Waste material management at the Kemess South Mine to control environmental impacts

The ore and waste rock at Kemess Mine are highly variable and range from having high acid generation potential to high neutralization potential and some of the materials may also leach metals, notably selenium, at neutral pH. The potential environmental impact caused by the storage of ore and waste rock has been reduced to acceptable levels by the integrated materials management program. Management techniques include the ongoing sampling and classification of all rock types on site into 11 categories and the segregation of potentially problematic materials. This segregation requires a considerable effort on the part of mining operations to schedule and monitor waste placement. The materials management program has been successful largely due to the cooperation between the relevant departments at the mine, including Environment, Engineering and Geology, and the level of awareness of operating personnel. This paper provides details on the procedures developed at the Kemess Mine to control impacts. Included are details on the Acid Rock Drainage and metal leaching prediction methods employed and the material handling and segregation procedures use to achieve the required objectives.Non UBCUnreviewedOthe