Mining in BC

BS

Kn.

You want photos of the whole process?

That whole Mount shear would be an open pit currently, if it wasn't for it's proximity to Vancouver. But yes, high quality Copper ore is dumped in a certain pit and then buried up there.

EPCOR won the design-build-operate contract and part of their proposal included assessing the viability of recovering the metallics from the treatment process. If they're not doing it, then it's because there was no money in it, NOT because of the "greenies".

I have read their proposal.

Kn.

EPCOR won the design-build-operate contract and part of their proposal included assessing the viability of recovering the metallics from the treatment process. If they're not doing it, then it's because there was no money in it, NOT because of the "greenies".

I have read their proposal.

Kn.

Well it's a good then Golders didn't get to open up. I guess their tests were all wrong.

KenN knows, like, EVERYTHING. We are all so lucky here at NSMB. group hug

ps - I love fracking

Big changes are happening in mining management of waste these days, particularly with water.

I'm relocating to the Kootenays to work in this program.

as much as i also dislike Mr Know It all:
say the leachate from Britannia is on the order of 10 mg/L copper (while is probably on the high side) … you would need to treat 100,000,000 litres per day to generate 1,000 kg per day (current value of ~$7,000). i'm guessing that plant is more likely treating 10,000 to 100,000 litres per day so we're talking $0.70 to $7 per day

Yeah, KenN is right. EPCOR could recover copper from the water they're treating if they wanted to, but it isn't economical. This is according to someone who was involved in the planning of the plant.

The potential open pit mining on Mt. Shear is a completely different story. If it were economical (I don't know first hand if it is), it would probably face more opposition from wealthy residents in the area (Lions Bay, West Van) who don't want a mine in their back yard, than from the "greenies".

How cool is it that industry, backed by our hypercon government, is adopting the same design concepts as soviet era communist propaganda posters?

Kn.

I'm not so sure. One is a photo montage based on a single point perspective and very much focused on one individual where are the other is a stylised graphic using some kind of isometric projection to neatly demonstrate the interconnections between industries, communities in mining however does appear to skip over the long and short term environmental impacts of digging a massive hole in the ground but that is quite hard to explain away in a pretty picture

KenN knows, like, EVERYTHING. We are all so lucky here at NSMB. group hug

Well, I did take part in preparing a proposal for pre-design services on that facility … so I might know just a tiny bit.

Kn.

In addition to this. The water was acidic containing elevated heavy metals long before miners arrived. Touring with the local first nations elders every beach we stopped at along the sea to sky they said, and so and so village lived here, and here, and here, except for here, britannia beach, the water here was always bad, so we have no ancestors here. Acid rock drainage isn't just caused by mining, it's part of nature. poor mining practices of the past have accelerated acid rock drainage, but we learned, we changed, we keep moving on. We didn't stop improving cars after the Model-T, similarly we didn't stop at the Model-T of mining either.

While the water may have historically always been acidic to say that mining didn't do that much more damage to Britannia beach is foolish.

Its all about surface area, the pre mining mineralisation had a certain surface area (think of a sphere). Now imagine if that sphere became a swiss cheese with 70% voids, how much more surface area is that for aerated groundwater to act on. Then take the material that used to be in the voids and treat it in such a way that the material left over becomes orders of magnitude more reactive. Then remove the vegetation that soaks up the oxegenated rainwater and stop it getting to the mineralized zones. Then when you have done all of this abandon it.

While the water may have historically always been acidic to say that mining didn't do that much more damage to Britannia beach is foolish.

Its all about surface area, the pre mining mineralisation had a certain surface area (think of a sphere). Now imagine if that sphere became a swiss cheese with 70% voids, how much more surface area is that for aerated groundwater to act on. Then take the material that used to be in the voids and treat it in such a way that the material left over becomes orders of magnitude more reactive. Then remove the vegetation that soaks up the oxegenated rainwater and stop it getting to the mineralized zones. Then when you have done all of this abandon it.

haha… simmmer, I did't need a basic lesson in acid rock drainage nor the history of Britannia mine and its impact. I know, seriously. I'm not taking the piss out of you in any way. I did not have any impression that the impacts of the mine were at par with what was there pre-mining. I know the magnitude of how bad things were and how it happened. I've been involved with the industry for over 10 years now. Anyway, your concern to clarify this for all is appreciated though.

As for this,

as much as i also dislike Mr Know It all:
say the leachate from Britannia is on the order of 10 mg/L copper (while is probably on the high side) … you would need to treat 100,000,000 litres per day to generate 1,000 kg per day (current value of ~$7,000). i'm guessing that plant is more likely treating 10,000 to 100,000 litres per day so we're talking $0.70 to $7 per day

To put it in another perspective. Mt. Milligan mine will be putting out appx. 120, 000 kg of Cu per day.

Lots of activity up here, mining is going to happen when the hy 37 power line goes thru, the mining companies want to use this land to make a bunch of $$$$$ so make them do it right so I don't really care how much $$$ it costs them to develop a mine, if they have to do more science/due diligence then the ologist's , the diamond drillers, truck rentals/hotels/gas stations/resturants ect all make coin even if the hole never gets dug so IMO … grind em

what is a greenie, are the NDP greenies?

my NDP MLA is the mines and energy critic and he seems to support mining

http://dougdonaldson.ca/news/Liberals_still_scrambling/

Buddy goes to roundup to represent his constituency where there are 12 projects in the works, here^^ he is pointing out liberal cuts caused a permit backlog

I'm at an iron ore mine right now in the north of Russia. Huge ugly pits. Looks like air and water pollution too. But then, I'm looking to buy a steel road bike pretty soon and just realized what steel is made from.

post some pics.