Open Collections

Beyond Foundation Seepage : Hydrogeology, Seepage and GISTM

Tailings and Mine Waste Conference (2023 : Vancouver, B.C.); University of British Columbia. Norman B. Keevil Institute of Mining Engineering

The Global Industry Standard for Tailings Management (GISTM) and the associated Compendium (Oberle et al., 2020) contain numerous references to specific scientific streams that are required to inform the design, construction, operation, and management of tailings storage facilities (TSFs). These scientific streams include hydrogeology and geochemistry, both of which are essential in understanding the potential for migration of seepage downstream of the TSF. The migration of seepage from TSFs is a key driver in the long-term water quality in groundwater and surface water systems downstream of TSFs. This is due in part to the longer travel times for seepage travelling from the foundation via groundwater through relatively low permeability foundation materials to these receptors. This slow migration through groundwater has resulted in seepage issues in surface water late into the project life, or after the mining operations have ceased. This has resulted in a legacy of unmitigated seepage from some historical mining projects, an important contributing factor to the challenges of gaining social licence for new mining projects. Social licence is essential in developing new mining projects, particularly in Canada. The degree of hydrogeological understanding used to inform the design, operation, and management process for any TSF must address the potential downstream harm that has historically been associated with TSFs. The importance of collecting baseline hydrogeological and geochemical data during the early planning stages is highlighted to inform and positively contribute to the overall design of a new TSF. Methods for assessing the alignment of an existing facility with GISTM are also presented, considering the potential harm. Practical lessons learned from seepage from TSFs via groundwater at various mine sites, including the importance of TSF siting on seepage management, and how liners under waste can still result in elevated metal concentrations in groundwater, will be presented.

Text

2023-12-08

Attribution-NonCommercialNoDerivatives 4.0 International

http://hdl.handle.net/2429/86805

Unreviewed

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/