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Tailings : managing for the future

Tailings and Mine Waste Conference (2015 : Vancouver, B.C.); University of British Columbia. Norman B. Keevil Institute of Mining Engineering

The need for a new approach to dealing with tailings is urgent. Concerns over the social and environmental effects of mining, as well as federal and provincial regulations and future amendments to the Metal Mining Effluent Regulations (MMER), are placing increasing pressure on the industry to reduce or mitigate their impacts. Development of cost-effective, next-generation solutions is needed. This requires investment in R&D and innovation. However, just spending on R&D is not enough: a clear path to implementation is required before the sought-after results of reduced cost of compliance and asset retirement liabilities can be realized. This requires integration across multiple participants in innovation cycles. The era of mining companies driving integration using internal R&D may be over. Companies must now outsource R&D. Canadian mining entities active in environmental R&D include Research and Technology Organizations, regulators, universities, environmental technology developers, service providers and industry associations. They operate independently or in partnership to coordinate and leverage funding for industry-defined R&D priorities; but improved integration and focus are necessary to deliver more effective outcomes. This review maps Canadian mining stakeholders along the supply chain that are actively involved in developing improved tailings handling and water treatment technologies based on needs of the industry.

Conference Paper

eng

Vancouver : University of British Columbia Library

10.14288/1.0314231

Applied Science, Faculty of; Mining Engineering, Keevil Institute of

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