Problem: All across the nation voiceless communities are experiencing or have already experienced closure of their local mine – mines that provided jobs, economic gain, identity, and severe pollution. These mines, regardless of the mineral or resource it was used to harvest, all contain what is called Abandoned Mine Drainage – or AMD for short – that is largely composed of high levels of (usually toxic) heavy metals, intense siltation, concentrations of sulfuric acid making it heavily acidic, or alkaline mineral concentrations. This is important to note, because most mines are often also located nearby a critical water source such as a river, stream, groundwater, watershed, or sites with high rates of surface runoff. AMD will not only slowly leak into the surrounding environment, but can and – one way or another – will spill all at once into the local environment, wreaking havoc that can include eliminating any potential for human habitation.

Solution: Due the the high toxicity of the water for Abandoned Mine Drainage we propose a multifaceted approach to the returning of this water to a safe near potable state. These approaches include- flat limestone beds, crushed limestone beds, and reverse osmosis tubing. With the presence of water sources near the mines and the consumption of these water sources by local populations it is important not to just simply adjust the pH but to also remove heavy metals. Our proposal of the limestone beds and osmosis reversal are beneficial in that they address these water problems early, reducing the damage potential. All communities everywhere have running water and resting water and thus all communities have the potential to implement our proposal of limestone and reverse osmosis. Additionally, town halls and public-school hearings are ideal, and will be held often because they provide spaces as well as an outlet for the public to voice their concerns and questions to the local hegemony. These hearings should also be accompanied with specialists; geologists, people of the finance and administration sector, contractors and engineers that will be conducting the mitigating mechanisms, as well as environmentalists to allow for high transparency and long-term education.

Please check out the link below for the in depth and extended version of our proposal.