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POST-MINING DEVELOPMENT USING RESOURCES FROM FLOODED UNDERGROUND MINE WORKINGS
Citation:
NORDWICK, S., D. R. BLESS, H. JOYCE, AND K. MANCHESTER. POST-MINING DEVELOPMENT USING RESOURCES FROM FLOODED UNDERGROUND MINE WORKINGS. Presented at Hard Rock 2006 Conference - Sustainable Modern Mining Applications, Tucson, AZ, November 14 - 16, 2006.
Impact/Purpose:
To inform the public
Description:
Post-mining issues of land and surface utilization now serve to accentuate how important it is to incorporate sustainable development aspects into hard rock mining. In an effort to revitalize lands degraded by historic mining, 10 acres of mine tailings near the Belmont Mine have been successfully capped and reseeded with vegetation leading to the development of the area. The future of the vegetation is dependent on a limited and costly domestic water supply. Alternative water sources like the flooded mine workings would sustain the new vegetation. Additionally, the feasibility of using the flooded underground workings as a supplementary heat source for nearby buildings will be discussed. Recommendations will be made on using the recovered heat along with estimated cost savings that could offset operational costs of an irrigation water generation system.