The problem of Acid Mine Drainage (AMD) poses a significant environmental
danger in British Columbia and other parts of the world involved in mining
activities. Oxygenation reactions responsible for the chemical generation of acidity
have been, by and large, identified. Thus far, rather simplified modelling
techniques have been used in the analysis of these complex reactions that possess
feedback loops characteristic of chemical chaos systems. Our primary objective
was to provide an in-depth study of the basic reactions in the AMD problem; to
model the associated chemical kinetics and draw conclusions regarding the
predictability of these nonlinear processes.

Having derived the constituent differential equations under several sets of
conditions, we have applied modern analytical and numerical techniques to
investigate the regimes of behavior for both acid production and neutralization
reactions. We have discussed important factors in the determination of predictable
and unpredictable ranges of behavior which should be of much use in the
prevention program. In the final two sections of the report an outlook has been
given for the next logical steps in the modelling of chemical kinetics for the AMD
problem. The report is supplemented with six Appendices that give the reader an
overview of nonlinear phenomena.