiding literature pertinent to the operating problems involved. Through a Nation-wide organization, local volunteer engineers served in making visits to local plants. Each cooperating plant appointed an employee as the "waste chaser," who headed the work of saving fuel in that plant. The educational literature was designed to interest the operator, as well as serve as a guide in eliminating waste of fuel. Volumes have been written on many subjects relating to the saving of fuel. Writings of the treatise type contain considerable good information but do not have wide appeal and probably will be read only by a few studious operators. The problem is not one of getting clown on paper everything that the experts know and would like to have the operator know, but rather to write something that will actually interest the operator and stimulate him to action. Past experience led to the adoption, therefore, of the "quiz-sheet" type of writing, using a quiz sheet of not more than two pages for any principal item. The results obtained during the National Fuel Efficiency Program in many types of plants further demonstrated that the short quiz sheet is satisfactorily appropriate and does accomplish results. Each sheet was prepared and checked by many engineers expert in the particular subject matter of the sheet. Committees of men with much experience in the manufacture and operation of equipment and in the

Jan 1, 1947

The Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) defines an independent contractor as any person, partnership, corporation, subsidiary of a corporation, firm, association or other organization that contracts to perform services or construction at a mine. Contractors that perform specific types of work are required to report the number of employees who work at coal mines and noncoal mines.

Jan 1, 2008

By Robert M. Busche

[Recent developments in the gasification of coal, both by the Bureau of Mines and American industry, have intensified interest in the thermodynamic and kinetic principles necessary for understanding the reaction mechanism and rates and the physical changes that take place. In the course of a Bureau of Mines study of the kinetics of coal gasification at the Synthetic Liquid Fuels Demonstration Plant, Louisiana, Mo., a bibliography of approximately two references was compiled. They are listed n this publication and refer both to American and foreign sources.]

Jan 1, 1952

By R. W. Fatzinger

The accident-frequency rate for placer mining in 1942 is reported as 36.923 accidents per million man-hours worked. This figure places placer-mining accident frequency slightly higher than that given for quarrying-35.7-but considerably under the 78.0 for coal mining and 56.5 for metal mining.4 Placer mining is subdivided into four types of activity: Underground, surface, dredging, and hydraulicking. It is the purpose of this paper to present and discuss safety practices in dredging and hydraulic mining; therefore, the following considerations will be limited to these two types of placer mining.

Jan 1, 1948

By Lloyd A. Morley

Two mine electrical power system simulations are presented. The first is a batch processed procedure capable of modeling a single mining machine consisting of a number of motors operating under various loads. These loads are the mechanical torque loads present at the motor shaft. The second simulation is a more flexible tool for modeling entire mine electrical power systems~ Detailed analyses of bus voltages, transmission-line power flows, and machine behavior are possible. This simulation operates interactively and the power system is configured as the user responds to program generated questions and requests. Development of the theory behind the programming, as well as detailed explanations of the models, is presented. Examples are provided to demonstrate simulation capabilities.

Jan 1, 1978

By W. E. Cassan, W. L. Eaton, James Westfield, W. M. Romisher, Karl Hughes, S. H. Ash

"INTRODUCTION Funds were made available to the Bureau of Mines, United States Department of the Interior, for anthracite investigations during the fiscal year ended June 30, 1945. One of the approved projects was to conduct inquiries and scientific and technologic investigations having a bearing on the anthradite mine-flood problem. The investigative work done from July 1,1944, to June 30, 1946, is described in previous reports (5, 8, 10, 24, 28). 6/Purpose of Report The purpose of this report is to describe the investigative work conucted by the Anthracite Food-Prevention Section, Safety Branch, Bureau of Mines, during the period July 1, 1946, to June 30, 1947,Scope of WorkInvestigative work during the fiscal year ended June 30, 1947, was conducted under the direction of D. Harrington, chief, Health and Safety Division, and S. H. Ash, chief, Safety Branch, Bureau of Mines, Washington, D. C.The broad objective of the investigative work was to obtain factual day on: 1. Anthracite reserves of Pennsylvania.2. Underground water pools.3. Barrier pillars.4. The ""buried valley"" of the Susquehanna River.5. Infiltration of surface water into underground mine workings.The above-mentioned investigations are being continued during the fiscal year July 1, 1947, to Juno 30, 1948.In addition to the investigative work covered in this report, Ash end Eaton presented a paper on barrier pillars, which proposes a method for designing barrier pillars and has been Published by the American Institute of Mining and Metallurgical Engineers (5);"

Apr 1, 1948

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Jan 1, 1975

By James F. O?Neil

Brown iron ore deposits in Quitman County, Ga., were investigated by the Federal Bureau of Mines in cooperation with the State of Georgia, Department of Commerce, and the University of Alabama. Ninety-one holes were drilled, having an aggregate footage of 2,188 feet; seventy-one holes penetrated 248 feet of iron mineralization. Average thickness of the ore zone was 3.5 feet under an average thickness of 14.7 feet of overburden. The drilling developed inferred reserves containing nearly 30 million long tons of crude ore with an average analysis of 28 percent iron plus minor quantities of manganese. Test work done by the Bureau on the crude ore samples indicated that they would upgrade by current lug washer practice, with the use of a 1i8-inch screen, and yield 4.4 million dry long tons of concentrate with an average analysis of 52.1 percent iron plus manganese. The weight recovery obtained was 14.7 percent. Research studies made by the Bureau showed that the weight recovery would be increased by changing the screen size without any appreciable sacrifice of grade. The average weight recovery was increased to 18 percent with a 10-mesh screen and 22.8 percent with a 20-mesh screen. Screen tests studies indicated that there was no appreciable interlocking of the iron and manganese minerals and the clay and silica waste particles of the materials retained on a 200-mesh screen. Clay was prominent in micron-size slimes. Silica was deleterious in the minus 20-mesh size.

Jan 1, 1965

By Roy E. Williams

1. The major sources of heavy metal ions in wastewaters of the Coeur d'Alene Mining District are effluents from metallurgical processing plants. Effluents from mine operations provide a secondary source for heavy metal ions. Based on data analyzed by the Federal Water Quality Administration, mercury and arsenic are escaping from some mill waste ponds, but they are in the suspended phase. 2. Metallurgical process effluents are combined with mine waste effluents in tailings ponds, consequently, the quality of the tailings pond decant water is highly degraded. The major effect of combining metallurgical process effluents with mill wastes is a drastic change of pH in the tailings pond. This chance may be an increase or a decrease depending on the metallurgical process. The effluent from an electrolytic antimony plant drastically increases the pH in the tailings pond permitting the removal in solution of antimony via the pond decant system. The addition of low pH effluents to the tailings ponds results in a net decrease in pH which makes lead, zinc, cadmium, and copper more soluble, thereby permitting their removal from the pond via the decant system.

Jan 1, 2011

By S. M. Shelton, W. A. Calhoun

"INTRODUCTION Discovery and development of a southwestern Arkansas quicksilver district are recent history. In July 1930 4/, a specimen was discovered near the Little Missouri River in sec. 1, T. 7S. R. 26 W., which was identified as cinnabar. In the summer of 1931, Leo Yount began prospecting for cinnabar near the Little Missouri River. In the fall of that year he operated a small three-tube retort near the present Parker Hill mines and produced several flasks of quicksilver. Yount optioned a considerable block of ground containing the best showings in the Little Missouri River area, and on February 19, 1932, he and W. C. McBride, Inc., of St. Louis, Mo., formed the Southwestern Quicksilver Co., which was the largest producer in the district until operations ceased in September 1934.The Southwestern Quicksilver Co. installed a rotary furnace on Parker Hill in April 1932, which treated ore from the three principal mines Gap Ridge, Parker Hill, and Parnell Hill. In 1934 production was entirely from the Gap Ridge and Parker Hill mines. Nothing was done at Parnell Hill except a little small-scale work on a share basis.Mercury Producers, Inc., later took an option on the holdings of the Southwestern Quicksilver Co. and in June 1935 began operations. The company produced considerable quicksilver before the lease and option were surrendered in the summer of 1936. Most of the work of Mercury Producers, Inc., was on Parnell Hill, but some work was done on Parker Hill and at the Bell prospect on ground not controlled by the Southwestern Quicksilver Co."

Mar 1, 1942

By A. D. Hahn

The Federal Bureau of Mines examined ilmenite-bearing sands in southern Texas as part of a program to discover sources of supply for the domestic titanium industry. Deposits were examined from May 1956 through January 1959 in the outcrops of sandstone beds in the Jackson group of Eocene formations in Lee, Burleson, Fayette, and Starr Counties on the Gulf Coastal Plain; in alluvial valley fill in Brewster County in southwest Texas; in the sand beaches of Matagorda Peninsula and the Galveston, Padre, and Brazos Islands--part of the offshore chain of barrier islands along the Texas coast; and in unconsolidated sediments in Willacy County on the Rio Grande delta in the southeast Texas.

Jan 1, 1961

By Charles Will Wright

This paper is one of a series dealing with mining problems and summarizing the data contained in the Information Circulars on individual mines that have been prepared by the managers or superintendents and published by the Bureau of Mines. The purpose of this paper is to present the problems encountered in the development of an efficient mine organization and to show the means used by certain mining companies in promoting efficiency. There is also a discussion of the advantages and disadvantages of the various systems of paying and handling labor and a description of their application at the individual mines.

Jan 1, 1932

By H. M. Urban

This paper, one of a series being prepared for and published by the United States Bureau of Mines on methods and costs of mining at various mica mines in the United States, describes the methods now in use in the principal mica mines of the Southern Appalachian States. Those papers are designed to disseminate technical information regarding the methods used. The cost tabulations represent operating expenditures only and not total costs. It is recognized that publication of total costs might in some instances cause embarrassment to individual producers as well as to the industry as a whole. On the other hand, operating costs are essential to the technical discussion and study of methods employed. The attention of the reader is specifically called to this differentiation in order that no misunderstanding of the scope of the cost tabulations shall ensue.

Jan 1, 1932

By Grant R. Brown

The report provides guidance for determining those environmental impacts associated with the surface mining of steeply pitching coal seams. In addition to the environmental impacts, four additional issues are addressed, namely (1) Time and motion studies of those coal mining systems employed in mining seams which pitch in excess of 25°, (2) Assessment of those mining techniques, (3) Development of rationale for the mining methods employed, (4) Identification of the reclamation practices and determine whether these practices were in compliance with appropriate Federal and State regulations. Five surface mines located in three geologically distinct basins of the United States were analyzed during the period of August through November 1979. The three basins include the Hanna Basin of Wyoming, the North Park Basin of Colorado and the Southern Anthracite Field of Pennsylvania.

Jan 1, 1980

By W. H. Young

In response to increasing national energy requirements. highlighted by the continuing growth in demand for coal for the generation of electric power the output of bituminous coal and lignite in 1965 passed the 500-million-ton mark for the first time since 1956, thus emphasizing the steady up-ward trend from the recent low of 403 million tons in 1961. There were corresponding upward trends in consumption, exports mechanization, and productivity. Production.-The output of bituminous coal and lignite in the United States in 1965-512 million tons-was 5 percent greater than the 487 million tons produced in 1964. The gain was attributed largely to expanded consumption by the electric utilities, greater use at coke ovens, and an increase in exports.

Jan 1, 1967

By Jos. R. Guiteras

This is one of a series of information circulars describing mining and milling methods being published by the Bureau of Mines. The Summitville Consolidated Mines, Inc., is the only company now active at Summitville. Since the holdings of the company include those of most of the former producers of the camp, the paper virtually becomes a description of the Summitville district. The field data were collected from August 23 to 28, 1937. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The writer gratefully acknowledges his indebtedness to H. F. Detrick, president, and Edward Thornton, general manager of the company for their cooperation in making this paper possible. Most of the information on underground operations was given by Roy Jellison, mine superintendent; the metallurgical data were supplied by Art Carl son, metallurgist, and W. L. Anderson, mill superintendent; much general and technical information was supplied by J. H. Hannan, engineer.

Jan 1, 1938