ABSTRACT
ABSTRACT: Stabilization and reclamation of tailings ponds is often one of the most expensive components of mine reclamation, sometimes costing more than the entire tailings costs during mine operation. There are numerous ways to reduce these costs through better tailings technology selection, design, planning, and monitoring while providing greater landscape performance and better long-term environmental performance. Careful site selection, dyke design, and technology selection are critical to creating tailings landforms that are easy to reclaim. Methods and monitoring to minimize the volume of off-spec material are vital, along with plans to deal with the inevitable volume of soft material. As closure approaches, full geotechnical and hydrogeological characterization of the tailings are required for stabilization, cover and reclamation designs. Typically all areas of the tailings landform (slopes, beaches and ponds) must be made safe and useful. Landform design is a framework that is being successfully used to manage these soft tailings deposits.
