The Land Directorate of Environment Canada has estimated that by the year 2000 A.D. over
172,000 hectares of land would be disturbed by the mining industry. Of all the land used by the
industry, the disposal areas for the waste from the beneficiation of sulphide ore have the
greatest effect on neighbouring ecosystems. The sulphide tailings disposal areas, estimated at
over 9,000 hectares by the 1984 CANMET report, DSS 8032-8, impact the atmosphere,
hydrosphere and lithosphere if left uncontrolled. To date, the only environmentally sound
measure that has some remedial action on all three of the components of the ecosystem is
reclamation by the use of vegetation. It should, however, be mentioned that the effect of
vegetation on acid generation has not yet been realized.
Even though each sulphide tailings area has its own unique method of approach, seed mixture,
fertilizer analysis, planting schedule, etc., there are a number of components, technical
questions, problems and solutions that are common to all.
This manual provides as comprehensive a methodology as possible describing procedures for
preparation, neutralization, fertilizing, seeding and follow-up maintenance, if required, for
revegetation of reactive sulphide tailings disposal areas in Canada.
The manual introduces some fundamental basic building blocks which will assist the reader in
discussions with agriculturalists and other consultants experienced in the art of reclamation. The
building blocks are:
- The concept of macro and micro-climate and their effects
- Introduction to the nature and physical and chemical properties of soil
- Types of materials (overburden, waste rock and tailings) encountered at a mine
- General effects of lime, fertilizer and other amendments on soils and tailings
From these basic concepts a tailings revegetation program is developed. The site specific
program covers a two to three year time frame covering a minimum of at least two growing
seasons. It is divided into seven segments:
- Evaluation
- Program Planning
- Site Preparation
- Lime and Fertilizer
- Vegetation Selection
- Mulches, Chemical Stabilizers and Other Amendments
- Establishing Vegetation
The manual describes and illustrates some of the more common agricultural equipment and
implements required to prepare, seed and maintain mine waste areas.
A brief discussion of the problems associated with establishing revegetation programs north of
60 degrees latitude is presented. As well, the new avenues of research presently being pursued
in Canada and elsewhere are described.
Case histories are appended, reprinted from the May 1984 CANMET Tailings Management
Study, courtesy of Energy, Mines and Resources Canada. The case histories outlined include
the following:
- Reclamation at Cominco’s Bluebell and Pinchi Lake Mines
- Reclamation at Falconbridge Operations
- Reclamation Program on Inco Limited’s Tailings Areas
- Reclamation at Noranda’s Operations.
