The Mitigation of Acid Rock Drainage: Four Case Studies from British Columbia

A large number of mines throughout the world are faced with the high cost and technical challenges associated with ARD mitigation. The objective of this paper is to use four different British Columbia mines to describe the challenges mines face, generic components of cost effective mitigation, and site-specific approaches to reduce environmental risk and the post-mining liability. Potential mitigation strategies for individual mine components should be evaluated in terms of how well they must perform, how long they must last, what they will cost, compatibility with site conditions and their contribution to the cumulative risk and liability of the site. A key part of cost effective mitigation is gaining the necessary understanding of both the site and mitigation measures. A mine can dramatically reduce mitigation costs by using supportive site attributes and by making mitigation an integral part of the mine plan. Recognition of closure issues early in the mine life enables a mine to use operating facilities and personnel to address closure issues and run long-term, large scale tests under actual field conditions