NSERC Industrial Research Chair In Mine Site Reclamation

在加拿大和其他地方，与采矿业有关的最严重的环境问题之一是矿山废物处理区的污染。当这些废物含有硫化物矿物时，它们会氧化并在排水中产生污染物，当沥滤液呈酸性时，这种现象称为酸性矿井排水（AMD），而在近中性条件下，则称为受污染的中性排水（CND）。拟议研究的长期目标包括制定有效的填海战略，使用不同的技术限制环境影响和风险。更具体地说，该计划分为五个项目：1）反应性、水文地质特性和建模; 2）用工程覆盖物复垦AMD产生的尾矿储存区; 3）复垦AMD产生的废石堆; 4）复垦CND产生的矿山废物; 5）技术转让和复垦成本估算。拟议的主席正在综合使用不同的调查方法，包括实验室测试、物理建模、现场测量和监测以及数值模型开发和应用。该工业椅将允许开发新技术或改进现有技术，以回收位于不同气候条件下的硬岩矿山的矿山废物处置区。即使在项目的初始阶段，这一点也变得越来越重要，因为需要使附近社区相信，拟议的矿山在矿山寿命结束时不会成为环境问题。这项工作将通过高素质的人员培训进行，他们将成为急需的专家，帮助该行业生产金属，同时减少对环境的影响。

One of the most serious environmental issues related to the mining industry in Canada and elsewhere, is the pollution from mine waste disposal areas. When these wastes contain sulphide minerals, they can oxidize and generate contaminants in the water drainage, a phenomenon called acid mine drainage (AMD) when the leachate is acidic and contaminated neutral drainage (CND) in near-neutral conditions. The long term objective of the proposed research consists of developing efficient reclamation strategies that limit environmental impacts and risks using different technologies. More specifically, the program is divided in five projects: 1) Reactivity, hydrogeological properties, and modelling; 2) Reclamation of AMD generating tailings storage areas with engineered covers; 3) Reclamation of AMD generating waste rock piles; 4) Reclamation of CND generating mine wastes; 5) Technology transfer and reclamation costs estimates. The proposed Chair is using a combination of different investigative approaches that include lab testing, physical modelling, in situ measurements and monitoring, and numerical model development and applications. This industrial chair will allow developing new technologies or improving existing technologies to reclaim mine waste disposal areas from hard rock mines that are located in different climatic conditions. This aspect is becoming more and more crucial even at the initial stage of a project where the close by communities need to be convinced that the proposed mine will not become an environmental problem at the end of the mine life. The work will be performed through Highly Qualified Personnel training, who will become the much needed specialists that will help the industry produce metals while reducing their environmental impacts.