Mine Waste Technology Program

"If we are to make progress, we need ...new technology to prevent pollution."
Carol Browner, former director U.S. EPA

Mining is essential to life as we know it today. However, significant knowledge and resources are required to mitigate the effects of mine waste on our environment. The Mine Waste Technology Program (MWTP) was committed to developing, evaluating, and deploying technologies that provide innovative solutions to successfully treat and control mine waste cost effectively.

MSE - MWTP History

In 1991, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of Energy (DOE) established the Mine Waste Technology Program to address mine waste issues. MSE managed the overall program, pilot-scale demonstrations, and the transfer of technology to the mining industry, regulatory agencies, and the general public.

The MWTP's mission was to provide sustainable engineering solutions to national environmental issues resulting from the past practices of mining and smelting metallic ores. The program emphasized treatment, technology development, testing, and evaluation at bench- and pilot-scale, and contained an educational component that emphasizes training and technology transfer.

Successful Partnership

The MWTP team-consisting of the EPA, DOE, MSE, Montana Tech of the University of Montana, Montana State University Biofilm Research Center, and the mining industry-was extremely effective in selecting, evaluating, demonstrating, and transferring technologies to industry to prevent or mitigate hard rock mining impacts. And the need was great [and is still great]. Mining wastes generated by active and inactive mining production facilities and the impact on human health and the environment are a growing problem for the Government, private industry, and the general public. Total remediation costs for abandoned mines in the United States were estimated between $2 and $32 billion.