A multi-Agency initiative to build a comprehensive database of the water quality in Western Australia’s mine pit lakes has been announced by ChemCentre.
The Mine Pit Lakes – their Characterisation and Assessment for In-Situ Metal Recovery Opportunities and Cost-Effective Environmental Management study is a three-year project.
In a statement, ChemCentre said the study would address knowledge gaps related to the prediction of future pit lake water quality.
“Early risk identification and better-informed environmental impact assessments, operations, mining plans and waste rock management will reduce associated whole-of-life mining operational costs and increase economic benefits,” ChemCentre said.
“The project is also investigating the potential use of novel processes to recover valuable metals from pit lakes’ systems.”
ChemCentre said that to date, data from 13 mine pit lakes had been added to the database.
“In order to identify temperature or salinity-induced stratification, the water quality of each mine pit lake has been measured throughout the water column, and this has already shown quite dramatic differences between surface water and water at the bottom for some pit lakes,” it said.
ChemCentre said the dataset was now being used to better understand pit lake geochemistry and undertake water quality and environmental risk assessments.
It said the study would be aided by expertise from the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, the Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety, and the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation.
“Encompassing all mining commodities in Western Australia, the study will provide industry and Government with tools to inform policy and guidance for mine planning,” ChemCentre said.
