Acid rock drainage source control opportunities at the Red Dog Zinc and Lead Mine, USA

Authors: Clark, JL; Christensen, D; Lum, B

DOI https://doi.org/10.36487/ACG_rep/1152_102_Clark

Cite As:
Clark, JL, Christensen, D & Lum, B 2011, 'Acid rock drainage source control opportunities at the Red Dog Zinc and Lead Mine, USA', in AB Fourie, M Tibbett & A Beersing (eds), Mine Closure 2011: Proceedings of the Sixth International Conference on Mine Closure, Australian Centre for Geomechanics, Perth, pp. 341-348, https://doi.org/10.36487/ACG_rep/1152_102_Clark

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Abstract:
Located in the Western Brooks Range of Alaska, the Red Dog Mine is one of the most northerly active, zinc-lead open pit mines. Mining of high grade zinc and lead sulphide ores results in the production of waste rock that is mostly acid generating. Control and treatment of acid rock drainage (ARD) from waste rock and pit walls is one of the most critical environmental activities at the mine site. The treatment of ARD water from the main waste rock stockpile, containing total dissolved solids (TDS) values as high as 90,000 mg/L, is expensive today and it will be a major component of post-closure costs in the future. In order to reduce the amount of water to be treated in the near and longer term, Red Dog has initiated programs to minimise the production of ARD at the source, through construction of engineered cover systems on waste rock stockpiles and will make improvements in the collection and treatment of the ARD waters from the stockpiles, to allow for more efficient removal of TDS from the impacted waters.

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