A new study based on long-term monitoring data shows that cleanup efforts can allow streams affected by acidic runoff drainage from abandoned mines to recover to near-natural conditions within 10 to 15 years after the start of abatement work.
In detail, the authors of the paper analyzed monitoring information over periods of 20 years or more for four mining-impacted watersheds—located in mountain mining regions of California, Colorado, Idaho, and Montana.
The sites were all designated as Superfund sites under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act, which helps fund the cleanup of toxic-waste sites in the United States.
“The good news from them all is that Superfund investments can restore the water quality and ecological health of the streams,” said David Herbst, coauthor of the study, which was published in the journal Freshwater Science.
For the rest of this article: https://www.mining.com/cleanup-efforts-of-mining-polluted-streams-prove-effective-over-time-study/