The major objective of a tailings impoundment closure is to satisfy the requirements of the regulatory agencies, while minimizing the future liabilities of the mining company with an effective and cost efficient design. Several design concept alternatives with various design component options are generally evaluated during the early planning phases to select a preferred closure design alternative to be implemented. This paper presents a risk-based alternatives evaluation methodology as a decision-making tool that could be applied to planning for tailing impoundment closures.
The British Columbia Technical and Research Committee on Reclamation originated in the early 1970's, in response to a demonstrated need in BC for greater government-industry communications in the area of environmental protection and reclamation associated with mining. All BC Reclamation Symposia papers from 1977 to current are available for free at the University of British Columbia library. The UBC library collections have been revised making it much easier to search key subject areas such as native species, revegetation techniques, tailings, mining best practices, environmental monitoring etc., the author, paper title, and/or year presented (all the way back to 1977).
Innovation flourishes at the intersection of great challenges meeting compelling solutions. Canada's Oil Sands Innovation Alliance (COSIA) is an alliance of oil sands producers focused on accelerating the pace of improvement in environmental performance in Canada's oil sands through collaborative action and innovation. COSIA's membership accounts for over 90% of the oil sands product in Canada. Canada's oil sands producers are competitors and rivals; but they are also partners in a made-in-Canada collaboration model that is helping to redefine, globally, how companies can innovate together, and accelerate solution development to address some of the world's biggest challenges. COSIA companies are working aggressively to accelerate the pace of environmental performance improvement in the oil sands. Canada's oil sands industry is committed to reducing all aspects of its environmental footprint, reclaiming all lands affected by operations, and maintaining biodiversity. To create breakthrough science and technologies, COSIA brings together leading thinkers from industry, government, academia and the public. In addition, COSIA members themselves work together, each sharing considerable in-house expertise, innovation and intellectual property within the alliance, and dedicating substantial funds to COSIA's many environmental performance projects. The unique characteristics of oil sands tailings provide member companies with an opportunity to seek out innovative tailings management and technology solutions for responsible and sustainable growth of this key global energy resource. This keynote address will elaborate on each of the Environmental Priority Areas (EPA), with an emphasis on the Tailings EPA. It will provide the audience with a brief history, achievements, current technical challenges, and opportunities for collaboration to close remaining knowledge and technical gaps to accelerate the pace of environmental performance improvement.
The manual provides technical information on the field and laboratory investigations and construction control of soils used as foundations and materials for dams, canals, and many other types of structures built for reclamation projects in the United States of America. Part 1 discusses general earth and foundation technology applicable to the construction of water resources structures. Included in Part 1 are chapters on: the properties of soils, principles and stages of soil investigations, and quality control of earth construction. The appendix contains detailed procedures for sampling, classification, and field and laboratory testing of soils.
The manual provides technical information on the field and laboratory investigations and construction control of soils used as foundations and materials for dams, canals, and many other types of structures built for reclamation projects in the United States of America.The appendix contains detailed procedures for sampling, classification, and field and laboratory testing of soils. Part 2 contains standard procedures for investigating and testing soil materials for engineering design, construction, and operation and maintenance of water resources structures.
This paper provides practical guidance for vegetative measures for slope stabilization. These measures are not a substitute for structural engineering measures.
An Analysis of Impacts on Mine Planning, Land, GHGs, Costs, Site Water Balances and Recycle Water Chloride Concentrations. COSIA requested Norwest to develop generic models to examine the relative impacts of different FFT management processes on mining and tailings capital and operating costs (capEx and OpEx), reclamation and closure costs, and environemtnal impacts. The models were based on two virtual mine scenarios selected to represent a range of conditions typical of the surface mine sites of the Athabasca oil sands region.
The purpose of this document is to provide oil sands mining operators with guidelines for creating FFT management plans, consistent with the intent of Directive 074 and other government policy and regulations. The purpose of FFT management plans is to facilitate closure of oil sands mines by accelerating the conversion of FFT into stable closure landscapes.
The Landform Design Institute (LDI) was established in 2019 to provide the knowledge, education, and support that landform design practitioners need to build truly sustainable mining landscapes, and to make landform design routine in the mining industry worldwide by 2030. The LDI has created a 2021 position paper, a library, and recorded lectures and podcasts.
The objective of this report is intended to be a technology deployment roadmap for "end to end" solutions for oil sands tailings. This technology deployment roadmap and action plan that will assist regulators and industry to create and implement technology solutions that will meet the goals of Alberta Environment (AEW) Directive 047. The report is broken into 4 components that includes a review of current technologies used in the oil sands industry, evaluation of these technologies, and highlights technologies to improve upon existing methods.