ESTABLISHING PRIORITIES IN MINE DRAINAGE REDUCTION A COST-EFFECTIVENESS APPROACH

Twenty-seven watersheds in the Susquehanna River Basin are severely degraded by acid mine drainage pollution. Approximately 620 miles of significant tributaries as well as 230 miles of principal rivers are either sterile or intermittently degraded by acid slugs. As a result of the acid discharges, many uses of the streams, such as water supply and recreation, are precluded. In the past, acid mine drainage abatement programs did not look beyond the immediate problem area. No considerations were given to the blending effect of natural alkalinity in other streams. Since the abatement of acid mine drainage pollution is extremely costly, a method of minimizing these costs was needed. The systematic, cost-effectiveness approach, discussed in this paper presents such a method. This system allows the water resources planners to control the allocation of funds for maximizing the abatement of acid mine drainage.