WASTE HANDLING PROBLEMS

OF MINING AND THERMAL

POWER PLANT

Presented by:

SOURAV KUMAR (MT/CE/10017/19)

SATYAM BHARTI (MT/CE/10001/20)

 CONTENTS

Mining Engineering (CE 559)

MINING WASTE & THEIR THERMAL POWER PLANT
INTRODUCTION AN EXAMPLE CASE
PROBLEMS WASTE & THEIR PROBLEMS

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 INTRODUCTION
 With the development of Mining Industry, Mining
Wastes have increased significantly.

Mining Engineering (CE 559)

 This induces increasingly Grievous Destruction of
the Environment.

 Larger mines : Almost 106 Tonnes of ore and waste

rock per day

 Smaller mines : 1000-2000 Tonnes ore and

waste rock per day
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 MINING WASTE TYPES
 Major Types of Waste Generated : Waste
Rock, Tailings and Mine Water.

Mining Engineering (CE 559)

 In some cases, the mine uses certain
Chemicals in the processing stage.
 These chemicals often account for a
small volume of the total waste, but pose
a large risk due to their high toxicity.

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 WASTE ROCK
 Waste Rock is the rock that is excavated to
reach the ore.

Mining Engineering (CE 559)

 The amount of waste rock depends :-
 the geometry and location of the ore body
 the mining method used
 the composition and stability of the rocks.

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 STRIPPING RATIO
 The ratio between Waste Rock and Ore Production is
called the Stripping Ratio.

Mining Engineering (CE 559)

 For example, a Stripping Ratio of 2:1 means that 2 tonnes
of waste rock needs to be mined to mine 1 tonne of ore.

 Generally, an Open Pit Mine has a higher stripping

ratio than an Underground Mine.

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 WASTE ROCK COMPOSITION
 There are often different types of waste rock within a mine, some might be
more harmful than others.

Mining Engineering (CE 559)

 Controls what elements can be released to the environment

 Highly Toxic (even in small concentrations) like :- Mercury or some

compounds of Nitrogen such as Ammonia
 Less Toxic (pose a threat in higher concentrations) like :- Zinc and Copper.

 One effective way of working with waste rock management is separation of

different types of waste rock. 7
 PROBLEMS WITH WASTE
ROCK
 When water and air starts to break down the waste rock, called weathering,
the elements can be released to the environment.

Mining Engineering (CE 559)

 Sulphide minerals easily weather in oxygen to produce Acid Water which
further speeds up the weathering of the minerals, called Chemical
Weathering

 The result is an acid water with high metal content, called Acid Rock
Drainage (ARD) or Acid Mine Drainage (AMD) .

 When separating waste rock, the terms Potentially Acid Generating rock
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(PAG, or Acid Forming rock, PAF) and Non-Acid Generating rock (NAG,
or Non-Acid Forming rock, NAF) are used.
 Mining Engineering (CE 559)
RIO TINTO RIVER SPAIN (AN
EXAMPLE OF ARD)
AMD (IRON HYDROXIDE
PRECIPITATE) RELEASED IN A
STREAM 9
 TAILINGS
 Fine-grained mineral sand that remains after when the valuable minerals gets
separated from the ORE as waste , are called Tailings.

Mining Engineering (CE 559)

 The amount of tailings that remain is controlled by what Grade the ore is.
 For example, if the grade of an ore is 1 percent Copper, 99 percent of the total
ore would be deposited as Tailings.

 Iron ores generally have higher grades than sulphide or gold ores, often going
over 50 per cent or more. 

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 TAILINGS STORAGE FACILITY
(TSF)
 After separating the valuable minerals, the tailings are often pumped in a
slurry through pipes to be deposited in TSF (also called Tailings
Management Facility, TMF).

Mining Engineering (CE 559)

 The pipes are equipped with Spigots in several different places around the
TSF to evenly distribute the tailings.

 The most common type of TSFs are placed on the surface and built with high
embankments that are engineered to retain the tailings and water. This type is
called Conventional Impoundment Storage.
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 Mining Engineering (CE 559)
Spigots are seen going out from a pipe which is transporting the tailings.

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A tailings storage facility at a gold mine.
 PROBLEM WITH TAILINGS
 The tailings are fine-grained, meaning that the surface area is high and
Weathering is expected to be high.

Mining Engineering (CE 559)

 When there are Sulphide minerals involved, the chemical weathering of
those minerals will be high. To mitigate the oxidation of the Sulphide
minerals, the tailings can be kept under water.

 A Subaqueous Deposition (tailings held under water)helps to minimize the

oxidation of Sulphide minerals, but also influences the way the tailings
settle in the TSF which in turn impacts the long-term stability. Subaerial
Deposition (deposition above water) is more common than Subaqueous. 
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Mining Engineering (CE 559)
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 MINE WATER
 Water is used in many of the processes within the mine and the processing
plant.

Mining Engineering (CE 559)

 Some processes, like Milling, can use large volumes of water and potentially
contaminate it with metals and other harmful elements.
 Water is valuable, and often recycled and used over and over in different
processes. Eventually the water is collected and released to the environment.
 Sometimes the water must be treated in different ways before it can be
released. Water treatment can be categorized in Active or Passive
treatment.

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 ACTIVE WATER
TREATMENT
 Active Water Treatment means that the water is treated within a water
treatment facility.

Mining Engineering (CE 559)

 The methods for active treatment often include raising the pH of the water
with the addition of limestone or caustic soda, which in turn cause metals
to precipitate and settle.

 This can be done in certain Settling or Sedimentation Ponds. In some cases,

flocculants are added to make the process quicker.

 The treatment can also be complemented with other methods, such as filter 16
systems.
 PASSIVE WATER TREATMENT
 Passive Water Treatment means that the water is treated without active
involvement.

Mining Engineering (CE 559)

 Sometimes called a “Walk-Away-Solution”, PWT often use natural
physical, chemical or biological processes.

 PWT uses plants that uptake contaminates or using soils that filters the
contaminates and deposits them in a Controlled Area.

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WHICH OF THEM IS COMMONLY USED ?
 PASSIVE WATER TREATMENT is cheaper than Active Treatment, which
generally is a large cost within the mine operations.

Mining Engineering (CE 559)

 However, there are still difficulties in treating highly acidic waters with
passive techniques.

 The Combination Of Active And

Passive Treatment Techniques
Can Be Used To Lower Costs.
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 Mining Engineering (CE 559)
DIAGRAM OF THE MINE WATER TREATMENT PLANT AT BRUNSWICK 19

MINE, CANADA
 CHEMICAL WASTE

Mining Engineering (CE 559)

 In a much lower volume than the other types of wastes, but can be of a high
risk due to high toxicity, even in small concentrations.

 For example:- A common chemical used in gold extraction is cyanide. The

cyanide dissolves the gold to an aqueous solution, making it a simple and
cost-effective technique.

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 PROBLEM WITH
CHEMICALS
 Cyanide is highly toxic for people and the environment.
Even low doses of cyanide can cause permanent damage in humans or

Mining Engineering (CE 559)

animals.
 However, aqueous cyanide is easily hydrolysed, especially when in contact
with UV-rays from the sun. When the cyanide is hydrolysed it breaks down
to other chemical compounds that are less toxic.
 The cyanide solution is kept in a closed system during the extraction phase
and is then hydrolysed, sometimes in a so called cyanide destruction plant.

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 POSITIVE IMPACT OF PROPER WASTE
HANDLING
A comprehensive utilization of waste and its reduction
from mines :
 Can compensate Resources Shortage

Mining Engineering (CE 559)

 Environmental Protection with Enormous Economic
and Social Benefits.

 Effective solution for Waste Discharge, Land

Occupation and Protecting Environment

 Mine Solid Wastes can be treated in new ways such as

Waste Reuse, Waste Rock Reduction and Waste
Rock and Tailings Backfill. 22
Coal Seam in a Sydney
Mine

Mining Engineering (CE 559)

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