The potential use of exhausted open pit mine voids as sinks for atmospheric CO2: insights from natural reedbeds and mine water treatment wetlands

Abandoned surface mine voids are often left to flood, forming pit lakes. Drawing simple but important lessons from experiences with compost-based passive remediation systems for acidic mine waters, an alternative end-use for open pit mine voids is proposed: gradual infilling with organic material, which can serve as a long-term sink for atmospheric CO2, whilst ameliorating or eventually eliminating sustained evaporative water loss and acidic water pollution. Key to the success of this approach is the suppression of methane release from organic sediments flooded with sulfate-rich mine waters: the presence of modest amounts of sulfate (which is typically abundant in mine waters) inhibits the activity of methanogenic bacteria. This explains why gas release studies of mine water treatment wetlands never report methane emissions; CO2 is the only greenhouse gas emitted, and this is clearly not at levels sufficient to undo the benefits of wetlands as net CO2 sinks. While the compete infilling of open pits with organic sediments might take a very long time, only minimal maintenance would be needed, and if carbon trading markets finally mature, a steady income stream could be obtained to cover the costs, thus extending the economic life of the mine site far beyond cessation of mining

Letter to John Norton Moore regarding the SEAALL Annual Meeting, September 8, 1971

A letter from William Younger to John Norton Moore thanking Moore for being a panelist at the SEAALL Annual Meeting

Letter to Nancy Kitchen regarding SEAALL expenses, June 16, 1975

A letter from William Younger to Nancy Kitchen asking Kitchen to issue a check to cover Jane Hammond\u27s expenses

Letter to Katie Fitzpatrick regarding the SEAALL Officer Election, August 23, 1974

A letter from William Younger to Katie Fitzpatrick providing a list of SEAALL Officers elected in the last SEAALL Officer election

Letter to Edwin Schroeder regarding the SEAALL Business Meeting, June 10, 1975

A letter from William Younger to Edwin Schroeder asking Schroeder to prepare a report on the activities of the Placement Committee for the SEAALL business meeting at the AALL Annual Meeting

Letter to Carolyn Gray regarding SEAALL membership, April 28, 1975

A letter from William Younger to Carolyn Gray thanking Gray for suggesting Virginia Dickey become a SEAALL member

Letter to Pearl Von Allmen regarding the AALL Annual Meeting, June 11, 1973

A letter from William Younger to Pearl Von Allmen regarding Younger\u27s plans for the AALL Annual Meeting. Younger also discusses a letter from Peyton Neal, Jr

Letter to Carol West regarding the Mississippi State Library, March 13, 1975

A letter from William Younger to Carol West discussing librarians at the Mississippi State Library

Letter to Michael Primavera regarding the AALL Annual Meeting, September 10, 1974

A letter from William Younger to Michael Primavera regarding Primavera\u27s interest in hosting AALL at the Hotel Fontainebleu

Letter to Peyton Neal, Jr. regarding the SEAALL Business Meeting, June 10, 1975

A letter from William Younger to Peyton Neal, Jr. asking Neal, Jr. to prepare reports on the activities of several Committees to present at the SEAALL business meeting at the AALL Annual Meeting