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Profile

Rescan was retained and appointed Agent by Newmont to reclaim the Trout Lake exploration property in southeastern British Columbia. The reclamation work followed the Trout Lake Exploration Project Closure Plan which was prepared by Rescan for Newmont in April 2003 and approved by the British Columbia Ministry of Energy and Mines. At the 2004 Mine Reclamation Symposium Newmont was the recipient of the 2003 Outstanding Achievement in Reclamation Award in the Mineral Exploration Category for their work on the Trout Lake Site Closure and Reclamation Project.

Overview

Newmont’s Trout Lake property, located in the Slocan Valley, was an advanced exploration molybdenum property in the late 1970s and early 1980s. The work, in addition to drilling, included a development portal (1500 m incline) equipped with a narrow gauge rail system, underground ventilation and dewatering system. The closed site consisted of a large number of ore piles, a development waste rock dump, remnants of a portable crusher plant, as well as camp and maintenance facilities.

Experience

The primary objective of the reclamation work at the Trout Lake exploration site was to return the property to a state comparable to what existed prior to the exploration.  To achieve this objective plans were made to; reduce the potential for acid rock drainage and metal leaching from the ore piles, contain and monitor the water flowing from the main portal,  eliminate safety hazards associated with structures and a general site clean-up to remove scrap metal and wood debris.  The novel approach to control the Acid Rock Drainage (ARD) potential was to compact and encapsulate PAG material into a mound thereby minimizing infiltration and oxidation. This was done in lieu of a bentonite/clay liner.