Rehabilitation of AMD-generating tailings sites

Date: Sunday November 2, 2008

Time: 8:30 am to 5:00 pm

Cost: $375 (includes course material, lunch, and coffee breaks)

Location
Université du Québec en Abitibi-Témiscamingue
Rouyn-Noranda Campus, 445, de l’Université Blvd.

Registration: Click here to register online

Organized by the Industrial NSERC Polytechnique – UQAT Chair in Environment and mine wastes management, in collaboration with the Canada Research Chair in the Restoration of Abandoned Mine Sites.

This short course will present an overview of the acid mine drainage (AMD) problem and the various techniques available to prevent or control it during the site rehabilitation phase.

Contents

• Introduction
• Overview of the rehabilitation regulation requirements
• AMD formation: mineralogical aspects, geochemical processes, assessment and prediction techniques.
• Overview of fluid mechanics: water and air flow in saturated and unsaturated environments.
• Use of water to control AMD: Theory and application examples
  • Water covers
  • Covers with capillary barrier effects (CCBE)
  • Elevated water table and a single layer cover
• Other techniques
  • Impervious covers
  • CCBE to control infiltration
  • Cover with oxygen consumption layer
• Passive treatment of effluents
  • Limestone drains
  • Treatment system with sulphate reducing bacteria (SRB)
• Discussions on recent progress and on-going projects

The course will be given in French (with one possible presentation in English).

The following persons will give the course:

• Michel Aubertin, École Polytechnique
• Mostafa Benzaazoua, UQAT
• Bruno Bussière, UQAT
• Mamert Mbonimpa, UQAT
• Carmen Neculita, École Polytechnique
• John Molson, École Polytechnique
• Ward Wilson, University of British-Columbia

For more information, please contact: