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All minerals contain radioactive elements, from the uranium ores of the Gabon, which contained sufficient uranium to initiate a natural nuclear reactor, to the very low levels of some recent evaporites. The commonly occurring heavy minerals such as ilmenite, rutile and zircon are no exception to this and contain varying qualities of radionuclides, depending on the source. With recent changes in legislation many natural minerals may become officially classed as radioactive. Such moves can inhibit the sales and exploration of many minerals in the heavy minerals suite. The many negative perceptions associated with the word radioactivity can produce an over cautious reaction from regulators and users. This paper presents a method of managing the radioactivity issues associated with minerals such that the safety aspects of workers and public are not compromised, whilst allowing the commercial use of such minerals to continue in a sensible manner. The paper focuses mainly on the mineral zircon and its uses. However the legislation changes particularly in Europe and the USA have the potential to affect all minerals imported into or produced in those countries. The model developed for addressing the issues of zircon radioactivity may be readily applied to other minerals since legislation governing such matters is not mineral specific. There is a strong need for education of both regulators and users of minerals. Regulators are usually not aware of the specific properties or uses of individual minerals. Similarly mineral users are not aware of the radioactive nature of their materials or how to manage this property. The paper concludes by recommending strong cooperative action by both producers and users of minerals to protect the future of their industry.

Jan 1, 2001

Accident prevention in industry is a task as important to the ultimate result of an undertaking as efficient machines, good tools or trained operatives. In fact, like many qther phases of industry today, "Accident Prevention" or "Safety Organisation" has developed in this century, to a degree that is now acknowledged as an integral part of industrial thought and planning. This has not always been the case, as the following snap-shot picture of the past illustrates.The Broken Hill Proprietary Company recently celebrated at Whyalla the Jubilee of the opening of the Iron Knob Tramway. On that occasion a dinner was tendered to the pioneers, and in talking to the Writer of the early days one of the old gentlemen present could not refrain from recounting some of the accidents he had seen or experienced.Several such incidents were recounted at length, after each, the old fellow would say, "An' there weren't no safety officers or compensation in them days".The Broken Hill Proprietary Company Limited was a pioneer of safety in Australian industry and considerable success has followed its activity in this connection; the accident rate of the steel industry now compares satisfactorily with that of any other industrial undertaking. A measure of 'the success of the safety organisation, is, that in recent years, despite extensive construction programmes at various centres, and despite a heavy labour turnover, a decreasing accident rate has been maintained. This success, in the Writer's opinion, arises from the fact that by its early attention to plant protection, the introduction of safety standards and further through the interest and energy of departmental superintendents and foremen, the...

Jan 1, 1951

Water is an integral and essential part of mining business. Two issues crucial in the management of this resource, scarcity and excess, are increasing awareness of the importance of water and changing the value perceptions of the industry because they affect both the existence and continuation of the business. Therefore its value should be reflected in the water management that is practised on site. Historically water in mining has been perceived to be of low value so management practices have not been good or well implemented. Political and social transformation in South Africa has been accompanied by the promulgation of new legislation. South African water law is now underpinned by Integrated Water Resource Management (IWRM) principles. It impacts water pricing, provides for water pollution charges, prioritises water users, has specific mining and water related components and requires water licensing as part of the licence to mine. Mining no longer has a priority on water resources and has to compete with other water users to gain access to resources. New institutional arrangements are being put in place to implement the regulations. All this requires a paradigm shift in miningÆs view of water. Generally the sector is still catching up with the new requirements, principles and philosophies. However, the way in which South African mining values water is changing. This is demonstrated in partnerships between the industry and other water users. These partnerships are Integrated Water Resource Management (IWRM) in practice and they achieve sustainable development goals. These partnerships are essential for mining to stay in business, expand operational capacity, reduce impacts, prevent legal action and reduce reputational risks.

Jan 1, 2006

By Willis G. M

Preliminary experiments have shown that, when used in a fusedchloride electrolyte, titanium carbide anodes dissolve yielding lower titanium chlorides which nlay be electrolysed in situ to produce a cathode deposit of pure titanium metal. The anode residues are easily withdrawn from the cell. Further experiments have established the operating conditions for maximum efficiency in the process.The process is essentially two-stage, viz.: (1) titanium carbide production, (2) electrolysis producing metal. Power requirements appear to be moderate and this fact, combine·d with the simplicity of the process make it attractive as a possible method for the production of titanium.INTRODUCTIONDue to the high reactivity of titanium and its, affinity for oxygen and nitrogen, the extraction of this metal generally involves the use of halide. compounds as intermediates. For instance, magnesium reduction of titanium tetrachloride is the basis of the well established Kroll process and electrolysis of the lower chlorides in a molten salt bath has been proposed by Cordner and Worner (1951, p. 358) and others (Brenner and Senderoff, 1952, 223C; The TitaI Company (Inc.), 1952) as means of production of the metal. Thedifficulty of preparation of these compounds prompted a search for an alternative extraction process. The fact that aluminium, an equally reactive metal, has been prepared by electrolysis using aluminium alloy anodes suggested the possibility of a similar process for titanium production.The Titan Company (Inc.) (1952) has patented the use of crude titanium metal anode, but it was thought possible that a metallic compound, such as the carbide, could be used for this purpose. Although Lorenz and Kaufler (1909) suggested the use of carbide anodes for metal production, no...

Jan 1, 1956

North Broken Hill Limited came into prominence as a producing mine at· the commencement of the present century, when a great many of the disabilities experienced in earlier mining operations th:rough lack of adequate stope filling had been overcome.The northern or narrower ore-body was first mined in the upper levels and, in the early stages, no great difficulty in mining was experienced. In depth, under the influence of its northerly pitch,. the wide southern ore-body entered the North mine between the 400 and 500-ft. levels. Owing to its flat dip and the relatively weak nature of the hanging wall and footwall, the value of close filling was recognized and this policy has been followed throughout the life of the mine. This feature undoubtedly contributed to the freedomfrom "creep" action to which some of the older mines had been subjected.The Broken Hill lead-zinc-silver ore-bodies occur as well defined replacements of favou:rable horizons, in intensely folded Pre-Cambrian sedimentaries. In the North mine two main replacement zones occur, the Gre being found where the beds are involved in a certain set of minor folds. The resulting ore-bodies are roughly elliptical in cross-section, the long axis of one being north-east of, and somewhat offset from the long axis of the other. The ore-bodies pitch eastwards at 40° and dip northwards at 60° in a fairly regularmanner. The southern Ore-body has an average length of 700 feet and an average width of 90 feet with a maximum width of 230 feet, whilst the nonhern ore-body on the lower levels averages 500 feet long and 40 feet wide.

Jan 1, 1940

In Australia a social impact assessment (SIA) is generally required prior to the approval of a mineral resource extraction or processing projects as a part of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) process. In recent years there has been increased attention on the adequacy of the SIA process applied in major project assessment. Most applications have focused on the impact identification process with little attempt given to the community negotiating power over how impacts will be addressed. The impact assessment tends to occur at a single point in time, with no subsequent re-evaluation or ongoing social impact management and monitoring process. The assessments rarely specify how responsibilities for impacts on communities may be apportioned between project proponents and government, and have been inadequate in dealing with cumulative project impacts. In Queensland, concern about these shortfalls have led to the release of the Sustainable Resource Communities Policy 2008 and requirements for social impact management plans (SIMP) to be developed for each resource development in the State. In this paper a 'pressure-state-response' approach to impact assessment is used to develop an 'impact-response-monitoring-evaluation' (IRME) framework that can be applied to ongoing evaluation and monitoring of social impacts. The framework is applied to coal resource developments in the northern Bowen Basin in Queensland to identify core requirements in a SIMP. The IRME framework is flexible enough to be implemented at various spatial and time scales, for the wellbeing of the local and regional mining and non-mining communities in Australia. The framework can be further examined in other mine developments and could be integrated with the existing mining or environmental protection acts.

Jun 1, 2010

By G Steward

Gravity Leaching of high-grade gravity gold concentrates, such as Knelson Concentrates, with the ACACIA Reactor represents a new generation of concentrate treatment methods. The ACACIA Reactor is a complete packaged plant for the maximising of gold recoveries from gravity gold concentrates. This paper will introduce the process technology and provide process results from the Porgera ACACIA Reactor installation. The advantages of the ACACIA Reactor are many, and justification for installation has been varied. The typical advantages of the process include: increased recovery of gold from the Knelson Concentrate; no return of high-grade table tails, often grading several thousand g/t, into the mill circuit; reduction in tails grades of slow leaching gold; reduction in the requirement for operating staff by the removal of the manual tabling process and replacing with a fully automated treatment system; improved security by removing the tabling step where operating staff come into direct contact with visible gold; improved health and safety, by the removal of the treatment steps for the table concentrate, which often include operators handling corrosive chemicals and the production of sulphur and arsenic compound fumes; and improved metallurgical accounting, by allowing daily head grade calculations. The ACACIA Reactor was developed by Anglogold for Union ReefÆs Gold Plant and has been in production for over two years, and has proven to be a low cost, high recovery, mechanically reliable method for the processing of gold concentrates. Such has been the success of the plant, there are now four full installations of the processing plant, including Anglogold Union ReefÆs, Anglogold Sunrise Dam, PACMIN Carosue Dam and Porgera Joint Venture.

Jan 1, 2002

Stope filling practice on the Great Boulder Mine was described in -a paper published in Aus.I.M.M., Proceedings No. 137, in 1945. When the paper was presented the process had emerged from the experimental stage, most of the initial operating difficulties had been overcome, and it had been established that this method of filling was suitable for the working of ore bodies in the Kalgoorlie field: Since 1945, it has fulfilled its early promise, -and during 1947, the tonnage of fill placed was sufficient to cover current operating requirements as called for by the mine ore breaking programme. The object of this paper is to outline current operations. In so doing it will refer' to some ground covered by the previous paper, but will omit details of the initial experimental work. It will include, however, a description of further experimental work on the use of hydraulic filling for worked-out shrinkage stopes, arid will provide more accurate data on costs than were available previously.ESTIMATE OF TONNAGE OF FILL REQUIRED.Early in 1946, the mine ore reserves were analysed in order to estimate the relative tonnages to be mined per four-weekly period by shrinkage stope methods -and by cut and fill stope methods respectively. This analysis was extended beyond the blocks already prepared for stoping, and inclqded the majority of the major ore blocks in the mine ore reserves. It gave the following results:-For a mill tonnage of 28,000 tons per period, 6,933 tons were required from cut and fill stopes, and a possible future maximum programme of 35,000 tons per period would require...

Jan 1, 1948

In south-eastern King Island, sediments and lavas of possible Upper Proterozoic to Lower Cambrian age have been intruded by Lower Carboniferous granitic rocks.Within the contact aureole of the Bold Head adamellite north of Grassy the sediments and lavas have been metamorphosed to hornblende hornfels facies grade. The thermal gradient within the contact aureole was small, as the hornfelses exhibit no mineral zoning over a distance of 700 ft from the adamellite.Skarns occur both within the adamellite near its contact with the country rocks, and within the country rocks as partial replacements of three dolomitic limestone horizons. The latter type, the exoskarns, commonly have an andradite-salite mineralogy and carry economic concentrations of scheelite. These resulted from the replacement of carbonate beds due to both diffusion and infiltration metasomatism. Silica, tungsten, minor sulphides, and water were introduced from the adamellite, while aluminium and iron diffused from the enclosing pelitic sediments. Calcium released during marble replacement countered the loss of iron and aluminium in the pelitic hornfelses transforming them to diopside-rich rocks.Endoskarns within the adamellite are the result of two way diffusion across the contact; calcium, aluminium, and iron diffused from sediment to adamellite as silica, potassium, sodium, and water diffused from adamellite to the sediments. From estimates of the lithostatic pressure and mole fraction of CO2, the mineral assemblages of the hornfelses imply that the temperature of metamorphism lay between 530° and 710°C. This temperature range is in good agreement with minimum temperatures, between 610° and 710°C, for the recrystallization of the marbles of the contact aureole, calculated from the determinations of the solid solution of the magnesite molecule in calcite.

Jan 1, 1971

Efforts to stabilize international markets in commodities have gradually intensified during the course of this century in keeping with the grow- ing complexity and interdependence of the world economy and the increasing involvement of government in economic activity. Successive Australian Governments have con- sistently supported the concept of commodity agreements and arrangements in an effort to lessen short term fluctuations in price and to moderate the boom/bust conditions which tend to charac- terize production and trade in many commodities. The objective is to stabilize price at a level which equates supply and demand over the life of the arrangement. Such action involves a degree of market inter- vention and government involvement in the inter- national trade in the commodity concerned; the acceptability and desire to foster such arrange- ments varies from country to country depending upon attitudes to market intervention and man- agement. However attitudes, even among those opposing commodity agreements, have under- gone a major reversal in this century. Before the first world war, such intervention as existed almost entirely involved the physical producers. There was almost no government involvement and at that level most regarded commodity agree- ments as neither desirable nor practical. However government regulation of such activities as pro- duction and marketing of food during World War I, coupled with post-war shortages, followed by overproduction and the crash in prices during the Great Depression, stimulated producer gov- ernment interest in commodity market regulation. Consumer governments took a little longer and with a few exceptions, it was not until the post World War II period, that the fear of shortages of basic commodities brought some consumer countries to accept the concept.

Jan 1, 1978

By Juniper LA

ERM Consultants Pty Ltd was established in 1980 for the purpose of introducing a disciplined coal technology and power station planning service, to support Australia's efforts in establishing a major export steaming coal industry. At that time, major coal exploration programs were mounted on more than 50 potential export coal deposits with proven open-cut reserves to export 200 Mt/a of coal. The fact that Australia achieved an export trade of only 30 Mt/a, equivalent to the energy requirements for a population of around 5 million people, illustrates the very small achievement to date. The main reasons for this small export steaming coal growth have been: 1. Failure to convince potential overseas coal buyers of the benefits of coal-fired power generation, and the ability of proper power station design to overcome environmental problems, and achieve reliable operation and long life when burning Australian coals. 2. Failure to promote Australian power engineers to advise on the use of Australian coals, resulting in Northern Hemisphere power station experience dominating in market countries. 3. Failure of governments to draw on privately practising Australian power engineers and coal technologists in technical workshops, presentations and assistance to overseas countries, to ensure that personnel whose business it was to serve the follow-on needs of countries were readily available. The result of these failures has been that: 1. Only a fraction of prospective overseas coal-fired power projects have proceeded. 2. Australia has had no influence in the design of overseas power stations to ensure that potential customers would be confident that Australian coals could be reliably burnt in their boilers.

Jan 1, 1987

Comminution of solids is surely one of the oldest technologies which even in this day and age of DNAs, chips and space exploration continues to challenge our scientific acumen and engineering ingenuity. In essence, this challenge is two-fold. One, as much as three to four per cent of all electric power generated world-wide is consumed in crushing and grinding primarily because the utilisation of energy is woefully poor. Studies have shown that the efficiency of mechanical size reduction processes is of the order of 1.5 to 12 per cent only (Schoenert 1986). Two, with the grinding technologies available to us, we have, at best, inadequate and, at worst, almost negligible control over the shape of the comminuted particles, size dispersion of the ground mass, and the sharpness of mineral liberation. Low energy efficiency and lack of control in the sense mentioned above have far-reaching implications for resource conservation, performance of down stream unit operations, and damage to the environment. Our problem is in fact central to the mineral-energy resources triangle shown in Figure 1 which depicts the close interrelationships among mineral resources which are becoming poorer in content and more complex in mineralogy each day, energy resources which are depleting rapidly without any viable alternate on the horizon, and environmental concerns which can no longer be ignored. It is evident that any improvement in the efficiency of the comminution process impacts directly on the control of environmental damage, conservation of energy and the economics of the operation. These concerns have special relevance for the processing of non-ferrous ores.

Jan 1, 1992

Recent work has shown that, in at least some instances of regional metamorphism, metamorphic diffusion has been restricted to such relatively minute distances (of the order of 1.0 mm and much less), that there is no clear, direct evidence of prograde metamorphic mineral reactions, and that metamorphic equilibrium does not appear to have been attained through even very small domains.A number of stratiform orebodies and their immediate metapelitic environments exhibit very large, seemingly "disequilibrium", assemblages of regional metamorphic index materials. One such, in north-eastern Australia, includes laumontite, prehnite, chamosite, stilpnomelane and related hydrous iron silicates, primary chlorite, sericite-muscovite, epidote, actinolite, biotite, almandine, andradite, metamorphic hornblende and clinopyroxene, scapolite, staurolite and sillimanite, all within a 20 metres length of a single diamond drill core. In this and several related occurrences it appears that metamorphism has involved very small scale in situ transformation of pre-existing materials rather than large-scale diffusion and reaction, and hence that the observed metamorphic minerals have probably been derived directly from precursor materials of sedimentary/diagenetic origin.It is concluded that the fluctuating seafloor interplay between warm, acid, concentrated hydrothermal waters with cold, alkaline, dilute seawater during stratiform ore formation, together with diagenetic processes, leads to the formation of a wide range of clay, chlorite, mixed-layer clay and clay/chlorite, and zeolite precursor materials and hence, later, to the complex assemblages of metamorphic minerals closely associated with some stratiform ores. Commonly included in highly localized assemblages of this kind are various minerals which, in conventional regional metamorphic studies, are generally regarded as indicating widely different grades of metamorphism.

Jan 1, 1982

The paper covers the history and develop- ment of electrical and diesel-powered hydrau- lic percussion rock drills. It examines main design aspects and problems encountered in pro- ducing an efficient and reliable machine to fully cover the nominal hole sizes required for underground development, production drill- ing and for general quarry work. The main design features and advantages of a hydraulic rock drill are relatively low input power requirement to energy per blow (this being achieved by the use of an electric or diesel- powered hydraulic system) and a specially con- structed piston using a powered damper cylinder to absorb the recoil forces from the drill steel and reduce stresses on the drill, feed and hydraulic boom. A further important design feature is the anti-jamming device which controls the drill both during manual and automatic operation. This anti-jam device works on feed and rotation press and prevents the drill bit becoming jammed in broken or soft ground. These features and many other mechanical and environmental benefits are highlighted when comparing hydraulic percussion rock drills with current pneumatic machines. The hydraulic rock drill gives an overall high penetration and production rate, with an added bonus for ergonomy and environmental conditions such as lower noise level, no fogging from air and oil exhaust (which naturally gives better air for breathing),plus improved vision when in under- ground situations. Hydraulic rock drills and systems have been fully tested in many mines, quarries and contract sites during the past years. They h6! been improved and modified and are now provi~ to be very reliable and economical piece drilling equipment whò in mines and quarries.

Jan 1, 1978

By J Zeni

In 2001, the Springvale Coal Mine determined a requirement for a 360 m deep vertical airway to ventilate ongoing underground longwall mining operations. The project, referred to as the Springvale No 3 Ventilation Shaft, was completed in 2003 - 2004 by blind boring a 4.25 m diameter hole from the surface to the coal seam at 360 m depth. The shaft was completed with a 3.5 m inside diameter lining made from a continuous watertight steel and concrete composite pipe. Presented from both the clientÆs and the contractorÆs perspective, the following paper describes the process of constructing a blind bored ventilation shaft for this application. Beginning with the clientÆs definition of the requirements and specifications for the shaft, the paper describes the steps followed by Springvale Coal prior to awarding the contract. Springv aleÆs process involved a thorough site investigation including procurement of geotechnical data for prospective contractors and the management of issues relating to safety, quality and the environment. The clientÆs view is followed by a description of the planning and works performed by their nominated shaft drilling contractor, Ardent Underground Pty Ltd.The contractorÆs description of the works includes the details of the blind shaft drilling and lining construction process used for this application. The design of the shaft lining installed at Springvale Coal was the first of its type to be used in Australia. The successful installation of a watertight composite shaft lining and the safety of the method, which did not require any personnel to enter the shaft or the mine, were among the positive outcomes from the project.

Jan 1, 2005

By Hunter W. H, Wilson I. P, Craig R. W

In September 1988 the Imperial Smelting zinc - lead blast furnace at Avonmouth England, was uprated from its then 52 week annual rated capacity of 90 000 tonnes/year of furnace zinc to 110 000 tonnes. In order to provide sufficient extra feed the sinter plant was likewise uprated in April 1989 by increasing the blowing rate of the sinter/acid plants from 100 000 to 120 000 Nm3/h, effectively a 20 per cent increase. In the 12 months after the uprate zinc production was only 85 000 tonnes. Two years after the uprate zinc production had increased to 100 000 tonnes, but it was not until January 1992 that a rolling 12-month zinc production of 110 000 tonnes was consistently achieved. This paper describes the problems encountered with the uprate and how they have been or are being overcome. It deals chronologically with events starting with the restart of the ISF at the end of 1988 and covers the following issues and their resolution: 1. Initial shortages of sinter due to an offset in uprate timing. 2. Greater difficulties in operating the larger furnace particularly on start-up, the greater tendency for iron production and serious slagging problems. 3. Coincidental timing of deleterious trends in slag chemistry. 4. Refractory problems in the furnace shaft and condenser. 5. Shortages of sinter due to commissioning problems with the wet gas and sinter tip end fans, and difficulties in obtaining sufficient sinter hardness. 6. Unrealised full benefits of the sinter-acid uprate due to a late change in design to dispense with sinter gas recirculation, but offset by successful use of oxygen. In a planned maintenance stop in September 1992 further improvements to the furnace design were carried out to resolve the refractory problems, and with improvements to the sinter plant the furnace zinc output capacity is planned to rise to a rate of 120 000 tonnes/year within two years.

Jan 1, 1993

By J Harmse

This paper deals with the modernisation of the brakes on an electrically coupled Blair multi-rope hoist and covers the removal of the old calliper brakes and hydraulic control system, and its replacement with brake discs, disc braking units and hydraulic control systems. The paper covers the braking requirements of the hoist, which is made up of two electrically coupled single-drum hoists, together with the theory behind the choice of brakes and control systems supplied. The paper also covers the project logistics that were required in order to install and commission the new brakes and control systems with the minimum disruption to production on the only rock hoist on a major production shaft. Items covered include the modifications to civil works, pre-installation of bearing lubrication systems, brake discs and hydraulics and the interfacing of the new hydraulic control system to the existing electric control system. It had to be designed to be compatible to a new electric drive and control system due for installation at the end of 2005.

Jan 1, 2005

In this paper is given a description of the flotation plant recently erected by Broken Hill South Limited at the South Mine, Broken Hill, N.S.W. It has been built on the site of the old flotation plant, which was described in a previous paper published by the author. The present paper is supplementary to the former paper in that it replaced the following sections thereof, namely, those from end of the second paragraph, page 269, to the end of the first paragraph page 282, and from the end of the second paragraph, page 284, to the end of the third paragraph, page 302.The roll crushing, fine grinding, gravity concentration, filtration, disposal of products and sampling in the new plant are the same as described in the above mentioned paper.The reconstruction of the flotation section, described herein, completes the reconstruction and modernisation of the treatment plant which was begun in 1928. A description of these earlier alterations has already been published in the Proceedings of this Institute.

Jan 1, 1935

At Hilton Mine, 18 kilometres north of Mount Isa, the silver-lead-zinc sulphide bodies have undergone strong deformation in the form of folding and later faulting and brecciation in the hangingwall region of the mine. Variation in grades and widths over compara- tively short distances causes problems regarding accurate sampling of orebody exposures in underground development, and in defining confidence limits for the extrapolation of ore intersections in ore reserve calculations. The paper gives a preliminary insight into the problem of obtaining representative samples for exposed orebodies and discusses the sampling techniques employed. Results gained from these sampling methods could not be verified due to lack of individual bulk samples for comparison but strong evidence for precision was provided. INTRODUCTION In a developing mine like Hilton, accurate grade information is of extreme importance. Original grade information for a potentially viable ore deposit is gained from surface drilling, and initial ore estimates are calculated from the resultant ore widths and grades. After underground development has proceeded, the opportunity arises for detailed examination of orebody exposures, and the resultant assay grades and widths from sampling of these exposures may, in the long term,

Jan 1, 1976

By P Ritchie, E H. Briese, N A. Currey

Kidston Gold Mines, located in semi-arid North Queensland, Australia is currently in its closure phase. Highly innovative and comprehensive rehabilitation strategies were employed at the site, including the direct revegetation of the surface of the tailings storage; the construction of a tailings sediment entrapment pond; the construction of a spillway to drain large rainfall events from the surface of the tailings; the construction of store/release covers over the tops of the waste rock dumps; the sheeting with oxide waste rock of the waste rock dump slopes; the partial back-filling of the initial Wises Hill Pit with waste rock and thickened tailings produced from the subsequent Eldridge Pit; the partial flooding of Eldridge Pit following the end of mining; and the construction of wetland systems to treat contaminated tailings and waste rock dump seepage. These closure strategies involved the careful consideration of water management. Specific water management issues included understanding the water balance of the tailings dam; the operation of the tailings dam sediment entrapment pond and spillway; understanding the water balance of the store/release waste rock dump covers; the importance and sustainability of vegetation on the tailings, store/release waste rock dump covers, and on the sheeted waste rock dump slopes; the level and quality of water in the partially flooded Eldridge Pit; and the treatment of contaminated seepage in the constructed wetlands. The seasonal and highly variable rainfall experienced in this semi-arid climate posed a number of challenges for the management of water on the site post-closure. The paper details these challenges and highlights how they were resolved over the period leading up to and following the end of mining.

Jan 1, 2003