Tailings Management Questions

Note: Since these questions were posed, the tailing storage facility has been changed from a dry stack to a reservoir.

3.7 Tailings Management 

When Arctic air outbreaks occur in the Kamloops region, sublimation occurs due to the low humidity of the air. Temperatures in the mine area will typically fall to minus 20 to 30 C, accompanied by strong northerly winds. When these weather conditions occur, control of tailings dust may face operational problems due to the frigid conditions. 

1. What is the TSF constructed out of?

2. What materials are used and how it is constructed? 

3. Will the outer rim of the tailings facility be built up as the tailings are added, or will the rim be constructed to its final height during the early stages of the mine? 

4. If tailings dust cannot be controlled during Arctic air outbreaks due to sublimation and strong northerly winds, will the tailings dust be deposited on the south or lee side of the tailings facility similar to the way snow drifts build up behind lee areas? 

5. How will the fugitive dust from the tailing storage facility be controlled prior to the tailings being covered when the mine closes? 

In the July 11, 2011 letter from the City of Kamloops, the following questions were asked. The issues raised by these questions have not been sufficiently reflected in the draft AIR/EIS Guidelines: 

1. We are concerned about evaporation and leaching from the tailings pond. Does this have the potential to vaporize chemicals? 

2. Is there the potential for acid rain? Is there potential for leaching?