Acid Rock Drainage Management and Remediation through Innovative Waste Rock Management Techniques and Mine Planning at Savage River

摘要

This paper builds on the strategic overview of the Savage River Rehabilitation Project as described by Dineen and Kent in an accompanying paper. Australian Bulk Minerals (ABM) purchased the Savage River Mine from the Tasmanian Government in 1996 and commenced mining after a period of refurbishment. The mining lease and the river for 30 kilometres downstream exhibited the impact of acid rock drainage (ARD), which under the Goldamere Agreement was the responsibility of the government. The mine contained more than seven waste rock dumps, which were leaching ARD into both Main Creek and Savage River. ABM needed to develop methods to remediate these existing waste rock dumps on behalf of the government through the Savage River Rehabilitation Program (SRRP); as well as manage its waste rock storages to prevent the production of additional ARD. ABM has recently been merged in Grange Resources (GRR) and is continuing cooperation with the SRRP. This paper outlines the engineering and construction techniques used to assist in ARD management; including those associated with an ARD collection and delivery pipeline system, an alkaline flow-through, a saturated clay cover of a waste dump and the remediation of a historic acid producing waste dump by construction of combined water shedding and alkaline side covers. Also discussed is GRR's proposed combined tailings dam/flow-through dump.