How can we reduce tailings? (2023)

How can we reduce the impact of tailings?

A main reason tailings dams are unsafe is because it is too expensive to build them safely and mining companies do not have an incentive to invest the resources. Tailings dams are built gradually over time, as the mine produces more waste and hydro dams are constructed all at once.

Tailings are the waste products from mining. Mechanical and chemical processes are used to grind up rock into a fine sand to extract the valuable mineral or metal from the rock ore. All the unrecoverable and uneconomic remnants from this process are waste.

Overview. Tailings are a common by-product of the mining process. They are typically created as mined ore is crushed, ground and/or processed to separate the valuable minerals and create a saleable concentrate product. The waste from this process is called tailings.

Tailings ponds are used to store the waste made from separating minerals from rocks, or the slurry produced from tar sands mining. Tailings are sometimes mixed with other materials such as bentonite to form a thicker slurry that slows the release of impacted water to the environment.

Diverting runoff water to prevent contamination of nearby water sources. Water treatment processes for surface water, process waters and other types of mining water. Implement a constant water management system both during and long after all mining efforts on the site.

When rain falls on tailings, it leaches away materials that can create water pollution, for example, lead, arsenic, and mercury. Sulfuric acid is sometimes produced when water interacts with tailings, or it can be a by-product of ore processing.

The effects can result in erosion, sinkholes, loss of biodiversity, or the contamination of soil, groundwater, and surface water by the chemicals emitted from mining processes. These processes also affect the atmosphere from the emissions of carbon which have an effect on the quality of human health and biodiversity.

Tailings dams will continue to be constructed because of the demand for products that contain minerals like copper. They are the only man-made structure of this size that will remain in perpetuity, even after a mine closes.

Tailings are the left-over materials from the processing of mined ore. They consist of ground rock, unrecoverable and uneconomic metals, chemicals, organic matter and effluent from the process used to extract the desired products from the ore.

What tailing means?

/teɪl/ us. /teɪl/ to follow and watch someone very closely, especially in order to get information secretly: That car has been tailing me for the last ten minutes. Thesaurus: synonyms, antonyms, and examples.

Tailings are a by-product of mining. After ore containing an economically-recoverable commodity is mined from the earth, that commodity is extracted in a processing plant or mill. After the commodity of value is extracted from the ore material, the resultant waste stream is termed “tailings”.

If not managed responsibly, tailings can pose potential risks to human health and safety, the environment, infrastructure, and to mining companies themselves. Responsible tailings management is essential to minimizing and mitigating these risks.

Upstream construction begins with a starter dam. The tailings are then discharged into the facility where they form a tailings beach. The deposited tailings adjacent to the dam wall is allowed to drain and then can be compacted to be used to form the foundation for subsequent levels of the wall as the dam is raised.

Seismic sensors can monitor earthquake hazards by effectively detecting seismic activity. It is possible to engineer these sensors to provide real-time data. Sensors equipped with magnetometers and accelerometers can also warn of movement in the walls of tailings dams.

There is no way to totally prevent pollution. The amount of pollution caused by tailings can, however, be mitigated by burying them underground. They must be buried under solid blocks (not rubble, such as Stone, for example). Dirt is the most economical choice, but almost any block can be used.

Cut down on chemicals and use environmentally friendly or organic fertilizers and pesticides. Plant more trees and plants. Do a beach clean-up if you live by the coast or remove plastic from rivers near your home. Finally, the issue of water pollution should always be in the back of your mind during daily activities.

An estimated 3,500 active tailings impoundments stand around the world, although there is no complete inventory, and the total number is disputed. In an average year, it would be expected that between 2 and 5 "major" tailings dam failures would occur, along with 35 "minor" failures.

How do we extract?

Extraction is the first step to separate the desired natural products from the raw materials. Extraction methods include solvent extraction, distillation method, pressing and sublimation according to the extraction principle. Solvent extraction is the most widely used method.

When rain falls on tailings, it leaches away materials that can create water pollution, for example, lead, arsenic, and mercury. Sulfuric acid is sometimes produced when water interacts with tailings, or it can be a by-product of ore processing.

Deposition techniques

Tailings can be discharged using subaqueous (below water) or subaerial techniques (above the water line, on the ground or on the tailings beach) (DPI 2003). The choice between these methods can dramatically effect how the tailings deposit and settle within the impoundment.

Regrinding Gold Tailings In A Mini Ball Mill! Better Recovery & More ...

The rehabilitation programme reduces the risk of humans and animals being exposed to asbestos fibres originating from sites where asbestos used to be mined. Job creation is one of the key requirements of the rehabilitation project. This contributes to some of the priorities of the National Development Plan.

Tailings dams will continue to be constructed because of the demand for products that contain minerals like copper. They are the only man-made structure of this size that will remain in perpetuity, even after a mine closes.

Tailings are generally stored on the surface either within retaining structures or in the form of piles (dry stacks) but can also be stored underground in mined out voids by a process commonly referred to as backfill.

An estimated 3,500 active tailings impoundments stand around the world, although there is no complete inventory, and the total number is disputed. In an average year, it would be expected that between 2 and 5 "major" tailings dam failures would occur, along with 35 "minor" failures.

You can manage overburden by piling it on the nearby surface of the mining site where it won't interfere with the ongoing operations. This is the rock waste that is mixed with the valuable mineral and needs to be processed. The separation of the mineral from the gangue is known as mineral processing.

What are in old mine tailings?

What are tAILingS. Put simply, tailings are ground up rock minus the gold. Rocks mined from underground which contain gold are called ore. Processing involves crushing the ore into sand to liberate and recover the gold.

Tailings are a by-product of a gold mining process that was common in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Rocks that contained both gold and arsenic were crushed and then spread over liquid mercury to remove the gold. The mercury was then evaporated, leaving the gold. The remaining sand-like substance is known as tailings.

Historic dredge tailings can be found throughout California, Idaho, Oregon, Montana, Alaska, and most other western states in places where there was enough water to operate them. There is plenty of gold that was left behind in these tailing piles awaiting discovery.

Mine rehabilitation (also referred to as reclamation) should be the process of converting mined land to its future valuable use - not a process of burying wastes, smoothing out the landscape and applying a green mantle of relatively valueless vegetation.

Eventually, once the most accessible and valuable materials have been extracted, the mine is closed, and the site must be restored back to its original state. This includes covering up mine entrances, replanting grass and trees, and testing surrounding water, soil, and air for contaminants.

Often in gold mines, rehabilitation is performed by scavenger operations which treat the soil within the plant area for spilled gold using modified placer mining gravity collection plants. Also possible is that the section of the mine that is below ground, is kept and used to provide heating, water and/or methane.