ABSTRACT
The paper presents an interesting case history of the Pozo Azul Tailings impoundment at Breakwater Resources Ltd.’s El Mochito Mine in the department of Santa Barbara, Honduras. El Mochito is an underground lead-zinc-silver mine located on the eastern flank of the Santa Barbara Mountains of north central Honduras. The mine has been in operation since 1948 and is currently mining at a rate of 1,850 tons/day, yielding approximately 550,000 tons of tailings annually, which after mine backfill requirements are met is discharged to the Pozo Azul tailings disposal facility. Pozo Azul has a compelling history that has been fraught with technical challenges its entire life. Presented is a historical perspective of challenges faced by the tailings facility's designers and the innovative design modifications that have been implemented by the mine staff to overcome technical challenges associated with karst topography, seismic activity, changing environmental conditions, hurricanes and fluctuating metals prices.
