The draft report by the EPA on potential mining impacts on Bristol Bay by the Pebble Mine or any of the other seven potential mines in that part of Alaska is published. Here is a link to one report thereon—there are hundreds of news items, so maybe look for others as well if the topic [...]
Archive for the ‘environmental’ Category
EPA Report on Bristol Bay and Pebble Mine
Posted in About the news, acid mine drainage, consulting, environmental, feasibilty studies, First Nations, Gold, Investing & Finance, mining, North America, tagged Alaska, Anglo American, bristol bay, EPA, fish, Pebble Mine on May 19, 2012 | 12 Comments »
EPA’s Pebble Mine Review: Presidents in the Making
Posted in blogs, consulting, environmental, Human relations and mining, North America, tagged EPA, Obama, Pebble Mine, peer review, politics, review, romney on May 14, 2012 | 2 Comments »
Background: In response to requests, the U.S. EPA has undertaken to review the Pebble Mine. They are apparently acting in terms of the Clean Water Act, although many dispute their authority to do so. The review is taking place before any formal submittals have been made by Anglo America, and many claim that Anglo should [...]
Cut and Paste Mining
Posted in environmental, mining, Tailings, tagged mining, paste, Reclamation, Robinsky, Tailings, thickened on March 29, 2012 | 2 Comments »
Could mining really be this easy? Cut the ore from the earth like a steady-handed surgeon, and then mend the wound with the salvaged skin of overburden and gangue. Surely we are not so lucky – we’ve forgotten the tailings – what to do about those pesky tailings?
What’s in a Name? – Thickened vs. Paste Mine Tailings
Posted in communication, environmental, mining, Tailings, tagged mining, paste, processing, rheology, Tailings, thickened on March 22, 2012 | Leave a Comment »
With the Paste 2012 conference on mine tailings just a few weeks away in Sun City, I’ve pinched this title from a question posed at the 2008 conference in the paper Surface disposal of paste and thickened tailings – A brief history and current confronting issues. So thank you to the authors (M. Williams, K. Seddon, and [...]
Stacked Against All Odds – Mine Tailings Stacks
Posted in environmental, Geotechnical, mining, Open Pit, Tailings, Underground, tagged mining, paste, stacks, Tailings, thickened on March 20, 2012 | 1 Comment »
The night is waning into dawn, and the air is thick with smoke and desperate moves. The mine mill is still churning off in the distance. The odds are against you – what to do?
Mining Subsidence and Loss of Water to Mines
Posted in Australia and New Zealand, Coal, environmental, Europe, Mining history, North America, Underground, tagged Coal, mining subsidence, woronora on March 15, 2012 | Leave a Comment »
The old adage “a picture is worth a thousand words” comes to mind when you look at the above photos. I was talking to a colleague about his trip to Timmins, Ontario for an Undergraduate Geological Engineering field trip to visit the old gold and base metal mines. I too had to share a few [...]
Monte Carlos analysis of mining groundwater impact. Why not?
Posted in consulting, environmental, Mining history, tagged groundwater. modeling, impact analysis, monte carlo on March 6, 2012 | 1 Comment »
Monte Carlo is a principality where you can go and gamble to the profit of the royalty of a small kingdom. It is also the most powerful way to quantify the probability distribution of an outcome of an essentially random process.
Groundwater Modeling in Decision Making About Mine Tailings, Waste Rock, and Heap Leach Facilities
Posted in acid mine drainage, brandy, consulting, environmental, Geotechnical, Heap leach, Software, Tailings, Waste Rock, tagged decision making, groundwater, Heap leach, modelling, Tailings, Waste Rock on February 27, 2012 | 1 Comment »
Introduction Today I went to HR Block and had my taxes calculated. It is a disaster: I owe lots and the total taxes I paid is more than the average Canadian salary. I am seriously considering selling up and moving to Las Vegas. And stopping working. Why work to merely pay great sums to the government [...]
Sage Grouse, Mine Rehabilitation, and Government Deficits
Posted in About the news, Enviromental, environmental, Reclamation, tagged blm, karlsruhe university, Ontario, rare earth, sage grouse on February 15, 2012 | Leave a Comment »
The proposed 2013 U.S. Federal budget includes $1M “to support research on rare earth elements.” Compare this to the 2013 budget request for the Office of Surface Mining of $140.7M. Compare this to the Bureau of Land Management request for $15M to “implement sage grouse conservation and restoration to help prevent the future listing of the [...]