We have, numerous times, elaborated on the potentially recoverable organic values left behind in various coal mine wastes. Here is yet another enterprise - like the planned WMPI facility in Schuykill, PA, which is intending to make liquid fuels - dedicated to the utilization of mine spoil.
Some excerpts:
"A West Virginia development group is hoping to squeeze out a little more energy from waste coal while whittling down mountains of gob in Greene County (PA - JtM)."
(A WV group, Mike, dedicating a project to use, and clean up, Pennsylvania coal mine waste.)
"Wellington also is to take over responsibility for treating acid mine drainage that is leaching from the gob pile. The treatment to prevent acid mine drainage pollution in the Monongahela costs $350,000 a year. It won't be needed once the gob pile is used up.
Gob piles have small bits of coal mixed in with slate and other waste. It won't burn as readily as pure coal, but it can be used with new boilers that have "circulating fluidized bed technology.""
So ... not only can we make money by using coal mine wastes to generate power, or make liquid fuels, we can also save money by obviating the need to treat those wastes - and, perhaps, as a bonus, satisfy some environmentalists' concerns by cleaning up the gob.
That's what's called win-win in the business world, isn't it?
And, don't forget one of the other environmental win-win's that should by now be clear from some of our earlier dispatches: We can capture CO2, from coal plant flues or the atmosphere itself, and use it as additional feed for CTL processes.
