Shale Disposal & Reclamation Of Surface Water

6. Taff Merthyr Colliery - Shale disposal and reclamation of surface water
Shale is collected from various parts of the colliery and taken off site by rail. Surface drainage water from the site is separated from coal and shale and both are reclaimed.

Taff Merthyr Colliery shale disposal and reclamation of surface water

Waste from the shale dewatering screen in the CPP is carried by four conveyors, known as the 'rubbish belt', to the shale stockpile. Dried tailings from the filter presses in the fines treatment plant are collected by a dumper truck and tipped onto the shale pile. At appropriate intervals a train of hopper wagons, similar to those used for coal, is loaded with shale by a mechanical shovel; the operation is carried out while the train is moving slowly and takes approximately 17 minutes. Shale is taken by rail for tipping under carefully controlled conditions at a local landfill site adjacent to the railway known as Nelson Bog.
Surface drainage water from the site is collected in various drainage channels and pipes leading to a settling pond where shale and coal are allowed to separate from the water. Concentrated solids are transferred by means of a mobile crane fitted with a grab to an adjacent settling pond (plate 16?. Water is drained off and pumped to the slurry sump for re-use whilst the solids are collected by mechanical shovel and taken to the reclaim hopper near the 'coffee pot' to undergo the entire cleaning, washing and grading system.

Taff Merthyr Colliery shale disposal and reclamation of surface water diagram

Taff Merthyr Colliery Process Recording Links:
1. Raising coal and stone extraction
2. Preliminary coal grading
3. Raw coal treatment (washing)
4. Fines separation
5. Preparation of treated coal for market
6. Shale disposal and reclamation of surface water
7. Identification of principal surface features


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