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MAGAZINE Going passive - the solution for mine wastewater treatment? H a a c id re 3 Fa Going passive - the solution for mine wastewater treatment In many parts of the world including Canada, there is growing pressure on mining companies to find better answers to the problem of surface and ground water contamination from mine workings and wastes such as tailings during operational period and after decommissioning. Much of, this pressure is because of better understanding of the effects that metals and other impurities have on aquatic environments, resulting in higher expectations and tighter regulations. This has put new urgency into the search for wastewater treatment methods that are cost-effective to install, which do not require constant attention by skilled staff to operate, are long-lasting and are practical, particularly for decommissioned mines and remote locations. This “all order" is increasingly being met by passive water-treatment systems that are mainly based on bacterial processesto treat waterso that itcan besafely released into watercourses. Mining companies need to understand recent developments in these systems, the increasing range of applications for which they are effective, and the limitations of the technology. First, what are passive systems? Generally, they involve piping wastewater into a treatment mix that can include wood chips, limestone chips, cow manure, hay, peat and other media to absorb Unwanted substances in the water. Compared with active systems that involve pumps, passive systems offer these advantages: Low cost of materials: The materials used, such as cow manure and wood chips, are generally less expensive than thehardware needed for activesystems. Often, itispossible to abtain the necessary materials nearby, reducing both the financial = zZ bs c kd ES Pa and environmental casts of transportation No need for electrical power: Pumps need a power source, and in many mine locations this is costly to Install, and the power line needs constant attention indefinitely. If a passive system can be set up to work off gravity feed, as many can, there is noneed to Install a pumpingsystem. No need for skilled staff to operate: Many active systems need constant or frequent attention from trained staff. Given the current skills shortage and the fact that many skilled personnel can readily find work that docs not involve the need tomake frequent back-country trips, this aspect Is becoming crucial, While considerable «kill isneeded to design 2 passive system and choose the right materials in the right quantity te be effective Inv each specific situation, maintenance isnotasdemanding, Sustainable: The risk of breakdown ina pump:based active system is a long-term liability that, looms over a mining company's balance sheet like an overhanging cliff ready to collapse. While passive systems do require maintenance, their effectiveness generally does not stop suddenly if this work is not carried out promptly, as can be the case If a pump gets clogged or a bearing wears out. This gives mining companies flexibility in planning ‘their work a real advantage when weather can make a disused mine site temporarily inaccessible No need for continuous or frequent sludge management and for sludge disposal sites: Any tool has its limitations and situations where itis less applicable, and this applies to passive systems as ‘well Passive systems can face greater volume limitations than do active systems their slow-working nature means that for a large-volume application, active systems may be better Another limitation has to do with the space requirement in a limited area, or on aslope, installing passive systems may be a challenge. A more serious limitstion of passive systems, particularly given the inhosprtably cold. climates in ‘which mining is taking place thanks 4o encouraging commodity prices, has to do with temperature. Bacteria reduce their activity and effectiveness as cleansing agents 35 lemperatures approach freezing Below freezing, they may go into suspension until_ more welcoming temperaturesare felt, Whilebacteria can produce their own heat, experience shows that this temperature difference is not large enough for extremely cold temperatures However, a recent case example In Québec shows that passive systems. are increasingly able te climb to lautudes and altitudes previously off-limitsdue totemperature. Consider recent work on a decommissioned mine in the Val d'Or area of Québec, with a tailings disposal area of about 25 hectares. About wo yeers ago, there were spills from the tailings deposit, and small seepage streams appeared. To meet provincial objectives by the time winter made work too difficult, fa sclution to the water-treatment problem needed to put in place in short order, What made this particularly challenging was the location, which features a Continental climate, For six months each year temperatu average below freezing, and temperaturesbelow minus 40 Celsius are common. There was no electrical power connection to the site, which ‘was in a remote location. To treat the tailings water seepage, itwould have been possible to install an active system, but problematic. It was also problematic to install 2 passive system, but this choice looked mare do-able, partly because of recent advances in understanding in how to make passive systems work in challenging applications. As in other passive- system applications, it was necessary to fit determine the types of materials, and their ratios, necessary to treat the tailings seepage water. Much of the material was locally available, in some cases from nearby fares. In this application, it was Important to get the process working before the weather turned too cold, to Give the bacteria a chance to establish themselves Insulating the structures used to store the media helped 10 preserve heat, The passive syste installed at the site in 2004 has been performing well and producing a water quality that complies with provincial standards. Clearly, there are limitations on the skuations for which passive systems are effective. However, increasing knowledge and technology in this area opens up this technology for wider ranges and bringing the sites to compliance, With proper attention to these limitations, mining companies can find @ wider range of situations where passive water-treatment systems will prove a good solution to theneadto protect water supplies. Nurak Kuyucak, Ms.Eng. and Ph.D. (Chemical Engineering), BEng. an associate with Golder Associates Ltd, where her fields of experience include wastewater treatment, water and waste management, site decommissioning and remediation, and environmental impact issessment studies } Golder Associates x Ca "Associates www.golder.com At Golder Associates, we offer clients the benefit of working with companies that strive to be the most respected global group specializing in ground engineering and environmental services. Our clients gain the advantage of working with highly skilled engineers and sciantists who are committed to helping them succeed. By meeting client needs and building strong client relationships, our people have created one of themost trusted professional services firms in the world Employee-owned since our formation in 1960, we havecreated a unique culture with pride in ownership, resulting in enduring client relationships and long-term. organizational stability. Asa result, our clients work with professionals whe take the time to build an understanding of their needs and of the specific environments in. which they operate. This enables us to help our clients achieve their short- and long- term financial, social and environmental goals www.golder.com The success of our approach canbe seen in our steady growth. Golder now employs over 4,500 people operating fram more than 130 offices located across Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, North America and South America. Our local expertise, combined with our global resources, helps our clients build end operate private and public sector enterprises around the world by working with professionals who understand local cultures, languages and regulatory requirements, : Nural Kuyucak, Ph.D., Ms. Eng. (Chemical Engineering), Professional Engineer, is an Associate in the Ottawa, Canada office of Golder Associates Ltd. Her fields of experience consist of wastewater treatment, water and waste management, site decommissioning and remediation, and environmental impact assessment (EIA) studies. Nural provides specialist services to mining, industrial, governmental and municipal clients world-wide including Canada, USA, UK, Spain, Sweden, Italy, Ireland, Turkey, Greece, Peru, Chile, Brazil, Australia and China. She can be reached atnkuyucak@golder com; tal. 1.613.592.9600.

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