ABSTRACT
Most of the potassium chloride operations in the world, including some in Saskatchewan, were built before the current high level of regulations and public awareness of the need to protect the environment. However, while initial design and subsequent remedial actions taken by potassium chloride producers in Saskatchewan have restricted the environmental damage to the loss of land immediately under the surface refining facilities and the waste management areas, in many cases an imbalance exists between the life of a mine and the storage capacity of the waste management facility. Specifically, most mines have large ore reserves, which would allow these mines to operate for more than 100 years at current design production rates. However, using existing waste management methods, few mines have waste storage facilities that would last beyond 25 years without expanding their boundaries.
