EJQ4 - Spring 2025 - Journal - Page 50
The challenges of responsible mining
Historical mine sites present several challenges. Many have waste-rock, tailings, and impacted soil that were left at or near the mine. When rain or snowmelt comes in contact with the waste rock, tailings, and impacted soils, they
can cause environmental impacts by leaching metals into adjacent water bodies or groundwater. This leachate can contain high quantities of metals such
as arsenic, or they can be highly acidic. In either case, the seepage may not
meet modern regulatory standards.
However, there are successful strategies that have been implemented to address legacy environmental impacts while redeveloping historical mine sites.
Former mine shafts become an asset to water management
Historical mines developed in the 1800s and 1900s were typically underground
mines that have a series of vertical shafts connected to underground horizontal tunnels or drifts. These historical underground mines are now being redeveloped as open pits. Where the open pit overprints the underground mine (or
workings), the underground mine can be used as part of the water management strategy.
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