Active Treatment Trials - innovative technology and approaches

Descriptions

In 2011, the Water and Abandoned Metal Mines (WAMM) Programme was set up between the Environment Agency, Defra and the Coal Authority to address pollution of rivers by abandoned metal mines. Currently, the Coal Authority operates four WAMM mine water treatment schemes, each using a different treatment technology, which are improving water quality in about 20 km of rivers. In January 2023, Parliament adopted a statutory metal mines target, under the Environment Act 2021, to halve the length of English rivers polluted by harmful metals from abandoned metal mines by 2038. The Government's Environmental Improvement Plan (EIP), published in January 2023, estimated that to achieve this long-term target would likely require around 40 new mine water treatment schemes and a similar number of diffuse interventions. The EIP set a non-statutory interim target to construct 8 mine water treatment schemes and 20 diffuse interventions by 31 January 2028. To help deliver the interim and long-term targets, the WAMM Programme is currently investigating active treatment options for mine water discharging from abandoned metal mines by undertaking active treatment trials on up to five sites The purpose of this document is to alert interested parties to a forthcoming open tender exercise which will seek to appoint party/parties to undertake these investigations. No action is required from interested parties at this stage however, if you have any queries about this opportunity please contact peterkobryn@coal.gov.uk no later than 23 September 2024. Accompanied visits to the five sites in question will be arranged during the tender period. Interested parties are strongly recommended to attend the site visits to support their submissions for this opportunity. To enable resources to be planned for these visits please see below the dates and times that these visits will take place If you require any further details with regard to these site visits for the purposes of planning, or wish to register your interest in attending please contact peterkobryn@coal.gov.uk DateSiteLocation 08/10/2024ACornwall, South West of England 09/10/2024BDevon, South West of England 30/09/2024CCounty Durham, North Pennines 01/10/2024DCounty Durham, North Pennines 02/10/2024EWestmorland and Furness, North Pennines