SynTerra expertise

SynTerra engineers share knowledge about impoundment lifecycle and dam embankments.

Posted June 2, 2021

A pair of SynTerra Professional Engineers were featured speakers during the Mine Safety and Health Administration’s (MSHA) Annual Dam Safety event last month. Vice President of Special Projects Steve Gardner and Senior Geotechnical/Dam Designer Charlie Bishop presented “The Lifecycle of an impoundment” at the virtual gathering of almost 200 attendees from state and federal agencies. The event is usually held at the MSHA Academy in Beckley, West Virginia, but this year’s event was online only.

Charlie Bishop, P.E.

Steve Gardner, P.E., SME-RM

Bishop and Gardner examined an almost 50-year lifecycle of an impoundment and speculated on the impoundment’s future. Here is a sampling of information from their presentation:

Coal refuse and slurry impoundments many times are longer lived than the mining operations that they serve. Such impoundments also have one of the highest risk profiles in mining. The coal industry has been known for its cyclical nature over the decades, reaching back into the 1800s. Ownership and control of operations has changed frequently over the years, and perhaps the current time has seen the most volatility, with consolidations, bankruptcies, and abandonment of operations.

Unique perspectives from long-time involvement

Gardner and Bishop have the unique perspective of having been involved in one impoundment for almost 50 years combined, and the end-closure is still somewhere in the future. Gardner started work for Beth Elkhorn Corp., a subsidiary of Bethlehem Mines Corp. and Bethlehem Steel, in 1975. Beth’s met coal Mine 29 in Pike County, Kentucky, was just ramping up production in the middle of the 1970s coal boom. (Pike County was featured in National Geographic magazine during that time as having the most millionaires per capita of any place in America.) This was just after the catastrophic collapse of dams at Buffalo Creek — and impoundments were difficult to get approved. So Beth tried combined refuse disposal, which was a failure. Gardner, as a young engineer, was assigned responsibility for overseeing the construction of D’Appolonia’s new design for the starter embankment in Rob Fork for a slurry impoundment.

Fast forward to the 2000s: Charlie Bishop and Bowser-Morner (BM) took over the design function. Charlie has been the responsible engineer for design plans for the past 20 years. In 2019, Gardner’s company, ECSI, merged with SynTerra Corp and acquired BM’s Lexington Geotech office.

Examining slope embankment stability and settlement problems

Charlie Bishop, a geotechnical/dam design expert, also presented on a separate topic, “Dam Embankments on Silt and Clay Soils — Stability, Design and Construction Evaluations.” Silt and clay foundation soils present potential slope embankment stability and settlement problems. During the design phase, slope stability is based on foundation soil conditions derived from drilling, sampling, and laboratory tests. The short-term stability evaluation is based on undrained shear strengths. Embankment properties are based on the anticipated material to be used for construction. Measured and anticipated phreatic surfaces in the embankment and foundation soil are input to the analyses. Construction plans, procedures, and specifications are developed based on results of the analyses. Not considering all design parameters can lead to impoundments literally settling into the foundation soil potentially leading to failures.

Kathy Webb, P.G.

Senior Market Leader | Principal

Kathy, a founder of SynTerra (previously The Fletcher Group) in 1992, has completed remedial investigations and regulatory compliance projects associated with Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) facilities, state and federal Superfund sites, solid waste landfills, brownfield redevelopment, utility coal combustion residual (CCR) management units, and regulated industrial facilities. She has supported litigation as an expert witness related to chlorinated solvents, metals, and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). Kathy is known for her practical assessment strategy with the perspective of the client’s business objectives. She routinely evaluates groundwater corrective action systems for effectiveness and progress toward achieving compliance objectives. She has also co-authored a trade journal paper with case studies of low-impact remedial strategies. Kathy is a licensed Professional Geologist in North and South Carolina.

Mark Taylor, P.G.

Principal

Mark has worked more than 40 years in natural-resource based industries. His expertise includes mine geology and mine engineering, hydrogeologic and geotechnical investigations, solid and hazardous waste management, and regulatory negotiations. He has published peer-reviewed papers about coal geology, ore geochemistry, mineralogy, and solid waste management. He is a leading expert in mining and environmental permitting for litigation support.

Mark is licensed as a Professional Geologist in South Carolina, Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, and Washington. He serves on the boards of the Upstate Red Cross and Upstate Forever. He served on the South Carolina Board of Registration for Geologists for six years. Mark holds a Master’s degree in Geological Sciences from The University of Michigan and a Bachelor’s degree in Geological Science from Harvard University.

Andrea Kehn, P.E.

Vice President of Engineering | Principal

Andrea, leader of our Civil & Environmental Engineering Business Unit, has 28 years of experience in chemical manufacturing and environmental consulting. She leads and supervises staff professionals on multidisciplinary projects for a variety of industrial clients. Andrea’s vast experience and expertise includes: air quality construction and operating permitting; air quality modeling; air permit record-keeping and reporting; Oil Spill Prevention Control and Countermeasures (SPCC) and Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plans (SWPPP); NPDES Permitting; water quality modeling; process safety management; risk management compliance and auditing; and RCRA compliance.

Andrea is registered as a Professional Engineer in South Carolina. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical Engineering from Michigan Technological University.

Ruth Albright, P.E.

Vice President | Principal

Ruth has led projects for major industrial facilities throughout the Southeast and beyond. She built her knowledge of environmental regulations and their application to manufacturing operations while working for the second largest chemical manufacturing company in the United States. At SynTerra, she has expanded both her knowledge and reputation working for chemical manufacturing operations of all sizes. She has also worked extensively with other manufacturing operations, including pulp and paper, industrial equipment, pharmaceuticals, food, and automotive parts and assembly. Her experience includes air and wastewater permit compliance, solid and hazardous waste management, solid waste construction permitting, hazardous materials transportation, wastewater treatment systems, air pollution control equipment operations and maintenance, and ambient air monitoring systems.

Ruth is a professional engineer registered in South Carolina, North Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Virginia, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Michigan, Arkansas, and Kentucky. She is an active member of the South Carolina Chamber of Commerce Environmental Technical Committee and serves as the chair of the water subcommittee. She has previously served as the program and committee chair for the Greater Greenville Chamber of Commerce Environmental Affairs committee. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering from Clemson University.