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By R. L. Grayson, N. P. Reddy, D. A. Kinzler, S. Yuan, W. R. Myers, R. A. Wells

An examination was conducted on the impact of roof conditions and the mining cycle in determining a representative respirable mass concentration at the mid-shearer location on a longwall panel. Multiple personal gravimetric dust samplers, operated at a flow rate of 2.0 lpm, were used at different locations along the face to isolate the concentrations and variances associated with good and bad roof conditions under both the cutting and cleaning mode of operation. The number of samples needed to estimate the population variance at a given confidence level was analyzed. In addition, the statistical analysis showed that the coefficient of variation of dust concentrations at different locations and under different conditions ranged from 0.185 to 0.475, with an average value of 0.283. The estimates of the average dust concentration for a shift and the variance of the dust concentrations were calculated. A total of 48 data points were available for an [a x b] factorial ANOVA (analysis of variance). The estimates of the variance components were determined. The results from F-tests indicated that both the roof conditions and mining operations had a significant effect on the respirable dust concentration. There was no significant interaction effect between mining operations and roof conditions. In conclusion, this study shows that not only should sampling and analytical errors be considered in determining the required number of samples for a good estimate of the long-range exposures of miners, but also fluctuations of concentrations due to mining operations and geological conditions should be taken into account.

Jan 1, 1991

By Jerome F. Machamer

Ninety percent of manganese is used as an alloying element in steel. Smaller amounts are used in dry-cell batteries, in aluminum and bronze alloys, and many other uses. The element has several oxidation states, and oxidation-reduction reactions control its chemical behavior. Manganese, in primary minerals such as rhodochrosite, rhodonite, and braunite, is in a divalent oxidation state, and manganese in secondary minerals, such as pyrolusite and cryptomelane, is in a quadrivalent state. Virtually all manganese ore production comes from three types of sedimentary manganese deposits. First, lenticular beds of manganese carbonate or carbonate-silicate rock in Early Precambrian volcano-sedimentary complexes in South America and Africa have been major sources of manganese ore. Second, laterally extensive beds of mangano-silicate and manganiferous carbonate minerals in certain banded iron formations are major sources of commercial ore and constitute the largest resource of manganese. Finally, manganese accumulations deposited in marginal to epicontinental basins are the largest source of current manganese ore production. Residual deposits resulting from the destructive weathering of rocks with a low manganese content have been, but are no longer, important sources of manganese ore. Most deposits have been altered to some extent by super- gene oxidative processes, and are economic because of that alteration. Outcrops of manganese ores are invariably oxidized and can be very deceiving as to the character of the underlying material. Nearshore facies of epicontinental basins, and nearshore age-equivalents of metalliferous black shales are among the targets for new manganese exploration. Very high-grade manganese occurs in sedimentary deposits altered by metamorphic and metasomatic processes.

Jan 1, 2001

By Ian M. Loomis, Malcolm J. McPherson

A fuel-rich fire exists when the quantity of fuel exceeds the oxygen available to support complete combustion. The transition of a mine fire from Oxygen- rich to Fuel-rich combustion, at this time, represents a point-of-no-return in the fire fighting efforts. Once the transition has been made to fuel-rich the fire can spread at a rate 6 to 10 times as fast as in the oxygen-rich state. Utilizing available technology the fire fighters are left to seal the fuel-rich fie as the only technique to extinguish it. In order to minimize the devastating effects of a fuel- rich fire it is important to understand the means by which the fire becomes fuel-rich and by what means the fire may be returned to an oxygen-rich state. This paper covers: the development mechanism of a fuel- rich fire in a coal mine entry and the physical and chemical effects of applying water to a fire. Experiments concerning these matters have been conducted in a 30 cm square wind tunnel constructed at the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University as a model coal mine entry. This paper also addresses the results obtained in testing application of a water mist to fuel-rich fires in this model. These tests have centered on the development profile of a fuel-rich fire in a duct and demonstrate a means of regaining control of a fuel-rich fire by returning it to an oxygen-rich state.

Jan 1, 1995

By Terry P. McNulty

During the last 30 years, at least ten authors have dealt with startup ("ramp-up') times for minerals beneficiation, hydrometallurgical, and/or pyrometallurgical plants. Most have attempted to identity the reasons for delays and some have suggested attributes common to successful startups, as well as those shared by unsuccessful ones. The most recent has advanced a project characterization matrix as a predictive tool for qualified users. This paper will summarize past work, will review cause and effect, will outline an approach for refining our ability to avoid costly delays, and will seek guidance from professionals most likely to use such a tool. INTRODUCTION During the last few decades, many billions of dollars have been lost by investors in mineral industry projects that did not perform as well as their developers had hoped. The most common form of failure has been the inability to generate a profit quickly, and delayed achievement of planned production rate has been the chief cause. Minerals processing projects are by no means the only kind of plant to suffer from startup delays, as some authors cited in this paper considered inorganic chemical plants and other types of facilities. Furthermore, mines are not without fault and there have been many that were closed after years of disappointing performance. However, our interests as a group are most sharply focused on mineral processing and our database for such projects is relatively extensive. It is sufficient to say that the conclusions made or repeated in the following text can be readily extended to most types of projects.

Jan 1, 2004

By Ora H. Rostad

The sequence of events preceeding the discovery of the Mount Emmons molybdenite include some inadvertent near misses by several groups. The events are given in general chronological order to bring out the essentially contemporaneous, but different activities by several groups in two areas on opposite sides of Mount Emmons. The Mount Emmons molybdenite deposit lies in the Elk Mountain mining district. The west edge of the deposit is near the boundary between the Elk Mountain and Ruby mining districts as shown by the USGS map included (see Fig. 1). Considerable history regarding the Keystone silver-lead-zinc mine is given because of its proximity to the Mount Emmons molybdenite deposit which is on the other side of the mountain from Redwell Basin and where other significant activities took place. It should be noted that there was no documentary evidence available to me that would indicate that molybdenite was recognized to be present on, or under, any part of Mount Emmons, including Redwell Basin, before 1970. Veins containing silver-lead-zinc minerals were discovered in the Elk Mountain and Ruby mining districts about 1872. Some discoveries on the south flank of Mount Emmons about 1880 were developed into the Keystone mine. The Keystone has the largest cumulative production of metal ores of any of the mines in these districts. Most of the 413 Mt (455,473 st) of ore produced from the Keystone mine through August 1967 was produced after 1950. The ore averaged 175.4 gt (5.64 oz per ton) Ag, 2.62% Pb, 5.56% Zn, and 0.72% Cu.

Jan 1, 1991

By T. P. Lim, A. J. Vivyurka, N. K. Davé

Chemical and radioisotope stratification studies were carried out in an abandoned uranium tailings pile at Elliot Lake, Ontario, Canada. The tailings, with an average thickness of 7 m over an area of 16 hectares, were deposited approximately 20 years ago on a layer of black peaty material which overlays deposits of permeable glaciofluvial sands. Geohydro-chemical investigations of this tailings area have been ongoing since 1978. The radioisotope profile study was conducted on three adjacent sites. Solid core samples, collected with a split spoon sampler at various depths, were analyzed for various chemical and radioisotope constituents. The results indicated by 2 distinct zones of stratification; an upper zone, where the constituents were uniformly distributed, and a lower zone, near the peat-tailing interface, which showed increasing concentration with depth. Within the peat layer, the concentration decreased rapidly with no significant levels of contaminant penetration below the peat layers observed, though the samples were limited. The pH profile showed that the top 5 m of the tailings have been oxidized, the average soil pH in this zone was 3.4 compared to 5 .8 underneath it. The groundwater hydrology of the system was observed to be complex showing downward and lateral flow in the dry season and lateral and upward flow during the spring and periods of heavy rainfall. The results are discussed in terms of a model based on the combined segregation and settling process of the tailings fine fraction, and the geohydro-chemical interaction of the solid and liquid phases.

Jan 1, 1981

By J. F. T. Agapito, R. R. Goodrich

Yield pillars have been used for many years to help reduce stresses near mine openings and improve roof and floor stability. A yield pillar is often defined as a pillar that fails but retains residual strength. Stress transfer occurs through the roof and floor after the peak strength of the pillar is reached. High stresses are transferred from around the openings onto abutments that can be barrier pillars or unmined ground. This mechanism, often referred to as pressure arching, is possible as long as the width of yield pillar mining (panel width) is less than the critical width above which stresses cannot be carried by the overburden. Significant stress transfer also can occur due to small amounts of pillar and/or floor yielding before the peak strength is reached. This is accomplished in a quasi-elastic manner with little or no visible roof and pillar fracturing or floor heave. Long-term stability may be achieved when stresses and mechanical properties are favorable to prefailure yielding. This paper gives practical examples where improvements in stability and resource recovery were achieved with this mechanism. Yielding was assessed by comparing measured and calculated vertical pillar stresses. Results indicated that calculated stresses in the pillars were 25% to 40% higher than the measured stresses, demonstrating significant arching load transfer to the abutments. Prefailure yielding is probably often present but unintentional in both development and production areas. Better recognition and use of this mechanism should lead to design improvements, as mines become deeper.

Jan 1, 2003

By L. F. Barrett, D. E. Cameron, J. C. Wilson

Exploration by Anaconda Minerals Co. in the Rico area from 1978 through 1983 resulted in dis¬covery of the Silver Creek molybdenum deposit. The drill-indicated resource is 40 Mt (44 million st) of 0.31% Mo, and projections suggest that the deposit may exceed 182 Mt (200 million st). No source intrusion has been intersected by drilling, but its presence is sugested by intramineral silicic alkali-alaskite porphyry dikes observed at the surface and in drill holes. Age dates and fluid inclusion studies indicate that the deposit was formed 5.2 ± 0.2 m.y. ago and that more than 1200 (3937 ft) of cover has since been removed by erosion. The deposit is hosted by Precambrian quartzite and greenstone, and Paleozoic sediments. Three prominent faults intersect in the vicinity of the molybdenum deposit, and one of these, the Last Chance fault, strongly influenced the shape and location of the deposit. The juxtaposition of host rocks across the Last Chance fault reflects significant offset spanning at least three different periods. Wallrock alteration associated with the deposit includes potassic, phyllic, and propylitic zones in noncalcareous rocks and garnet and anhydrite-diopside zones in the carbonates. All +0.2% Mo mineralization is within the potassic and garnet zones. Premineral faults that intersect the deposit contain the only surface molybdenum, tungsten, and fluorine anomalies. Dispersion halos of the indicator elements were defined by drilling in the discovery phase of exploration, and are particularly well-developed in the hanging wall of the Last Chance fault.

Jan 1, 1987

By Michael C. Newbury

For thousands of years gold has been not only a commodity, valued for its comparative scarceness, immutability and homogeneity but also a medium of exchange which has no nationality. Approximately 90% of the gold produced is still accessible in the world, although some of it in museums, galleries, jewellery and dental work is not immediately available for circulation. The majority is held as bars by central banks for their reserves; the balance circulates as coinage or bullion held for investment. The value is further enhanced by the political aspect that gold cannot be debased as paper currency can and, therefore, it always becomes an investment refuge. It has always been possible to buy and sell gold at a price which is readily established by reference to bullion's weight and purity; and it is this fact which makes a loan denominated in gold, rather than one in currency, a viable alternative means of finance. The purpose of this paper is to discuss some general aspects of what is considered to be one of the more effective and presently popular methods of financing the development of a gold mine - the gold loan. This is not intended to discuss all the minute details which must be uniquely designed to fit each individual situation, but rather to provide general guidelines. You will all be aware of the traditional sequence whereby companies primarily finance exploration work by the raising of equity through the sale of shares to the public or by that unique Canadian form.

Jan 1, 1987

By Mark A. Anderson

INTRODUCTION The accomplishment of a well engineered design, and the realization of efficient plant operation cannot be achieved without weaving a web of safety consciousness from the beginning of the project. When the plant becomes operational, and throughout its life, responsibility safety will rest with the client or operator. Recognition of this understanding does not reduce the importance of the engineering and construction contractor's role, but merely puts the responsibility where it belongs. A project which has had little or no operator input during the early stages of design is almost certain to have serious work place safety, health, and environmental problems in spite of the fact that all MSHA and OSHA design requirements were met and the engineering was performed using accepted practices. DEFINITIONS The author has a personal preference in safety definitions that begins and ends with simplicity. If the safety criteria, program, and rules are confusing or complex, the results will soon become obvious. Confusing and complex are the key elements in the avoidance of responsibility and if punitive is added to the list, a brew exists which breeds accidents, illness, and poor performance. A safely designed and operated plant is one that a worker can journey to each day; leaving that person and his or her family with the above average expectation that the person will return healthy, emotionally intact, and hopefully a little wealthier. If the objective or results of a planned or existing safety program don't fit the definition. then the reader is probably contemplating a very sophisticated

Jan 1, 1986

By R. N. Chakravorty

It is well established that coal can react with oxygen in air at ambient temperature and as a result heat is produced. If the heat is not fully dissipated the temperature of the coal mass will increase, thereby enhancing the rate of oxidation with a greater production of heat. If this phenomena continues, the coal mass can ignite under favourable heat accumulation conditions. A number of mine fires are caused each year due to this phenomena, commonly known as spontaneous combustion. The early detection of spontaneous combustion is of prime importance to mining engineers since any fire which could be detected at an early stage may save the mine from considerable damage and subsequent loss of production. Obviously, there is no single general criteria by which one can assess whether the under- ground mining of a coal seam will result in liability to spontaneous combustion. This has made it imperative to develop systems for the early detection of heating and to follow its development. In recent years considerable advances have been made in the design and development of methods for the early detection of spontaneous combustion. The Mining Research Laboratories (CANMET) is presently investigating the problem of spontaneous combustion in coal mines with Kaiser Resources Ltd. at their hydraulic mine at Sparwood, B.C. on a co-operative basis, and some of the work was described earlier in the Canadian Institute of Mining & Metallurgy Bulletin (1,Z). This paper summarizes and updates the work done by CANMET on the detection of spontaneous combustion in coal mines.

Jan 1, 1980

By John Frostiak, Don Welch, David Landriault

The use of paste technology for underground cemented backfill is widely accepted in the mining industry today as a potentially cost effective alternative to cemented rock and hydraulic slurry fill. While paste backfill is not the appropriate backfilling method for all mines, there are presently 23 operating tailings paste backfill plants throughout the world. This new technology has gained increasing acceptance as a backfill method over the last decade and its use is now expanding into the surface disposal of tailings using the stacked, thickened tailings disposal concept. Over the next 18 months there will be ten new paste plants commissioned in the world. Five of these ten plants will be used exclusively for surface tailings disposal or a combination of surface disposal and underground backfill production. The thickened tailings disposal concept, developed by Dr. Eli Robinsky in the early 1970's, has been in use for decades at several mine sites throughout the world (Kidd Creek Mine site in Northern Ontario), but always utilizing non segregating high density tailings slurry central discharge, stacked tailings placement. With the use of a higher solids content paste, the typical 2-degree beach angle can be increased to ten degrees or more with no runoff water and minimal shrinkage crack development through desiccation. This paper presents the design of the first mine to implement true surface paste disposal, Barrick Gold Corp's Bulyanhulu Mine in Tanzania. The paste system will be commissioned in the first quarter of 2001 allowing performance data to be collected to define the full potential of paste technology for surface tailings disposal.

Jan 1, 2001

By Brenda B. Mehnert

Long-term monitoring is necessary to successfully develop predictive subsidence models. Thus, the Illinois Mine Subsidence Research Program (IMSRP) has documented subsidence over a longwall mine in south-central Illinois throughout a 3-year period. No monitoring results of this duration have been previously published for longwall mining in Illinois. To study the effects of surface subsidence and the rate of subsidence, precise level surveying was conducted at the site two or three times a year. Level surveys were conducted at approximately the same time of year using a WILD NA-2 level with a micrometer. Second-Order, Class-I, closure errors were obtained in each survey. Survey monuments were designed to minimize frost-induced movements. At this particular site in southern Illinois, subsidence over chain pillars and the panel centerline continued 3 years after mining. Since mining in 1988, 6.67 feet of subsidence or 70% of the extracted height has been documented over the panel centerline, with almost 0.30 feet in the last two years. The area over the chain pillars has subsided a total of 1.44 feet, with 0.44 feet occurring within the last 2 years. Monitoring over the chain pillars and at the centerline shows the residual subsidence to be fairly uniform. Monitoring is continuing over both of these areas. Long-term monitoring data can be used to improve evaluation of subsidence effects on land and structures. However, coal companies will time mitigation activities depending on other factors including the threshold of structural damage, type of repair needed, and maintenance of landowner and company relations.

Jan 1, 1986

By Donald D. Born

Mine No. 95 is located in Harrison County about 5 miles west of Shinnston, WV, with coal properties covering the northwest corner of Harrison County and the southwest corner of Marion County and with adequate Pittsburgh seam reserves to support the mine for many years. The mine was opened in 1967 and was planned, projected and operated as a room and pillar mine. It is located on a spur branch of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, has rail loading facilities and shipped by rail during its development stage. In 1972 it was converted to a mine mouth power station supplier and now transports coal by conveyor belt directly to the Harrison Power Station of Allegheny Power System. In 1971 the first longwall unit was installed in a selected area of the mine and immediately an orderly system of planning was developed to overcome the restrictions associated with longwall mining. The first was the development of the technique necessary for the plugging of abandoned oil and gas wells that existed in the area. With the assistance of the Morgan- town Energy Research Center of the Bureau of Mines, this restriction was overcome and thus opened a great potential for longwall mining in northern West Virginia. Other restrictions that had to be considered for longwall planning were dwellings and other improvements, snap top zones, water courses, and adequate bleeder systems, and the handling and treatment of mine drainage. In 1975 the second longwall unit was installed and soon therefore became a total longwall mine.

Jan 1, 1986

By Joseph R. Hatch

Previous studies of the Thompson and Temperly ore bodies show alteration aureoles in the Middle Ordovician host-rock limestones, dolomites and shales extending laterally as much as 60m from the ore. Thickness, texture, carbonate and clay mineralogy, major-, minor-, and trace-element contents; and carbonate carbon and carbonate oxygen Isotope compositions of the host rocks all have been significantly altered by hydrothermal processes. Organic geochemical analyses of samples from the basal 8-cm-thick carbonaceous shale bed and immediately overlying limestone bed of the Quimbys Mill Member of the Platteville Formation, collected from within the ore, the alteration aureole, and the unaltered country rock show: 1) solution of carbonates and residual concentration of organic matter, 2) decreases in the volatile (Si) and pyrolytic (S2) hydrocarbon yields In samples of the basal shale from within the ore, 3) decreases in the relative amounts of the lower molecular weight (<nC25) saturated hydrocarbons in samples from the ore, and 4) no changes in either the organic carbon isotope composition or the Rock-Eval or biomarker thermal maturation Indicators. In light of the 125-170°C depositional temperatures documented for the early marmatitic sphalerltes in these deposits by fluid Inclusion studies, the lack of thermal alteration of the organic matter suggests a relatively short mineralization episode, a conclusion supported by the relatively simple sphalerite band stratigraphy. The decreases in the volatile and pyrolytic hydrocarbon yields for shale samples from the ore supports a model for mineral deposition which obtains sulfide through reaction of brine sulfate and indigenous organic matter.

Jan 1, 2013

By L. Whitby-Costescu

The Shebandowan mine and concentrator, with a capacity of 9072 t/week (10,000 st per week), was opened in 1972 after several years of environmental study and planning. The mine is located in a popular vacation cottage .area about 96 km (60 miles) west of Thunder Bay, Ontario. Undertaken before environmental assessment procedures had become an established requirement, Shebandowan is one of the first Canadian examples of effectively integrating environmental work into overall planning. Although it is an underground mine, many of the environmental considerations are common to open-pit operations, and hence, it provides a case history for the use of all mine planners. Computers can play a part in such studies by simulating the annual production of mine wastes, by on-line polling of environmental sensors and by processing sensor data. Early attention was focused on establishing base-line conditions in a two-year water quality monitoring program. Since production began, water quality monitoring has shown that mining has not caused any significant changes. However, mine drainage disposal arrangements had to be modified in the light of operating experience. There is no townsite associated with the mine, and workers commute from established municipalities. Harmonious relations have been achieved with local cottage residents after their initial fears were dispelled. Plans are ready to begin revegetating the tailings when a sufficient area of dry elevated tailings has been accumulated. Rehabilitation of the land disturbed during development was begun before start-up and was completed during initial operations.

Jan 1, 1979

By K. L. Myers, R. Espell, C. Deringer

Construction of the AA Pad reclamation was completed in the fall of 2000. Seeding of the ET cover began in the late fall of 2000 and continued through May of 2001. On Saturday afternoon, June 1, 2002, a large, very localized thunderstorm struck the reclaimed AA Pad site. Eyewitnesses present at the time described a dark storm cloud parked above the site for less than half an hour. Average rainfall intensity was measured to be 122 mm (4.8 inches) per hour and peak rainfall intensity was estimated to be 213 mm (8.4 inches) to 259 mm(10.2 inches) per hour. At the time of the storm, the construction was less than two (2) years old and the vegetation had only a single season of growth. The entire period from the end of construction until the date of the storm was a drought period with below normal precipitation. Other than a few small snowmelt events, there was no precipitation event large enough to produce any significant flow in the channel network. Therefore, the very first significant runoff event was the extreme event of June 1, 2002. The storm essentially represents a large-scale field test of the design concepts used at the AA Pad site. Shortly after the storm, data was collected and analyzed with the intent of learning as much as possible about the performance of the cover system design with the expectation that the newly acquired knowledge might be utilized in future designs to further improve the performance of similar cover systems during extreme events.

Jan 1, 2003

By T. N. Moore, E. M. De Souza

J. Dasher Regarding the March 1991 ME technical paper by De Souza and Moore: For more than a decade since my February 1981 article on how to use modern metric, which SME-AIME had decided to do, I have monthly pointed out metric errors to the editors. In part, I do this because there has been no action to allow editors to fix figures and tables or to allow them to require authors to do so. The latest resulting atrocity provokes this discussion of vibrating drill handle units being stated in decibels. Reply by T. Moore We have read the discussion of our paper by Mr. Dasher. Our reaction is one of surprise and incredulity. It would seem that Mr. Dasher takes exception to the use of the decibel scale to present vibration acceleration data, and the use of hertz as the unit for frequency. The basis for his objection to the decibel appears to be that it has no dimensions (which somehow invalidates its use), that it is "non-metric" and, finally, that it is parochial (of limited or narrow scope). His objection to the use of the term hertz is not stated, but we will assume that it stands condemned as "non-metric" and parochial. Obviously we disagree with Mr. Dasher&apos;s views and will now outline our reasons. Although the decibel scale originates from transmission line theory and telephone engineering, it is also at present widely used, not only in the fields of electronic engineering and acoustics, but also in the area of vibration. The original definition of the decibel (dB) was based on power ratios: dB = 10 log 10(W/W0) where Wo is a reference power. However, as the power measured across a given impedance is related to the square of the force acting upon this impedance, Z, a more commonly used definition is: [2 dB = 10 logF /Z) = 20 log F/F 10\ F0 2 /Z(0)] where F and F0 are the r.m.s. values of the forces. Now, if the measurements are related to one and the same impedance, the decibel notation in the form of 20log10(X/Xo) may be used as a convenient relative magnitude scale for a variety of quantities. Thus, X may, for instance, be an r.m.s. displacement, velocity or acceleration. It is only required that XD always be a reference quantity of the same type as X. That is, when X represents an acceleration, then X0 represents a reference acceleration. This is the formulation used in our paper. This was not an arbitrary choice on our behalf but reflects standard practice as specified in the International Standard ISO 5349-1986(E) Mechanical Vibration - Guidelines for the Measurement and the Assessment of Human Despite the metric prefix, the decibel is a parochial expression of (l) the logarithmic ratio of the loudness of a sound to what is normally audible or (2) the logarithmic ratio of two power signals in radio or electronics. A decibel is not a unit, much less an SI, unit and has nothing whatsoever to do with the acceleration of drill handles. Stating that m/s2 (acceleration) is decibels is without reason. Whoever reviewed this material should not have allowed publication of figures of dB and H.[ ] Exposure to Hand-Transmitted Vibration. This was clearly stated in the "measurement protocol" section of our paper. This quantity is then referred to as the acceleration level and is expressed in dB. We may have inadvertently caused some confusion when we simply used the term acceleration to refer to acceleration level on our diagrams. At the time, we felt the use of dB or m/s2 would make the context clear to the reader. For any confusion this decision may have engendered, we apologize. Since the decibel expresses the ratio of two like quantities, it certainly has no dimensions. It is, however, common practice to treat "decibel" as a unit as, for example, in the sentence, "The acceleration level measured at the operator&apos;s hand was 160 dB." The expression of measured quantities in dimensionless form is not inherently unacceptable. In fact, in many areas of engineering it is standard practice (consider the use of Reynolds Number, Nusselt Number, etc.). The fact that the decibel is a dimensionless quantity makes the question of whether it is a SI unit nonsensical. However, it is valid to insist that the dimensional quantities used to obtain the decibel values be expressed in SI units. A careful reading of our paper will make it clear that the measured acceleration was, in fact, expressed in units of m/s2 as was the reference acceleration (l x 10-6 m/S2). These are the accepted derived SI units for acceleration. See, for example, the standard ASTM E380-89a Standard Practice for Use of the International System of Units (SI) (The Modernized Metric System). Concerning Mr. Dasher&apos;s implication that hertz (Hz) is an unacceptable unit of measure for frequency, we would again refer him to the standard ASTM E380-89a. Here, he will find (section 2.4.2) that hertz is an accepted "special name" for the derived SI units-1. This is in keeping with numerous other international standards including ISO 5349-1986(E) to which we referred in our paper. In conclusion, we agree with Mr. Dasher on the desirability of expressing measurements in modern SI units. But we would remind him that the standards that define the use of these units, and the accepted means of presenting measured data, are in a continual state of refinement. It is, therefore, incumbent upon him to keep abreast of these changes if he wishes to constructively critique the work of others.[ ]

Jan 1, 1992

By Jacek Galas, Stanislaw Lenczowski

The image of the flotation froth surface in the mineral processing plant contains the information about its composition. This information can be very useful for a technological process automation. Images, captured in the optical part of the measurement system were read by the computer, then were transformed and analysed digitally. The set of image parameters, extracted from an image transforms, was evaluated by statistical analysis. The recognition algorithm constructed in this process allowed to estimate the froth composition.

Jan 1, 1995

By H. G. Stephenson, D. Castendyk

Open pit anthracite mining at the Canmore Creek Mines, Canmore, Alberta, south of Banff National Park, resulted in several pit lakes by the early 1970’s. To enable future mining opportunities in the Rocky Mountains, operators decided to reclaim the site into a non-polluting landscape which would provide a memorable outdoor experience for residents and visitors alike, and would preserve wildlife habitat. Reclamation began with the stabilization and revegetation of spoil piles adjacent to Canmore Creek, and the backfilling and revegetation of Canmore Creek Mines No. 1 and 2 to create “Salamander Pond.” The company dammed the outlet of an open pit at Canmore Creek Mine No. 3 to raise the water level and create Quarry Lake. Reclamation concluded in 1980 when the Town of Canmore took ownership. Quarry Lake is now the centerpiece of 293-acre Quarry Lake Heritage Park, a popular destination for swimming, hiking, and fishing, visited by about 400 people on summer days. The Alberta Environment Conservation Authority described this as “The best mine reclamation in Western Canada.” Quarry Lake is an exceptional example of walk-away, pit lake closure, where the mining company created a valued post-mining asset and was released from future liabilities. INTRODUCTION One of the most important environmental issues associated with contemporary open pit mining is the closure of mine pit lakes, and the perpetual legacy these lakes can potentially generate. Ideally, successful pit lake closure includes the following: (i) the water quality within the pit lake, plus surface water and groundwater discharging from the pit lake, meets pre-mining, or other acceptable water quality conditions of the receiving environment, (ii) the termination of all active treatment processes, (iii) the return of the pit lake to the government for long-term care and maintenance, (iv) the release of the mining company from all future liabilities associated with the pit lake, (v) the return the environmental bond to the mining company, and (vi) the reuse of the pit lake for some post-closure, beneficial purpose. The achievement of these goals is known as “walk away, pit lake closure.” Peer-reviewed, publications of successful walk away, pit lake closure provide mining companies the ability to address public concerns regarding the safety of pit lakes which commonly occur during the permitting, operations, and closure phases of mining. To date, most published work on walk away, pit lake closure work has occurred in the coal mining sector in Germany and Australia (McCullough et al., 2009; Jones and McCullough, 2011; Kumar et al., 2013; Schultz et al., 2013). However, in North America, examples of walk away, pit lake closure are not widely discussed in the literature despite there being excellent examples from the coal mining sector in Alberta, Canada (e.g. Pleasure Island, Black Diamond, East Pit, Sphynx, Robb, Lovette, Siltstone, and Sterling), and from the iron mining sector in Minnesota in the United States (e.g. Portsmouth Lake, see MNDNR, 2018). Although seldom included in discussions of pit lakes from the metal and coal mining sectors, the aggregate and fabricated-stone mining sectors also produce pit lakes, and there are numerous examples throughout North America where these pit lakes have been successfully closed and transformed into post-mining resources. The difficulty of finding these good examples in the literature makes it challenging for companies to respond to public and regulatory questions regarding pit lake closure and reuse. As such, there is a pressing need document the motivations and approaches used in examples of successful, walk away, pit lake closure in North America so that the mining industry at large can learn from these examples and can better address public concerns.

Jan 1, 2019