EPA 530-R-94-011 NTIS PB94-170248 TECHNICAL RESOURCE DOCUMENT EXTRACTION AND BENEFICIATION OF ORES AND MINERALS VOLUME 1 LEAD-ZINC June 1994 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Office of Solid Waste Special Waste Branch 401 M Street, SW Washington, DC 20460 Technical Resource Document: Lead-Zinc DISCLAIMER AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This document was prepared by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The mention of company or product names is not to be considered an endorsement by the U.S. Government or the EPA. This Technical Resource Document consists of two sections. The first section is EPA's Profile of the lead-zinc industry; the remaining section is a Site Visit Report from a site visit conducted by EPA. The Profile Section was distributed for review to the U.S. Department of the Interior's Bureau of Mines, the Western Governors Association, the Interstate Mining Compact Commission, the American Mining Congress, and Public Interest Groups. Summaries of the comments and EPA's responses are presented as an appendix to the Profile Section. The Site Visit Report Section was reviewed by individual company, state, and Federal representatives who participated in the site visit. Comments and EPA responses are included as Appendices to the specific Site Visit Section. EPA is grateful to all individuals who took the time to review sections of this Technical Resource Document. The use of the terms "extraction," "beneficiation," and mineral processing" in the Profile section of this document is not intended to classify any waste streams for the purposes of regulatory interpretation or application. Rather, these terms are used in the context of common industry terminology. i Technical Resource Document: Lead-Zinc TABLE OF CONTENTS Page DISCLAIMER AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .............................................. i 1.0 MINING INDUSTRY PROFILE: LEAD-ZINC ................................................ 1-1 1.1 INTRODUCTION ............................................................ 1-1 1.2 ECONOMIC CHARACTERIZATION OF THE INDUSTRY ......................... 1-2 1.2.1 Lead .............................................................. 1-2 1.2.2 Zinc .............................................................. 1-11 1.3 ORE CHARACTERIZATION ................................................. 1-12 1.4 LEAD-ZINC EXTRACTION AND BENEFICIATION PRACTICES .................. 1-13 1.4.1 Extraction Methods ................................................. 1-13 1.4.2 Beneficiation Methods ............................................... 1-14 1.4.2.1 Milling ................................................... 1-14 1.4.2.2 Flotation ................................................. 1-15 1.4.2.3 Roasting and Sintering of Concentrates ......................... 1-23 1.5 EXTRACTION AND BENEFICIATION WASTES ASSOCIATED WITH LEAD-ZINC MINES .................................................................... 1-24 1.5.1 Extraction and Beneficiation Wastes ................................... 1-25 1.5.1.1 Overburden and Mine Development Rock ....................... 1-25 1.5.1.2 Mine Water ............................................... 1-25 1.5.1.3 Flotation Wastes ........................................... 1-28 1.5.2 Waste Management ................................................. 1-28 1.5.2.1 Waste Rock Piles ........................................... 1-28 1.5.2.2 Mine Pits and Underground Workings .......................... 1-29 1.5.2.3 Tailings Impoundments ...................................... 1-29 1.5.2.4 Leachate .................................................. 1-30 1.6 ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS ............................................... 1-30 1.6.1 Ground Water/Surface Water ......................................... 1-30 1.6.2 Soil .............................................................. 1-31 1.6.3 Air ............................................................... 1-31 1.6.4 Damage Cases ..................................................... 1-32 1.6.4.1 National Priorities List Sites .................................. 1-32 1.6.4.2 Clean Water Act Section 304(l) Sites ........................... 1-32 1.6.4.3 Other Reported Damage Cases ................................ 1-33 1.7 CURRENT REGULATORY AND STATUTORY FRAMEWORK ................... 1-36 1.7.1 Environmental Protection Agency Regulations ............................ 1-37 1.7.1.1 Resource Conservation and Recovery Act ....................... 1-37 1.7.1.2 Clean Water Act ........................................... 1-38 1.7.1.3 Clean Air Act ............................................. 1-41 1.7.2 Department of the Interior ............................................ 1-42 1.7.2.1 Bureau of Land Management ................................. 1-42 1.7.2.2 National Park Service ....................................... 1-44 1.7.2.3 Fish and Wildlife Service .................................... 1-44 1.7.3 Department of Agriculture ............................................ 1-45 1.7.3.1 Forest Service ............................................. 1-45 1.7.4 State Programs ..................................................... 1-46 1.7.4.1 Alaska ................................................... 1-46 1.7.4.2 Missouri .................................................. 1-47 ii Technical Resource Document: Lead-Zinc 1.8 REFERENCES ............................................................. 1-49 2.0 SITE VISIT REPORT: DOE RUN FLETCHER ............................................... 2-1 2.1 INTRODUCTION ............................................................ 2-1 2.1.1 Background ........................................................ 2-1 2.1.2 General Description .................................................. 2-2 2.1.3 Environmental Setting ................................................ 2-5 2.1.3.1 Climate ................................................... 2-6 2.1.3.2 Geology ................................................... 2-6 2.1.3.3 Hydrology ................................................. 2-8 2.2 FACILITY OPERATION ...................................................... 2-9 2.2.1 Mining Operations .................................................. 2-10 2.2.2 Mill Operation ..................................................... 2-13 2.2.2.1 Grinding ................................................. 2-15 2.2.2.2 Flotation ................................................. 2-17 2.2.2.3 Filtration ................................................. 2-19 2.2.2.4 Process Control ............................................ 2-19 2.3 WASTE MANAGEMENT .................................................... 2-22 2.3.1 Types of Waste ..................................................... 2-22 2.3.2 Tailings ........................................................... 2-24 2.3.3 Mine Water ........................................................ 2-28 2.3.4 Other Wastes ...................................................... 2-28 2.4 REGULATORY REQUIREMENTS AND COMPLIANCE. ......................... 2-29 2.4.1 State of Missouri ................................................... 2-29 2.4.1.1 Water Permit .............................................. 2-29 2.4.1.2 Metallic Minerals Waste Management .......................... 2-33 2.4.1.3 Dam Safety ............................................... 2-33 2.4.1.4 Other State Regulations ..................................... 2-33 2.4.2 Federal Regulations ................................................. 2-34 2.5 REFERENCES ............................................................. 2-35 APPENDICES APPENDIX 1-A SPECIFIC FLOTATION ACTIVITIES EMPLOYED FOR POLYMETALLIC ORES AND ASSOCIATED PROCESS FLOW SHEETS .................................................... 1-54 APPENDIX 1-B NPL SITE SUMMARIES RELATED TO LEAD AND ZINC EXTRACTION AND BENEFICIATION ................................ 1-60 APPENDIX 1-C SUMMARY OF COMMENTS AND EPA RESPONSES ................... 1-72 APPENDIX 1-D ACRONYMS ...................................................... 1-75 APPENDIX 2-A THE DOE RUN COMPANY'S COMMENTS ON THE DRAFT SITE VISIT REPORT, AND EPA'S RESPONSES ......................... 2-36 APPENDIX 2-B THE BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT'S COMMENTS ON THE DRAFT SITE VISIT REPORT, AND EPA'S RESPONSES ............. 2-40 iii Technical Resource Document: Lead-Zinc APPENDIX 2-C THE FOREST SERVICE'S COMMENTS ON THE DRAFT SITE VISIT REPORT, AND EPA'S RESPONSES .............................. 2-42 iv Technical Resource Document: Lead-Zinc LIST OF TABLES Page Table 1-1. Characteristics of Lead and Zinc Mines ......................................... 1-3 Table 1-2. United States Consumption of Lead, By Product (In Metric Tons) .................... 1-9 Table 1-3. Waste to Product Ratios, Crude Ore to Product Ratios, and Material Handled to Product Ratios For Lead and Zinc, 1987 ....................................... 1-13 Table 1-4. Commonly Used Reagents in Lead and Zinc Flotation ............................ 1-16 Table 1-5. Range of Constituents of Waste Water and Raw Mine Waters Loads From Five Selected Lead-Zinc Mines ................................................... 1-26 Table 1-6. Missouri Mining Waste Damage Cases ........................................ 1-34 Table 1-7. Balaklala Mine Typical Metal Concentrations of Discharge ........................ 1-36 Table 1-8. Keystone Mine Typical Metal Concentrations of Discharge ........................ 1-36 Table 1-9. BPT and BAT Standards Ore Mining and Dressing Point Source Category (milligrams per liter) ......................................................