With two Patriot Coal sites sitting idle in Western Kentucky, the Dodge Hill Complex faces the problem of transporting the company’s leftover coal tonnage while containing the considerable risk of air pollution caused by airborne dust.
Patriot Coal idled two of their sites, Dodge Hill Mining Complex and Highland Mine, on December 31st. This sudden news leaves the company with heavy leftover stockpiles and a need for new ways of processing and transporting the stockpiles of coal left onsite.
Originally, both Highland and Dodge Hill transported their coal on trucks to a barge loading facility on the Ohio River before it was eventually sold at a thermal market.
Dust Control Needed
With both sites inactive since the last day of 2014, the company’s Heritage Preparation Plant near the town of Waverly, along with the barge loading terminal on the Ohio River, is now expected to take on the responsibilities of processing and shipping coal that once belonged to Dodge Hill and Highland.
This process will continue until the closed sites’ inventories are depleted. Whether they decide to use the same methods of transportation is a matter of the company’s discernment, timeliness, and financial ability.
What’s clear is the need to effectively manage and monitor the airborne dust that arises as a result of the dropping, crushing, and conveying. Because dust control is most effective and manageable when sites are at low activity, Patriot Coal should capitalize on the fact that Heritage and the barge loading terminal are only processing and shipping the coal at this moment.
Managing Coal Stockpiles
Midwest Industrial Supply Inc.’s coal pile management and dust control solutions for coal and foam-based dust control solutions (such as its Dust Buster Foam Agent), offer the most cost-effective and environmentally-friendly cure for the problems that companies like Dodge Hill currently face.
Coal stockpiles contain toxic particles that are often picked up by the wind or drain into the ground, posing a threat to animal, plant, and human health in the surrounding area.
When you add the problems resulting from coal dust building up in cars, trucks, and industrial machinery, coal pile management becomes a problem in dire need of any company’s attention.
But with Midwest’s proven products, solving that problem is as easy as a simple request for our sealing services. Using their Delivery and Application Services and Soil-Sement® product, Midwest effectively seals coal stockpiles and prevents pollution in the soil and air.
Sealing also preserves your coal’s BTU value, protecting it from cold temperatures and oxidation. Coal pile management is no easy task, but with a quick call to Midwest, your company can consider it done.
(Image credit: Bob Mical/flickr)
