Increasing TSF Capacity Through Cover System Design

Okane was retained to design a cover system design and aid with remediation at a former mine site. The project scope included a site investigation and sampling campaign to identify contamination sources and assess potential rehabilitation materials. Deliverables included landform design for a mine waste storage facility, a cover system design, and developing remediation activities for all domains of the derelict site.

The main objectives were to improve water quality onsite by reducing the generation of acid and metalliferous drainage (AMD) and to limit sediment transport. Other objectives included providing stability and erosion protection for the landforms and identifying suitable materials for establishing vegetation while minimizing impacts on historical mine features.

Okane recommended an enhanced store-and-release cover system that incorporated a geosynthetic clay layer (GCL) as a low-permeability component. The use of a GCL reduced the cover system’s thickness and, in turn, increased the tailings storage facility’s (TSF) capacity. This additional capacity, along with landform and surface water management improvements, allowed contaminated materials from other locations to be relocated to the TSF, eliminating the need to construct multiple cover systems.