CRITICAL
LITERATURE REVIEW OF ACID DRAINAGE FROM WASTE ROCK
Mine Environment Neutral Drainage at CANMET-MMSL |
MEND
Project 1.11.1
April 1991
EXECUTIVE
SUMMARY
This review
of existing information on acid-generating waste rock was based
on searches of numerous computerized databases, several visual searches
of libraries, and direct contacts with researchers, technical organizations,
and mining companies. Relevant documents were examined for detailed
information on theory, laboratory experiments, modelling, and field
studies. Documents were also critically assessed to determine their
validity, applicability, and weaknesses.
In order to
organize and present the findings of the critical review, waste-rock
piles were conceptually viewed as natural systems with transport
of water, solids, and gases through the piles as well as reactions
operating within the piles. The internal reactions included acid
generation, bacterial activity, acid neutralization, and metal leaching.
The effects of pile construction, phase transport and acid-control
technologies on the system were also addressed. Finally, recommendations
were offered for further studies and for decommissioning of waste-rock
piles.
This review
demonstrated that groundwater movement through and beneath waste-rock
piles represents the primary pathway for contaminant migration.
Consequently, detailed hydrogeologic studies of piles and their
surrounding environments are primary requirements in understanding
and predicting the migration of acid drainage. Furthermore, the
process of acid generation was found to be highly complex and most
published assessments of acid generation failed to consider this
complexity.
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