Annual Meeting Preliminary Program - Full Brochure (PDF) - SME

TECHNICAL PROGRAM
environmental:
Waste Management
2:00 PM • Wednesday, February 27
chairs: A. Simard, Golder Associates Inc., Lansing, MI
B. Reisinger, CH2MHill, Englewood, CO
2:00 PM
Introductions
2:05 PM
Cemented Tailings Backfill – Its Better, Now Prove it!
P. Moran 1 , J. Gillow 2 and L. Christoffersen 3 ; 1 ARCADIS U.S., Inc.,
Highlands Ranch, CO; 2 ARCADIS U.S., Inc., Highlands Ranch, CO
and 3 ARCADIS U.S., Inc., Highlands Ranch, CO
Although cemented tailings backfill is utilized at underground mining operations
around the world, there is limited guidance for appropriate geochemical characterization
methodologies and associated evaluation of post-closure mine water
quality. As a result, various approaches to simulating the leaching behavior of cemented
tailings backfill have been used, including some methods that are unlikely
to represent accelerated weathering under site-relevant conditions. Recently, efforts
to standardize the methods used to characterize backfill leachate quality
have included a modification of ASTM Standard Method C1308-08, which was
initially developed to assess constituent release rates from solid nuclear waste.
This paper provides an overview of the test methods that have been utilized in the
past and describes the ASTM Standard Method C1308-08 and associated modifications.
Site-specific information that should be taken into consideration prior to
initiating testing is described, including key variables such as cylinder preparation,
test conditions, and the analytical suite.
2:25 PM
Physical Model Testing and Mix Design for Surface Paste Disposal
of Lead-zinc Mine Tailings
A. Bascetin, S. Tuylu, D. Adiguzel and I. Binen; Mining Engineering,
Istanbul University, Istanbul, Turkey
Fine-grained tailings resulting from mining activities are an important environmental
concern. The conventional methods for disposal of mine tailings have
some environmental difficulties. Various methods have been developed for the solution
to this problem. One of the methods is the paste technology. In this method,
the environmental damages caused by the hazardous chemicals and tailings generated
during mining activities can be prevented. Tailings are usually sent back to
underground as paste backfill at the underground metal mining facilities, but usually
the amount of the tailings are relatively large when compared to the volume
of the underground cavities, thus its not always possible to dispose all of the tailings
underground. For this reason, a portion of the tailings must be stored above
the ground. To achieve a stable and environmentally friendly surface disposal system
some studies are need to be conducted. First, field conditions should be simulated
in laboratory environment to determine the proper disposal configuration. In
this paper, the physical model and the contents for optimum mix design for the
tailings obtained from a Lead-Zinc Mine in Balya, Turkey are shown.
2:45 PM
Dust Emissions From an Mine Tailing Impoundment Due to Dry
Freeze Conditions: Generation and Control
S. Vitton 1 , E. Seagrin 1 and T. Oommen 2 ; 1 Civil & Environmental
Engineering, Michigan Technological University, Houghton, MI and
2
Geological and Mining Engineering and Sciences, Michigan
Technological University, Houghton, MI
A significant amount of dust emissions from mine tailings impoundments occur
during dry times in the summer. In northern climates, however, significant dust
events also occur in the fall time of the year due to freezing events. The event is
generally referred to as a dry freeze event and occurs after a night in which the
tailings have frozen. During the night, however, the freezing process concentrates
the near surface water into ice lenses due to capillary action in the silt size material.
In the morning as temperatures raise above the freezing point of water, the
water in the ice lenses sublimate into a gas leaving mine tailings above (generally)
a frozen sub-layer and highly susceptible to dusting. Significant dusting events
have been documented. This paper will address research conducted at quantifying
the effects of dust generation from dry freeze events as well as control strategies.
Traditional dust control methods will be discusses as well as new program
investigating using microbes to control dust.
3:05 PM
Environmental Geochemistry of Revett Cu-Ag Deposits,
N.W. Montana
L. Kirk; Enviromin, Inc., Bozeman, MT
Two geochemically analogous stratabound Cu-Ag deposits, known as Rock
Creek-Montanore and Troy, are hosted within the Proterozoic Revett Formation
in N.W. Montana. Production is ongoing at Troy and NEPA analyses are again
underway for proposed operations at Rock Creek and Montanore, which have
been the focus of development efforts for over 20 years. Various methods have
characterized the environmental geochemistry of these deposits over time, results
of which have been compared between the deposits and with full scale geochemical
analogs at Troy. Rock to be mined from the Lower Revett at Rock
Creek and Montanore has highly consistent lithologic and mineralogic characteristics
that are very similar to the Upper Revett zone mined at Troy, where no
ARD is observed. The primary ore minerals at Troy and Rock Creek-
Montanore, chalcocite (Cu5FeS4), bornite (Cu2S), digenite (Cu2-xS), and covellite
(CuS), are encapsulated in quartzite and are non-acid generating. This presentation
will discuss the challenges of mining historical data and the use of field
scale geochemical analogs for prediction of future water quality within a basinwide
geochemical model.
3:25 PM
Mining Waste Treatment Technology Selection A Web Based
Approach for Remediating Mine Sites
P. Eger 1 , C. Baysinger 2 and S. Hill 3 ; 1 Global Minerals Engineering,
Hibbing, MN; 2 Missouri Dept. of Health and Senior Services,
Jefferson City, MO and 3 RegTech, Nampa, ID
Historic mining practices and the lack of mineland reclamation have led to sites
with significant environmental and human health issues. Typical remedial solutions
are often lengthy and expensive, and are unacceptable to the mining community,
the regulatory community and to the public. Innovative approaches and
technologies need to be developed and implemented that solve environmental issues
and remove existing regulatory barriers. The Interstate Technology and
Regulatory Council (ITRC) is a state-led, national coalition helping regulatory
agencies, site owners, and technology developers and vendors achieve better environmental
protection through the use of innovative technologies. The ITRC
mine waste has produced a web based guidance to help select technologies that
address a wide variety of mine waste issues. The guidance contains decision
trees, technology overviews, case studies (59), and identifies regulatory challenges.
The decision trees guide users to a set of treatment technologies, which
are described in a technology overview. Each overview includes information to
help users decide how well the technology may fit their particular site and remedial/reclamation
goals.
3:45 PM
NORM-TENORM Waste Management Issues
T. Wood; Shaw Environmental & Infrastructure, Inc., Centennial, CO
NORM-TENORM issues related to scale in water pipe have been a concern.
The disposal of waste metals has often included recycling and resale of scrap
metal for reuse. The occurence of scale or residual minerals that may have inadvertantly
concentrated naturally occuring radioactive trace minerals can be classified
as NORM or TENORM depending on the State involved. Disposal of low
levels of waste form mining operations can be challenging and involved many
different regulatory issues. This paper will review the general issues related to
this problem anbd will outline a case study from a specific operating mine.
(Details pending approval.)
This is the Technical Program as of September 1, 2012. IT IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE.
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Please see the Onsite Program for final details.