Dear Friends & Associates,

The 34th annual Technology Transfer Seminar is set to be held December 6 & 7, 2021.  As Chairman of the Indiana Society of Mining and Reclamation, I am extending an invitation for you to attend.  This year’s seminar will be held at Bally’s Evansville (formerly known as Tropicana Convention Center) in Evansville, Indiana.  We have a variety of topics and speakers on the latest mining and reclamation technology.  This year on Monday, there will be one workshop and a Monday evening poster session and reception.  The “Field Sampling and Water Treatment at Indiana Coal Mines” workshop is approved for 4.5 technical hours of continuing education toward renewal of Indiana Wastewater licenses.  A certificate for the workshop will be provided that may be used for consideration of Professional Development Hours requirements for licensed Indiana Professional Engineers.  Tuesday will be a full day of presentations on various topics.  I look forward to your participation at this year’s seminar.

Sincerely,

Ryan Mueller, Chairman

WORKSHOP DESCRIPTION

Field Sampling and Water Treatment at Indiana Coal Mines

APPROVED for 4.5 technical hours of continuing education for wastewater license renewal.  (Certificates will be provided for this workshop that may be used as consideration for meeting requirements of Professional Development Hours for licensed Indiana Professional Engineers.)

(1)  A-SO Certified Wastewater Operators and Coal Mines Presentation:  Holly Zurcher and Kevin Stark, IDEM.  This presentation will give an overview of field sampling procedures:  preparation and guidance; equipment and supplies; equipment calibration requirements; sample containers; field data and sample recording; and preparation for shipping or transportation of samples to a lab.

(2)  Sampling, Sample Handling, COC, Field Equipment Calibration, Flow Measurement:  Darren Sluder, Pace Analytical.  This presentation will give an overview of water volume and flow:  ditches, velocity head rod, weirs, timed gravimetric, manning formula, hydraulic structures, and flow stick.

(3)  Remote Environmental Monitoring Solutions:  Jeff Taylor and Mark Taylor, Saul’s Seismic.  Environmental concerns regarding the mining industry are ever present in the public mindset.  Environmental regulations are also constantly under public scrutiny, and proposals for more stringent regulations are commonplace.  This presentation will cover monitoring options to consider for remote flow monitoring and rainfall measurements as it pertains to section 327 IAC 15-7-7, which sets the requirements for coal mining wastewater monitoring under the Indiana NPDES program.

(4)  Overview of Treatability Studies:  Mike Murphy, Enviromine/Chemstream.  The sites actual water can determine mixing scenarios, various possible chemicals to be used, and dosage rates.  These tests can be used to improve products usage and reduce cost.  The test can be used to determine the optimal pH and ORP for a particular treatment site.

AGENDA DECEMBER 6 & 7, 2021

Monday, December 6, 2021

11:30 - 12:00 pm  Registration

12:00 - 5:00 pm    Water Workshop

5:00 - 7:00 pm      Poster session and reception

Tuesday, December 7, 2021

8:00 - 8:30 am      Registration

8:30 - 8:45 am      Welcome:  Ryan Mueller, Chairman of Indiana Society of Mining and Reclamation and Deputy Director of Indiana Department of Natural Resources.

8:45 - 9:00 am      OSMRE Updates:  Alfred Clayborne, Regional Director, Interior Regions 3, 4, & 6, OSMRE.  This presentation will provide an overview of some major organizational and programmatic changes that have recently taken place in DOI and OSMRE.  Mr. Clayborne will discuss the practical impacts of revised REG-8 and INE-35 directives.

9:00 - 9:30 am      Implementation of the 2020 Biological Opinion:  Allison Travers, Lead Natural Resources Specialist, OSMRE.  A brief overview of the 2020 Biological Opinion and its implementation.  A separate in-depth training led by OSMRE and USFWS will be held in early 2022.

9:30 - 10:00 am    Coal and Coal-Related Materials as Potential Sources of Rare Earth Elements (REE) in Indiana:  Maria Mastalerz, Indiana Geological & Water Survey.  This presentation will evaluate coal, coal waste, coal combustion products, and AMD as new sources for REE. Available REE data from Indiana will be discussed, and next steps of the research will be suggested. In addition, she will review basic facts about REE uses and their production, with the emphasis for the need for identifying their new sources.

10:00 - 10:15 am  BREAK & DOOR PRIZE DRAWING

10:15 - 10:45 am  Coal is Key to Assuring a Smooth Grid Transition:  Michelle Bloodworth, President and Chief Executive Officer, America’s Power.  As the new administration pushes to accelerate the power sector transition from dispatchable resources to renewables, evidence of increased threats to grid reliability and resilience mounts.  Addressing RTO and ISO market design issues that undervalue coal plants is increasingly urgent to protect the grid.  Recognizing the transmission challenges associated with the grid transition – the sheer amount of infrastructure needed, very long lead times, and staggering cost – is critical to determining the generation mix needed to protect grid performance and electricity consumers.

10:45 - 11:45 am  Indiana Limestone:  From Salem Deposit to the Built Environment:  Todd Schnatzmeyer, Executive Director, Indiana Limestone Institute of America and Architect.  This presentation discusses conservation of resources in the production of natural stone and the sustainability standards recognized by leading programs.

11:45 - 1:00 pm    AWARDS LUNCHEON

1:00 - 1:30 pm      Evolution vs. Revolution: Ensuring Baseload Energy Supply in an Evolving Electrical Generation Resource Market:  Matt Bell, CEO, Reliable Energy, and Founding Partner, Catalyst Public Affairs Group.  As Indiana and the other states represented in the Midcontinent Independent Systems Operator (MISO) territory transition to a greater reliance on renewable energy, the security of the grid and the performance of the grid are in a state of ever increasing jeopardy.  Ensuring adequate baseload generating capacity is vital to health, security, and economic well-being of Hoosiers and all Americans.  Policy makers must act quickly to ensure a functional supply chain capable of delivering the abundant natural resources to electric generators in Indiana and across the nation.

1:30 - 2:00 pm      Compensatory Mitigation Performance Standards and Monitoring:  Eric Reusch, Chief, Mitigation, Compliance and Enforcement Branch, Regulatory Division, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Louisville District.  Thispresentation outlines ecological performance standards and monitoring requirements for compensatory mitigation projects required by Department of the Army (DA) permits.  U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) regulations and project examples will be discussed, with a focus on ensuring performance standards and monitoring plans will allow for the accurate and efficient evaluation of mitigation site success.

2:00 - 3:00 pm      IDEM Office of Water Quality Updates:   Martha Clark Mettler, Assistant Commissioner, Office of Water Quality, Indiana Department of Environmental Management.  Updates to metals criteria and DRAFT Revisions to the general NPDES permit for coal mining activities.

3:00 - 3:15 pm      BREAK & DOOR PRIZE DRAWING

3:15 - 3:45 pm      U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Updates:  Marissa Reed, Wildlife Biologist, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.  The presentation will provide updates on federally listed species, species status assessments, and species delistings.

3:45 - 4:15 pm      The “Welsh Dunlap” Site in Terre Haute, IN:  Colleen Westmor, Project Scientist, Civil & Environmental Consultants, Inc.  In July 2020, Civil & Environmental Consultants, Inc. conducted a Phase I Cultural Resources Survey for Peabody Midwest Mining, LLC’s Wabash Site 1 Project, a wetland mitigation site in Terre Haute, Indiana.  Seventeen archaeological sites were located within the project area, fifteen of these were associated with a series of sand dunes and represent a multi-phased occupation spanning approximately two thousand years.  Portions of the Wabash and Erie Canal were also located within the project area.  Over 1,700 prehistoric and historic artifacts were collected and analyzed.  This presentation will follow the research of the “Welsh-Dunlap” site, including records from a 1949 county survey, an unpublished 1970 excavation, an amateur archaeologist’s survey, and the Cultural Resource Management Survey that brought them together.

4:15 - 4:30 pm      CLOSING & GRAND PRIZE DRAWING

ALL TIMES ARE CENTRAL TIME.

(Evansville local time)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

OVERNIGHT ACCOMODATIONS

To make hotel reservations for overnight accommodations at Bally’s Evansville (formerly Tropicana), please call 812-433-4000.

Call for Nominations for the

2021 Vance “Pat” Wiram Award For

Innovation in Reclamation and Mining Technology

ISMR is seeking nominations for individuals who have made significant contributions to the development or implementation of new technologies or concepts in mining and reclamation.  We urge you to nominate an individual you feel has gone the extra step in applying new and innovative ideas toward the enhancement of surface mining and reclamation.

Criteria and Eligibility:  Individuals having a direct or indirect involvement in surface mining and/or reclamation who deserve recognition for innovative ideas applied to this broad area of interest are eligible.  Recipients may be individuals in regulatory agencies, educators, environmentalists, journalists, politicians, mine operators, mining engineers, geologists, or administrative personnel.  Nominees for this award must have been active in some area of mining and/or reclamation at the time of their nomination.

Nomination Procedures:  All nominations should follow the prescribed format.  Identify nominee--Include name, mailing address, and phone number.  Identify nominator--Include name, mailing address, and phone number.  Clearly identify and evaluate the contributions made by the nominee.  List (1) Education--academia field, date, and institution for each degree held;  (2) Career--dates, organizations, and locations of all professional positions beginning with current position and ending with the first position;  (3) Professional Services--membership in professional societies, service on professional committees, and indicating leadership where appropriate;  (4) Past Honors and Awards--any that are appropriate;  (5) Justification--identify the primary contributions on which the nomination is based, emphasizing the innovative ideas of concepts for which the nominee is to be evaluated;  (6) Supporting Documentation--three letters of support, as well as any other form of documentation.  Letters should be solicited and addressed to the nominator.

Nominations Due:  Deadline to receive nominations is Friday, October 29, 2021.

Submissions:  Two copies of the completed nomination and any supporting documentation should be sent to:

ISMR Chairman, 14619 West State Road 48, Jasonville, IN 47438.

Nomination Format:  Typed on 8 ½ x 11 paper, double-spaced.

Questions:  Contact Shasta Keller, ISMR Secretary at 812-665-2207 or [email protected]

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

CALL FOR POSTERS FOR MONDAY EVENING DISPLAY

The Board would like to invite you to participate in the Monday evening poster session/reception.  If you have a technical display that pertains to mining and reclamation, we would love to have you share it at the poster session.  Please contact Shasta Keller at [email protected] or 812-665-2207 with questions or if you have a display you would like to share.

Registration Form

PRE-Registration fees are valid (THRU Nov. 5, 2021)

12/06 (Monday) Workshop & poster session only -- $100.00

12/06 (Monday) Workshop & poster session + 12/07 (Tuesday) Sessions & luncheon -- $100.00

12/07 (Tuesday) Sessions & luncheon only -- $80.00

Full-time student rate for all of 12/06 (Monday) & (Tuesday) 12/07 -- $20.00

LATE Registration fees (AFTER Nov. 5, 2021):

12/06 (Monday) Workshop & poster session only -- $110.00

12/06 (Monday) Workshop & poster session + 12/07 (Tuesday) sessions & luncheon -- $110.00

12/07 (Tuesday) Sessions & luncheon only -- $90.00

Full-time student rate for all of 12/06 (Monday) & 12/07 (Tuesday) -- $30.00

CHECK ALL ITEMS THAT APPLY

MONDAY, December 6, 2021:

WORKSHOP

                                   Passive Treatment Theory and Application Workshop

                POSTER SESSION AND RECEPTION (Check box if you will attend)

   Poster Session

TUESDAY, December 7, 2021:

                                   Full Day Primary Session (with luncheon)             Check this box for a a certificate of attendance on Tuesday.

Name______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Title________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Organization_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Address____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

City/State/Zip________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Phone____________________________________________________________  Fax______________________________________________________________

E-mail______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

$___________TOTAL PAYMENT     check/money order     online payment                     Check this box for a receipt.

Make check or money order payable to:  Indiana Natural Resources Foundation.  Mail form and fee to:  SHASTA KELLER, ISMR SECRETARY, 14619 WEST STATE ROAD 48, JASONVILLE, IN 47438.

*ONLINE PAYMENT NOW AVAILABLE!!*    https://www.indiananrf.org/program-fees/

*When paying online, please email your registration form to:  [email protected]