Potential environmental benefits of surface paste disposal

Verburg, Rens

doi:10.36487/acg_rep/1063_20_verburg

Cited by 5 publications

(3 citation statements)

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“…This argument was presented as justification for a proposed paste tailings facility at the Neves Corvo copper/tin mine in Portugal. Despite convincing results obtained from field trials using small test facilities discussed by Newman et al (2004) and Verburg (2010), it appears that the owners considered it too high a risk and opted for a conventional facility using sub-aqueous disposal (Real and Franco, 2006).…”

Section: Other Key Issuesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Perceived and realised benefits of paste and thickened tailings for surface deposition

Fourie¹

2012

Proceedings of the 15th International Seminar on Paste and Thickened Tailings

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Interest in the potential use of high density, thickened tailings has recently increased significantly. Reasons for considering this new technology vary across projects, but commonly include the need to conserve water, perceived lower risk of catastrophic failure, potential easier closure or even reduced overall costs. As with any new technology, there has been some tendency to overstate its potential benefits. This paper reflects on whether or not the potential benefits that have been attributed to paste and thickened tailings have been realised. Using a grading system, thirteen benefits that were ascribed to the new technology some years ago are evaluated. Data are taken from case studies, and it is suggested that the key proven benefits appear to be reduced operating costs in some cases, reduced wall-building costs and reductions in water consumption. One key potential benefit that has not been universally achieved is a reduction in the footprint of the tailings facility. Reports in the literature highlight the sometimes confusing nature of trade-off studies. Unless full life-of-mine costs are considered, these studies can be misleading and incorrect. The need to establish a consistent basis for comparative studies is discussed.

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Section: Other Key Issuesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Perceived and realised benefits of paste and thickened tailings for surface deposition

Fourie¹

2012

Proceedings of the 15th International Seminar on Paste and Thickened Tailings

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“…The increasing complexity of tailings disposal systems and the recent disasters caused by dam ruptures and tailings releases into the environment necessitate the study of new technologies and alternatives for tailings management (Verburg, 2001;Watson et al, 2010;Chambers and Higman, 2011;Chryss et al, 2012;Cacciuttolo and Tabra, 2015;Carneiro and Fourie, 2018;Yin et al, 2020). Paste disposal is an alternative that reduces free water in the structures and significantly increases dam safety levels (Hart and Boger, 2005;Meggyes and Debresczen, 2006;Guimaraes and Araujo, 2017;Beltrán-Rodríguez et al, 2018).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Rheological Properties of a Tailing Thickened in an Excavated Ground Channel

Teixeira,

Oliveira,

Faria

et al. 2024

RGSA

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Objectives: The recent tailings dam disasters emphasize the need to adopt best management practices focusing on the stability of these structures. This study aims to present the use of a thickening channel as an alternative for ultrafine tailings dewatering in a small iron ore mine in the Quadrilátero Ferrífero. Theoretical Framework: The research is based on the study of rheology, focusing on viscosity and yield stress as key parameters to characterize the behavior of thickened slurry. Method: The study involved the production of thickened slurry in a channel, followed by rheological characterization through sampling at different points in the thickening process. Results and Discussion: The findings indicate that the thickened slurry behaves as a non-Newtonian fluid, with all samples analyzed showing pseudoplastic behavior. There was an increase in viscosity and yield stress with increasing solids content. The deposition of thickened slurry resulted in a 36.9% increase in the volume of the studied reservoirs. Research Implications: This approach offers advantages such as low capital cost, increased water reuse, and improved geotechnical stability of deposition sites, contributing to safer and more sustainable tailings management practices. Originality/Value: The study provides a practical alternative for tailings dewatering, enhancing the safety and sustainability of tailings disposal practices in small iron ore mines.

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“…Following mining and milling stages, byproducts of mineral processing are typically pumped as a thickened slurry into a dammed settlement area on site (Kossoff et al 2014). In modern practice, dewatered and engineered containment spaces reduce the disturbance footprint by increasing stacking height (Verburg 2001); this lowers the risk of leachate seepage (Fourie 2012), and slows sulfide oxidation and tailings acidification (Bussière 2007). Once mining activities cease, however, unmaintained tailings structures present an infertile, erosion‐prone surface (Mendez & Maier 2008).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of high‐carbon wood ash biochar on volunteer vegetation establishment and community composition on metal mine tailings

Williams

Thomas

2023

Restoration Ecology

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Pyrolyzed organic waste, also known as biochar, is commonly used as a soil amendment and has recently been promoted to remediate metal mine tailings by increasing substrate pH, enhancing water and nutrient retention, and reducing bioavailability of toxic metals. Bottom ash from bioenergy facilities can contain high levels of charcoal residue, and thus qualify as a type of biochar according to international standards; the availability of this material at low costs makes it of particular interest in the context of tailings remediation. Naturally recruiting vegetation is critical in areas of primary succession such as mine tailings, and thus understanding vegetation responses on these substrates is essential. We examined responses of naturally regenerated "volunteer" vegetation to additions of high-carbon wood ash biochar at a range of application rates (from 0 to 30 metric tons [t]/ha) at two gold mine tailings sites in northern Ontario, Canada over a 2-year period. Volunteer vegetation cover increased with biochar dosage, peaking at 10-20 t/ha. Wood ash biochar amendments altered substrate physical properties (pH, electrical conductivity [EC], bulk density, total carbon [TC], and nitrogen [TN]), but effects varied by site and with dosage. Substrate TC and EC increased significantly with dosage at both sites with highest measures detected in the 10-20 t/ha amendment range. Species composition showed site-and dosage-specific responses to biochar additions; however, species accumulation curves consistently showed peak species richness at intermediate dosages in both sites and both years of growth. Observed changes in volunteer vegetation suggest that low to moderate dosage applications of high-carbon wood ash biochar can be highly beneficial for revegetation of mine tailings, but that wood ash impurities can result in deleterious effects at high dosages. Results from these field experiments demonstrate the potential of wood ash in tailings restoration and incentivizes additional in situ experiments to further discern site-specific mechanisms.

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Potential environmental benefits of surface paste disposal

Cited by 5 publications

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Perceived and realised benefits of paste and thickened tailings for surface deposition

Perceived and realised benefits of paste and thickened tailings for surface deposition

Rheological Properties of a Tailing Thickened in an Excavated Ground Channel

Effects of high‐carbon wood ash biochar on volunteer vegetation establishment and community composition on metal mine tailings

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