COPPER MINE RECLAMATION
I developed an engineering evaluation/cost analysis of cover options for seven tailings impoundments covering 1,200 acres at this copper mine. The evaluation considered numerous options for three basic types of covers: infiltration controlling, erosion controlling and oxygen-consuming. Cover options were evaluated based on performance, cost, constructability, design life, future land use, maintenance requirements and impacts from the tailings impoundments reclamation to ongoing operations.
I also developed a reclamation plan for this active copper facility by working with the mine's 20-year mine operations plan from which on-going and end-term reclamation requirements were established. The project required working within state/federal regulatory guidelines to develop a facility-wide demolition and land reclamation cost estimate to establish minimum bonding requirements. Reclamation cost estimates were also developed for two separate mining operations on BLM land in support of BLM's revised bonding requirements.
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All of this work led to remedial design and construction projects that developed remediation design of 2,000+ acre waste rock and heap leach stockpiles, including hydrology/hydraulics design, geotechnical evaluations and earthworks / regrading design for approximately $60M+ construction, spanning several years, facility locations, and contracts at the mine.
