PROBLEM OF HANDLING MILL REJECT LEACHATE IN CSSP

Mouda is receiving coal from 25 – 30 different mines sources with Sulphur content varying from 0.2 to 2.5 %. High
Sulphur is present in WCL , SCCL ( Some mines). Import coal is having Sulphur of 0.8 to 1.1 %. It has been observed mill
reject of such high Sulphur coal sources leaches low pH sulphuric acid when comes in contact with water. Mill reject
solution is having pH of as low as < 2.0.

At Mouda, mill reject from units is being returned back in stack yard and as per prevailing practice , in pile 5 & 6 , mill
reject was used as carpet coal bed below coal pile. With the onset of monsoon, low pH mill reject leachate comes along
with coal effluent to stage # 1 & 2 CSSP ponds and also gets mixed in storm water drain going out of plant premises.

The chemical characteristic of coal and mill reject checked in lab is as follows;

COAL AND MILL REJECT SOLUTION CHARACTERISTICS

Approx 20 gm of fresh coal and mill reject were dissolved in 100 ml of water and solution checked for following
parameters

Parameter Coal solution Mill Reject solution

pH 6.04 ( After 6 hours = 6.42) 2.50 ( After 6 hours =2.11)
Conductivity 504 1572
TDS 244 763
Chloride 96.1 220
Sulphate 272 623