MINING NEWS: Canada revamps experimental mill

Natural Resources Canada has completed C$7 million in renovations to its experimental mill in Ottawa, adding flexibility, back-up systems and energy efficiency to the facility, according to the department.

The facility has been redesigned for use as a pilot-scale wet lab for industrial-scale research on mineral processing and environmental issues such as effluent treatment, mine reclamation, waste management, and ecological toxicology.

Among the ongoing projects are studies of effluent toxicity and passive effluent treatment to understand natural processes that facilitate treatment of mine contaminants, thus maximizing treatment performance and reducing land requirements.

The department is also looking at novel ways to reclaim mine waste, such as using lignin and its derivatives to promote growth of vegetation and metal uptake.

Research is also continuing on how mineral impurities interfere with gold dissolution, leading to increased gold extraction by adjustments in leaching methods.

Other projects are investigating ways to improve lime-neutralizations processes for treating mine water. The work could result in cost savings and reduce long-term environmental liabilities associated with disposal of mine-water treatment sludge.

—Allen Baker