Veolia will provide operational management of the facility for the next 10 years, guaranteeing the coal operator continual performance and optimization of the system. The ZLW treatment concept removes contaminants in the mine water and reduces them to solid salts. The process also uses a number of sustainable practices and technology applications, reducing the carbon and energy footprint of the treatment process.
This environmentally sustainable design and construction approach was developed to help CONSOL Energy meet discharge standards for chlorides in West Virginia’s waterways. The facility will treat water from CONSOL’s Blacksville No. 2, Loveridge and Robinson Run mining operations.
“In partnering with Veolia on this first-of-its-kind in scale and scope project, we were able to bring the water treatment plant online on time, under budget and in full compliance with our permits,” said Katharine Fredriksen, senior vice president environmental strategy and regulatory affairs. “This demonstrates the success of partnering with a company that shares our commitment to our core values of safety, compliance and continuous improvement.”
To quantify the benefits of the water treatment facility to the Monongahela River, Veolia conducted a Water Impact Index (WIIX) evaluation, which measures water volume, the level of stress upon local water resources, overall water quality, and indirect water impacts from chemicals and electricity. Measuring all these factors, the WIIX calculated that the water impact of the new treatment facility will be 1.3 billion gallons of high-quality water per year returned to the Monongahela River basin, validating a positive environmental impact by the water treatment facility.
“We are pleased to deliver this state-of-the-art project for CONSOL and believe it will be the benchmark for mine water treatment in the Appalachian region for years to come,” said Kirk Schwab, general manager of Veolia Water Solutions & Technologies’ Pittsburgh office, which designed and built the facility.
Steve Hopper, executive vice president and COO for Veolia Environment North America’s Industrial business, said, “The partnership with CONSOL goes beyond meeting new regulatory requirements. It combines technical know-how with operational expertise to implement a solution that positively impacts the environment while meeting the production needs of CONSOL Energy through guaranteed performance.”
