7-MP Tailings Disposal

MINERAL PROCESSING COURSE
Tailings Disposal
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> RESOURCE
> Mineral PROJECTS
Processing > Engineering > TECHNOLOGY
Design > Training > INTEGRATED SERVICES
> Specialist Services
Module Content
> Tailings
> Aspects of cyanide and its management
> Environmental Issues and Strategies
> Spill Analysis and Case Studies
> Mining Industry and Lessons learnt
> RESOURCE
> Mineral PROJECTS
Tailings
> Mineral processing produces large amounts of waste

> Waste has fine particle sizes
> Disposal of Tailings environmental concern
> Most disposed in large earth-filed dams
Water recovery ponds from tailings dam in Kalgoorlie
> RESOURCE
> Mineral PROJECTS
Tailings Dams
> Large surface impoundments
> Earth fill designed embankments
> Most have embankment progressively

raised as tailings are deposited
> Cyclic deposition using spigots
> Dams constructed from waste rock,

parts of the tailings or natural soil
> RESOURCE
> Mineral PROJECTS
Tailings Deposition
> Slurry deposited at ~30% solids
> Deposited at crest of embankment
> Distributed via series of spigots
> Discharge can be above or below Tailings Deposition for Newmont

water surface
> RESOURCE
> Mineral PROJECTS
Tailings Beach
> Movement of slurry away from

discharge point causes
segregation
> Coarse material deposited near

discharge point
> Water forms supernatant pond at

centre
> Beach slope between 0.5 – 2.0 %

Transgold Tailings Pond near Baia Mare
> RESOURCE
> Mineral PROJECTS
Tailings Deposition Plan
> Generally multiple discharge

points / Spigots
> Allows control of position of
supernatant pond
> Location of discharge varied with
time
— Tailings deposited on one location
— Location of deposition changed
— Previously deposited tailings bleed dry
and consolidate
— New layer deposited on dried tailings
Dried Tailings at Northparkes
> RESOURCE
> Mineral PROJECTS
Raising Embankments
> Embankment raised to increase storage capacity

> Reduced capital investment
> Allows use of waste rock and tailings in construction
Williams Mine Tailings Dam Raise
> RESOURCE
> Mineral PROJECTS
Upstream and Downstream
> RESOURCE
> Mineral PROJECTS
Upstream Raise
> Initial starter dyke constructed
> Tailings deposited from dyke
> Tailings beach forms next to dyke
> New embankment built on top of

tailings beach
> RESOURCE
> Mineral PROJECTS
Upstream Raise (cont.)
> RESOURCE
> Mineral PROJECTS
Upstream Raise (cont.)
> Minimal material required
> Low cost
> Risk of failure from seismic events
> Require good water management
> Raising embankment to fast can cause failure
> RESOURCE
> Mineral PROJECTS
Downstream Raise
> Initial impervious starter dyke constructed
> Tailings deposited behind dyke
> Level of dam raises
> New embankment built downstream slope of the

previous section
> RESOURCE
> Mineral PROJECTS
Downstream Raise (cont.)
> RESOURCE
> Mineral PROJECTS
Downstream Raise (cont.)
> Large amount of material required
> High cost
> Structural integrity of dam independent of tailings
> Water may be in contact with embankment
> RESOURCE
> Mineral PROJECTS
Centreline Raise
> Initial impervious starter dyke constructed
> Tailings deposited from embankment crest
> Tailings beach forms next to embankment
> New embankment built on tailings and previous

embankment
> Crest of embankment does not shift laterally
> RESOURCE
> Mineral PROJECTS
Centreline Raise (cont.)
> Compromise between upstream and downstream

methods
> Less material than downstream
> moderate cost
> More stable than upstream
> Water management still important
> RESOURCE
> Mineral PROJECTS
Dam Stability
> RESOURCE
> Mineral PROJECTS
In-Pit Tailings Disposal
> Back filling abandoned open pit

surface mines with tailings.
> Can only be performed in mature
stages of plant operation or if a disused
pit existed nearby.
> Advantages:
― Do not require retaining walls, thus
eliminating embankment instability
risks and lower capital costs.
― Site geology is well understood.
― High water return rates.
― Prevents disturbances from other
sites.
> RESOURCE
> Mineral PROJECTS
In-Pit Tailings Disposal (cont.)
> Disadvantages:
― Potential contamination of ground water
― Reduced solar drying and desiccation potential of tailings

thus low strength and poor consolidation properties
― Stability of underground mines in the vicinity may be

jeopardised
> RESOURCE
> Mineral PROJECTS
Back Filling Underground Mines
> Tailings pumped into voids in underground mine
> Provides Two functions

— Location for storage of tailings
— Improved mine structural integrity
> Allows extraction part of supporting ore
> Binders often required to improve stability
> Relatively expensive technique

— Cost of binder of tailings
— Requires significant labour and planning
> RESOURCE
> Mineral PROJECTS
Methods of Back Filling
> Paste Backfilling

— Tailings dewatered ( >75% w/w)
— Minimal drainage of water
— Lower amount of binder needed
> Hydraulic Sandfill

— Tailings sands separated using cyclone
— Sands combined with binder
— Sand settles and excess water must be removed
> Cemented fill

— Tailings combined with waste rock and binder
— Reduced binder requirements
— Increased complexity to have co-disposal
> RESOURCE
> Mineral PROJECTS
Paste Disposal
> Tailings significantly dewatered
> Paste Properties

— No critical flow velocity
— Non segregating on deposition
— High viscosity
— Deposits at slopes from 3O –
10O
> Paste deposited from central

location to from conical pile
> RESOURCE
> Mineral PROJECTS
Paste Disposal (cont.)
> Advantages
— Minimal risk of dam failure
— Small footprint
— High water recovery
> Disadvantages
— High transportation costs
— Higher Capital Cost
— Higher operational Costs
> RESOURCE
> Mineral PROJECTS
Submarine Tailings Disposal
> Tailings deposited into deep sea ( >100 m depth)

> Tailings deposited on slope so flow to deeper ocean
Typical Submarine Tailings Storage System
> RESOURCE
> Mineral PROJECTS
Submarine Tailings Disposal (cont.)
> Advantages
— Low capital Cost
— No Maintenance
— Reduced acid mine drainage
due to low oxygen levels
> Disadvantages
— Unpredictable nature of tailings
after disposal Tailings pipes from the Marcopper
— Effect on marine life mine in Marinduque
— Social and political opposition
> RESOURCE
> Mineral PROJECTS
Summary of Disposal Types Characteristics
> RESOURCE
> Mineral PROJECTS
Water Pollution
> Mine Tailings contain many toxic

chemicals
> Release of Tailings effluent major
environmental concern
> Causes of release
— Seepage through embankment or
ground
— Dam / equipment failure
— Poor water management (overflow)
> Disadvantages
— Unpredictable nature of tailings
disposal
— Effect on marine life
— Social and political opposition
> RESOURCE
> Mineral PROJECTS
Acceptable Limits of Pollutants
Maximum concentration in
Substance tailings
pH 6 to 9
oil and Grease 20 mg/L
Total Suspended Solids 50 mg/L
Heavy Metals
Arsenic 1 mg/L
Cadmium 0.1 mg/L
Chromium, hexavalent 0.05 mg/L
Chromium, total 1 mg/L
Copper 0.3 mg/L
World Bank Health and Safety
Guidelines, 1995
Iron, total 2 mg/L
Lead 0.6 mg/L
Mercury 0.002 mg/L
Nickel 0.5 mg/L
Zinc 1 mg/L
Cyanide <0.1 mg/L
Free Cyanide 0.1 mg/L
Total Cyanide 1 mg/L
Weak Acid Dissociable 0.5 mg/L
Outside designated mixing
zone 0.022 mg/L
> RESOURCE
> Mineral PROJECTS
Detoxification
> Levels of pollutants may be too high

> Detoxification required before discharge to Tailings storage facility
> Cyanide significant reagent that requires detoxification
> Methods of cyanide detoxification
— Oxidation by Ozone,
— Oxidation by hydrogen peroxide,
— Natural degradation by Ultraviolet radiation (e.g. in the tailings dam),
— Acidification and recovery by volatilisation (AVR),
— Conversion into stable iron cyanide precipitates,
— Oxidation by chlorination.
— Sulphidisation, Acidification, Recycling and Thickening (SART)
— INCO process, oxidation by SO2 (Ammtec)
— Biological detoxification
> RESOURCE
> Mineral PROJECTS
Acid Mine Drainage (AMD)
> Oxidation of sulphide minerals produces sulphuric acid
> Acid can dissolve some metals
> Rate of oxidation is high due to small particle size of tailings
> Low pH and high metal content of tailings sever environmental

issue
> RESOURCE
> Mineral PROJECTS
Preventing Acid Mine Drainage
> Storage of tailings underwater

— Reduced oxygen concentration
> Layered Covers for tailings

— Reduced oxygen concentration
> Addition of lime to tailings

— Neutralises the acid
> Passive treatment (Biological)

— Metals precipitated and absorbed by plants
> RESOURCE
> Mineral PROJECTS
Uranium Tailings
> Still contain radioactive species
> Emit significant levels of radiation
> Decay of radioactive material produces radon-222 gas
> Inhalation of radon-222 believed to cause lungs cancer
> RESOURCE
> Mineral PROJECTS
Other Environmental Issues
> Tailings Dust

— Tailings have fine particle sizes
— Dried tailings can be suspended by the wind
— Provide health hazard (respiration or contamination of water)
> Death of Wildlife

— Tailings facilities contain may toxic chemicals
— Animals may consume contaminated water
— Directly killing the animal or leads to biological accumulation
> Raised Ground Water levels

— Tailings storage facility increased pressure locally
— May cause ground water levels to rise
— Salinity problems may then occur for surrounding vegetation
> RESOURCE
> Mineral PROJECTS
Hydrogen Cyanide
> RESOURCE
> Mineral PROJECTS
Facts - Why Is Cyanide Dangerous?
> Cyanide quickly enters the bloodstream after exposure

> The cyanide in the body is changed to thyocyanate, but in large
doses the body’s ability is overwhelmed
> Large doses prevent cells from using oxygen and these cells
eventually die
> The heart, the respiratory system, and the nervous system are
highly susceptible to cyanide poisoning
> Cyanide’s toxicity increases if mixed with steam, acid, acid
fumes, moisture in air, or if air is bubbled through a cyanide
solution
> A large amount of cyanide gas mixed with air may suddenly
explode
> RESOURCE
> Mineral PROJECTS
Cyanide In Tailings
Important cyanide species in

tailings
> RESOURCE
> Mineral PROJECTS
Remediation Examples
Alkaline Chlorination
> CN- + Cl2(g) + 2OH- → OCN- + H2O + 2Cl-
SO2/air oxidation - INCO Process

Oxidation(s)
> CN-Free + SO2(g) + H2O + O2(g) → OCN- + H2SO4(aq)
> M(CN)xy-x + xSO2(g) + xH2O + xO2(g) → xOCN- + xH2SO4(aq) +
My+
> SCN- + 4SO2(g) + 5H2O + 4O2(g) → OCN- + 5H2SO4(aq)
Photolysis
> Liberation of cyanide from some SAD’s and WAD’s at UV-
wavelengths less than approximately 420 nm
> RESOURCE
> Mineral PROJECTS
Aspects To Consider In Cyanide
> Adsorption
> Biodegradation
> Complexation
> Cyanate formation
> Thiocyanate formation
> Hydrolysis reactions
> Precipitation
> Volatilization
> RESOURCE
> Mineral PROJECTS
Aspects of Cyanide and its Management
> RESOURCE
> Mineral PROJECTS
Management & Decommissioning
Decommissioning is a project, and like any project various facets have to be

covered in order to ensure efficient ‘closure’. Below are the required
undertakings:
> Project scope management plan
> Schedule management plan
> Cost management plan
> Quality management plan
> Process improvement plan
> Staffing management plan
> Communication management plan
> Risk management plan
> Procurement management plan
> Milestone list
> Resource calendar
> Schedule baseline
> Cost baseline
> Quality baseline
> Risk register
> RESOURCE
> Mineral PROJECTS
Cyanide Risk Evaluation
Fundamentals of risk management play an important role in

accessing risk of cyanide hazards at a mine site.
Risk evaluation table
> RESOURCE
> Mineral PROJECTS
Handling Cyanide
> RESOURCE
> Mineral PROJECTS
Waste Cyanide Destruction by Potassium
Permanganate & Remediation
KMnO4 + CN- + H2O → MnO2 + CNO + 2OH- + K+
Other remediation methods revisited:

> Bio-oxidation
> Catalysis
> Electro oxidation
> Alkaline chlorination
> Oxygen
> Ozone
> Hydrogen Peroxide
(also Cupric & Kastone) Konomai Mine - the
> Caro’s acid neutralization plant
running on automatic
pilot. After the water has
> Sulfur dioxide been neutralized with
slaked lime, solids are
> Direct photolysis separated out in a
thickener (settling tank),
> Photolytic ozonation and the resulting sludge is
dried and allowed to
> Photolytic peroxidation harden into cake. Finally,
the cake is moved to its
final disposal site, where it
> TiO2 photocatalysis. gradually returns to
nature.
> RESOURCE
> Mineral PROJECTS
Cyanide Prone Areas
During sampling in CIP’s
Agitator – cyanide Leach Tanks

accumulation may be
a problem during
cleaning and
maintenance
> RESOURCE
> Mineral PROJECTS
Environmental Issues and Strategies
> RESOURCE
> Mineral PROJECTS
Cyanide Degradation
> RESOURCE
> Mineral PROJECTS
Environmental Issues
Cyanide has a serious effect on the

wildlife if carelessly handled
Contaminated water and air supply areas

may affect:
> Fish and aquatic invertebrates
> Algae and macrophytes
> Birds
> Mammals
There is no indication that proves that

cyanide is prone to bioaccumulation in
the food chain
> RESOURCE
> Mineral PROJECTS
Toxicity To Animals
> Fish and aquatic invertebrates are very

sensitive to cyanide exposure, and
concentrations from 5.0-7.2 micrograms
per liter reduce swimming performance
and inhibit reproduction in many species
of fish. Other side-effects include:
— delayed mortality;
— pathology;
— susceptibility to predation
— disrupted respiration;
— osmoregulatory disturbances
— altered growth patterns
‘Baia Mare’ fish kill along Tisza river
> RESOURCE
> Mineral PROJECTS
Cyanide Breakdown
> Because of the many reactions and transformations that it

undergoes naturally, cyanide does not persist in the environment
> Most cyanide in surface water will form hydrogen cyanide and
evaporate. However, in the water, cyanides are not persistent,
they breakdown in a matter of days
> Cyanide is found as hydrogen cyanide gas in air while a small

amount is present as fine dust particles
> It takes years for cyanide to breakdown from the air
> RESOURCE
> Mineral PROJECTS
Cyanide Breakdown (cont.)
Heat, acids, alkalis and cyanide are called “dissipating wastes”

by scientists as they are rapidly diluted to a harmless level
although they can be quite dangerous in the immediate
neighborhood of the outfall.
Changes in the cyanide concentration 1970-1994 in the BHP Steelworks Main Drain
(located 800 m upstream of harbor on Allans Creek) – from:
http://www.pkharbour.org/Changes%20in%20the%20Marine%20Environment.htm
> RESOURCE
> Mineral PROJECTS
Cyanide Decomposition In Tailings
Reaction processes of cyanide in tailings and the environment
> RESOURCE
> Mineral PROJECTS
Permissible Cyanide Levels
> RESOURCE
> Mineral PROJECTS
Tailings Closure
TSF closure may involve engineering works such as:

> Surface drainage alteration;
> layered dry cover and re-vegetation;
> controls to establish permanent water cover;
> spillway construction if rainfall exceeds evaporation.
> RESOURCE
> Mineral PROJECTS
Tailings Closure (cont.)
> A closure plan should include:

— Risk assessment; and
— Water management plans
> It is also a common technique to

‘water spread’ to promote
evaporation during summer in high
rainfall areas
A widely spread tailings facility with

coarse particles
> RESOURCE
> Mineral PROJECTS
Tailings Closure (cont.)
Post-closure monitoring should include:

> Seepage and surface run off quality;
> drainage control and flood mitigation;
> erosion control; and
> re-vegetation performance.
Furthermore, post-closure dam monitoring should be able to

demonstrate:
> Geotechnical stability of structures and acceptable erosion
rates;
> low risk of uncontrolled release of tailings or contaminants;
> should release occur, the detrimental effects to water, soil or
air around the facility will be minimal; and
> development of a self sustaining plant community.
> RESOURCE
> Mineral PROJECTS
Costs of Closure Due to Cyanide
> RESOURCE
> Mineral PROJECTS
Minimizing Bird Fatalities Due to Cyanide in
Tailings
Hazing techniques:
> Propane gas gun

> bird whalers;
> streamers;
> loud music;
> netting;
> flying kites;
> flagging tape;
> wine casks; and
> fishing lines.
> RESOURCE
> Mineral PROJECTS
Tailings
> RESOURCE
> Mineral PROJECTS
Tailings
Some preventative maintenance methods:
> < 50 mg/L WAD CN at discharge;

> mill start up / shut down procedures;
> analyze ores to predict CN consumption;
> implementing monitoring systems;
> minimize cyanide use;
> line TSF walls with black plastic;
> increase % solids of tails;
Wastewater treatment plant
> actively decant supernatant; on EPC basis
> recycle cyanide and thickeners; and
> implement cyanide destruction.
> RESOURCE
> Mineral PROJECTS
Spill Analysis and Case Studies
> RESOURCE
> Mineral PROJECTS
Baia Mare Spill
There were four main causes for the spill:

> No provision for discharge of excess water in tailing;
> inefficient monitoring of pond level;
> impoundment construction did not meet specifications; and
> there was not enough water balance oversight performed
by the government.
Breach in the Aurul

tailings dam near
Baia Mare three
days after the
catastrophic spill of
30-Jan-2000
> RESOURCE
> Mineral PROJECTS
Baia Mare Spill (cont.)
> RESOURCE
> Mineral PROJECTS
Golden Cross Mine, New Zealand: Closure and
Rehabilitation
> RESOURCE
> Mineral PROJECTS
Rehabilitation (cont.)
The Joint Venture identified six design features that were key to
successful rehabilitation:
> The controlled placement of acid-generating waste rock into

engineered disposal sites;
> The design and placement of sealing layers over the waste rock
disposal sites;
> The design and construction of diversion drains;
> The establishment and management of vegetation to protect

the rehabilitation layers;
> A partial capping of the tailings to accelerate consolidation

adjacent to the tailings dam embankment; and
> The implementation of a recovery circuit to recycle cyanide

from the tailings prior to disposal.
> RESOURCE
> Mineral PROJECTS
Ground movement crisis:

> By late 1996 movement rates had been reduced significantly. By
late 1997 the problem had been generally controlled, and by 2000
the annual rate of movement detected was less than the annual
uprising of the Southern Alps.
A slab of ground up to 100 meters thick on which the tailings dam

was built was moving slowly downslope on an old slip surface.
> RESOURCE
> Mineral PROJECTS
> RESOURCE
> Mineral PROJECTS
Ok Tedi Disaster
> The Ok Tedi mine was built on the world’s largest gold and
copper deposit (gold ore capping the main copper deposit).
> Tailings were envisaged to be held in a dam and travel 1000 kms
down a river into the sea.
Mt Fubilan Pit, Ok Tedi Mine, Photo courtesy of Ok

Tedi Mining Limited
> RESOURCE
> Mineral PROJECTS
Ok Tedi Disaster (cont.)
Problems:
> Dam built on the side of a mountain;
> it rains more than 10 meters a year;
> earthquakes are common;
> 50,000 people live along the Ok Tedi-Fly River system;
> aquatic life present in river; and
> the main system of transport for locals along river is by
canoes.
A view of Tabubil with the Ok

Tedi river running along it’s side
A neighbourhood of huts in Papua New

Guinea. Courtesy: UNEP/Flickr.com
> RESOURCE
> Mineral PROJECTS
Mining Industry and Lessons Learnt
> RESOURCE
> Mineral PROJECTS
Lesson Learnt
> The main causes of failures and incidents identified were:

— Lack of control of the water balance (Baia Mare disaster)
— Lack of control of construction (Baia Mare disaster)
— A general lack of understanding of the features that control safe
operations (Stava-Itaty)
> Tailings containment wall failures were:

— Slope instability (Stava)
— Earthquake loading (Ok Tedi)
— Overtopping (Merriespruit)
— Inadequate foundations (Baia Mare)
— Seepage
> RESOURCE
> Mineral PROJECTS
Lessons Learnt (cont.)
> Tailings incidents appeared to be more common where

upstream construction
> The successful planning and management of tailings storage

facilities could benefit greatly from:
— Tailings management integrated into mine planning,
operations and closure.
— Comprehensive documentation
— Thorough investigation and risk assessments
— The involvement of stakeholders
> RESOURCE
> Mineral PROJECTS
Recommendations
> A broad sustainable development framework must be applied to the

initial design of tailings storage facilities, tailings management and
tailings storage facility closure
> Management systems incorporating a life-of-mine risk-based approach

are needed to ensure that operating and closure objectives are met
> Tailings storage facilities should provide safe, stable and economical
storage of tailings in such a way that presents negligible public health
and safety risks, and acceptably low social and environmental impacts
during operation and post-closure
> A systematic approach to effective tailings management is advocated
> Short-term cost savings aimed at minimising the costs of tailings

management, storage and closure must be weighed against the
potentially high social and environmental risks, and associated high
remediation costs if failure occurs
> RESOURCE
> Mineral PROJECTS
Tailings Dam Failure
> RESOURCE
> Mineral PROJECTS
THANK YOU
www.mets.net.au
> RESOURCE
> Mineral
> Mineral Processing PROJECTS
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MINERAL PROCESSING COURSE

Click to edit Master subtitle style

> Mineral processing produces large amounts of waste

Water recovery ponds from tailings dam in Kalgoorlie

> Large surface impoundments

> Earth fill designed embankments

> Most have embankment progressively

> Cyclic deposition using spigots

> Dams constructed from waste rock,

> Slurry deposited at ~30% solids

> Deposited at crest of embankment

> Distributed via series of spigots

> Discharge can be above or below Tailings Deposition for Newmont

> Movement of slurry away from

> Coarse material deposited near

> Water forms supernatant pond at

> Beach slope between 0.5 – 2.0 %

> Generally multiple discharge

Dried Tailings at Northparkes

> Embankment raised to increase storage capacity

Williams Mine Tailings Dam Raise

> Initial starter dyke constructed

> Tailings deposited from dyke

> Tailings beach forms next to dyke

> New embankment built on top of

> Minimal material required

> Low cost

> Risk of failure from seismic events

> Require good water management

> Raising embankment to fast can cause failure

> Initial impervious starter dyke constructed

> Tailings deposited behind dyke

> Level of dam raises

> New embankment built downstream slope of the

> Large amount of material required

> High cost

> Structural integrity of dam independent of tailings

> Water may be in contact with embankment

> Initial impervious starter dyke constructed

> Tailings deposited from embankment crest

> Tailings beach forms next to embankment

> New embankment built on tailings and previous

> Crest of embankment does not shift laterally

> Compromise between upstream and downstream

> Less material than downstream

> moderate cost

> More stable than upstream

> Water management still important

> Back filling abandoned open pit

― Potential contamination of ground water

― Reduced solar drying and desiccation potential of tailings

― Stability of underground mines in the vicinity may be

> Tailings pumped into voids in underground mine

> Provides Two functions

> Allows extraction part of supporting ore

> Binders often required to improve stability

> Relatively expensive technique

> Paste Backfilling

> Hydraulic Sandfill

> Cemented fill

> Tailings significantly dewatered

> Paste Properties

> Paste deposited from central

> Tailings deposited into deep sea ( >100 m depth)