The engineering firm that is currently responsible for the design of the failed Mount Polley tailings dam in British Columbia is also the lead engineer for the proposed Rosemont mine’s dry stack tailings dump.
The Vancouver Sun reported earlier this week that AMEC Earth and Environmental took over as lead engineer for the Mount Polley facility in March 2011. AMEC has been the lead engineering firm for Rosemont’s mine tailings waste dump since at least 2007 when the Mine Plan of Operations was submitted to the U.S. Forest Service.
AMEC is one of world’s largest environmental engineering firms with more than 27,000 employees operating in more then 40 countries.
Rosemontminetruth.com reported on August 7 that Knight Piesold, Ltd. was the original designer of the Mount Polley tailings dam and that Knight Piesold has also worked as a subcontractor for AMEC on the Rosemont tailings design. The next day, Knight Piesold issued a statement that it had severed ties with Mount Polley in 2011.
AMEC’s role as the current engineer at Mount Polley and also the lead designer of what would become the world’s largest dry stack tailings facility at Rosemont is expected to raise questions about the safety of the Rosemont design.
The Arizona Game & Fish Department has raised concerns that the dry stack tailings will leach toxic metals for the next 500 years into Davidson Canyon Wash and Cienega Creek, both of which are classified as Outstanding Arizona Waters that are protected by state and federal law from being degraded.
Last week’s failure of the earthen dam at Mount Polley released billions of liters of mine tailings into nearby creeks, lakes and rivers in the Cariboo region of British Columbia, CBC News is reporting. British Columbia environmental officials are stating the release of the tailings water is not expected to have a negative impact on water quality or fish, but local First Nations tribes are distrustful of the government assessment, the CBC reports.
THE DESIGN OF ANY TAILINGS POND/DAM/CONTAINMENT AREA IS A TECHNICAL CHALLENGE WHICH ENGINEERS CAN ACCOMADATE IN THEORY AND THEN PRODUCE A MODEL WHICH IS COMPUTER TESTED BEFORE PRODUCING THE REAL THING . SAFETY FACTORS ARE INTRODUCED TO INSURE THAT THE STRUCTURE DOES NOT FAIL .
HOWEVER , THE MINING COMPANY THAT ACTUALLY COMMISSIONS THE BUILDING OF THE STRUCTURE CAN MAKE CHANGES DURING CONSTRUCTION IN ORDER TO REDUCE COST . ALSO , THE COMPANY MAY CHANGE THEIR MINING ACTIVITIES DURING THE MINE LIFE WHEREBY THE SPECIFICATIONS OF THE ORIGINAL TAILINGS DAM/POND ARE VIOLATED . TAKING SHORTCUTS TO SAVE MONEY OFTEN LEADS TO MAJOR ISSUES FURTHER DOWN THE LINE . MINING COMPANIES LIKE TO GAMBLE . THE MOUNT POLLEY MINE INCIDENT APPEARS TO BE THE RESULT OF HUMAN INACTION WHERE THE COMPANY IGNORED ALL WARNING SIGNS AND THE GOVERNMENT FAILED TO CARRY OUT PROPER INSPECTIONS IN A TIMELY MANNER .
IN THE CASE OF THE ROSEMONT COPPER PROPERTY , HUDBAY MAY NOT USE AMEC TO DESIGN THE TAILINGS CONTAINMENT STRUCTURE . AMEC WAS THE CHOICE OF AUGUSTA WHO ARE NO LONGER INVOLVED WITH ROSEMONT . HOW MANY ” DRY STACKED ” TAILINGS HAVE AMEX DESIGNED ? HOW MANY ARE IN USE TODAY AND HOW MANY HAVE ” FAIL SAFE ” AND FREE FROM ANY AND ALL ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS ?
THE CONCEPT OF ” DRY STACKED ” TAIINGS IS RELATIVELY NEW AND PROBABLY MORE COSTLY DUE TO THE PROCESSING WHEREBY THE MOISTURE CONTENT OF THE TAILINGS IS REDUCED TO APPROXIMATELY 7% WHICH IS FAR GREATER THAN THE 9O% IN WET TAILINGS .
THE CONCEPT REQUIRES A RELATIVELY HOT , DRY CLIMATE TO BE EFFECTIVE . ANY RAINFALL WILL ERODE THE TAILINGS AND WASH THEM INTO ANY EXISTING DRAINAGE ALONG WITH THE SEEPAGE FROM THE TAILINGS WHICH CONTAIN 7% MOISTURE . PREVAILING WINDS WILL CARRY DUST FROM THE DRY STACKED TAILINGS AS THEY ACCUMULATE AND LOSE THEIR MOISTURE CONTENT . THIS FINE MATERIAL CAN BE CARRIED A LONG WAY AND COME TO REST IN AGRICULTURAL AREAS , RESIDENTIAL AREAS , OR AQUATIC AREAS AS WELL AS PRISTINE FOREST AREAS .
TAILINGS , IN WHATEVER FORM , ARE TOXIC . THEY ARE THE UGLY LEGACY LEFT BEHIND WHEN A MINE CLOSES AT WHICH TIME THE ENGINEERING FIRM , CONSULTANTS , ETC ARE LONG GONE AND FORGOTTEN .
THE ONLY SAFEGUARD , IF MINING IS APPROVED , IS FOR THE MINING COMPANY , IN QUESTION , TO OFFICIALLY PUT UP A MINIMUM $500 MILLION BOND FOR TAILINGS MISHAPS DURING MINING AND TAILINGS REHABILITATION AFTER THE MINE CLOSES . EACH MINE MUST BE ASSESSED SEPARATELY AS NO TWO ARE THE SAME .
TAILINGS WILL REMAIN TOXIC FOREVER !
Good Golly Lets Not Get Confused Mt Polley Is In The Mountains In A Canadian Tailings Dam!! Rosemonts Tailings Dump Is In The Arizona Desert!! God Bless America.
Happy Monsoon Season, Tom. Remember, water always flows downhill, so be safe and “Turn around, don’t drown.”
I hope all you naysayers take the time to see the damage to the environment caused by the dam breaking. This WAS a prime habitat for salmon reproduction a main source of food for the Native Americans. I hope the public will support the Game and Fish Dept. as they try to protect sensitive water sheds. Come on out to Picture Rocks and see the “lovely” dry tailings, from the limestone mine, that has half-way buried one mountain and keeps growing every day. It’s a “sight” that will be there forever.