Bob Kleinmann, Ph.D.

Significant Research Accomplishments

Bob Kleinmann organized and directed research on the control of acid mine drainage (AMD) while working at the U.S. Bureau of Mines and personally developed a method to control AMD at coal refuse piles by inhibiting iron-oxidizing bacteria with anionic detergents; he was awarded a U.S. patent for his method in February l982.

He played a major role in the development of passive treatment of acid mine water using constructed wetland ecosystems. As a direct result of this research, mining companies and reclamation organizations have constructed more than 1,000 of these passive treatment systems.

Other significant accomplishments include: the development of a static in-line aeration system for treatment of acid mine water, adaptation of surface geophysical and remote sensing techniques for locating sources of AMD, identification of limiting factors in the formation of AMD in coal refuse, an assessment study of AMD sludge disposal problems, and development of a practical method to control surface water infiltration into underground mines.

Bob has authored, co-authored, or edited more than 100 publications on mining environmental technology, and has organized and edited several books on related subjects.