Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
FIGURE 18.6
Alternative Approaches to Tailings
Disposal
No 'One size fi ts all' approach to tail-
ings management exists; various dis-
posal schemes are common, sometime
in combination.
Backfilling
In-Pit
Surface TSF
Dry Stacking
Level
Coast line
Riverine
Submarine
18.2 ALTERNATIVE APPROACHES TO TAILINGS DISPOSAL
No 'One size i ts all' approach to tailings management exists; various disposal schemes are
common, sometimes in combination (
Figure 18.6
).
Uncontrolled Discharge
Uncontrolled discharge onto the
ground surface is still common
among artisanal miners.
Uncontrolled discharge onto the ground surface was relatively common practice for small
operations prior to the mid-twentieth century. It is still common among artisanal miners.
Riverine Discharge
Riverine tailings discharge is an
open tailings disposal scheme:
tailings slurry is released to
the environment without well-
defi ned boundaries.
Riverine discharge was also common practice prior to the mid-twentieth century, even at
some larger mining projects, including the Mt Lyell Copper Mine in the Australian state
of Tasmania. Contrary to conventional engineered TSFs, where tailings are contained
and the spatial extent of impact is well dei ned, riverine tailings discharge is an open tail-
ings disposal scheme: tailings slurry is released to the environment without well-dei ned
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