Mine

Award for innovative waste rock research
In February, Diavik’s waste rock research project, designed
to protect fragile northern environments, received a Synergy
Award for Innovation from the Natural Sciences and
Engineering Research Council of Canada.
Diavik site services and mine operations teams assisted
in constructing the large-scale test pile, while the
environmental team provided monitoring.
More than 100 people were involved in the study, including
seven principal investigators, three Diavik staff, 18 research
technicians, six doctoral fellows, more than 60 students, and
a research council program officer.
The research employed synchrotron X-ray spectroscopy and
advanced numerical models to study both biological and
geochemical processes.
Waste rock contains sulphide minerals that, when exposed
to air and water, can result in poor quality drainage. If not
managed properly, this can harm fish and aquatic life long
after the mine has closed.
At Diavik, waste rock is tested for sulphur, with higher
sulphur rock segregated and placed strategically within
the mine’s waste rock pile. A cover system for this rock has
been developed that takes advantage of the permafrost
environment to limit low-quality drainage.
Proud of our legacy to the North
Health, safety, and environment
The ten-year, active, on-site research project was completed
without a single safety incident. Diavik collaborated with
researchers and scientists from Waterloo, Alberta, British
Columbia, and Carleton universities, and the study resulted
in a better understanding of acid rock drainage, with
improved methods developed to predict its chemistry and
manage its environmental effects. It will also help other
mining companies worldwide to better understand waste
rock behaviour and develop mitigation strategies to better
protect the environment.
David Johnston, Governor General of Canada, presented
the award at Rideau Hall in Ottawa to the project team
which included Diavik’s Principal Adviser, Sustainable
Development, Gord Macdonald.
The research has been critical to verifying Diavik’s long-term
closure plan and in reducing its closure liability bond by
about C $40 million. The research benefits Diavik’s closure
planning and the knowledge gained is applicable to all mine
sites, particularly mines in northern environments.
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