Advancing the Design and Performance of Sustainable, Long-Lived Passive Treatment Barriers for Metal Leaching and/or Acid Rock Drainage
Abstract
Metal leachate (ML) and acid rock drainage (ARD) present long-term environmental challenges at mining and industrial sites, particularly where groundwater contamination threatens surface water bodies or crosses property boundaries. The sustained impact of ML/ARD requires innovative, durable, persistent remediation solutions, with passive treatment solutions, such as permeable reactive barriers (PRBs), emerging as a proven mitigation technology.
This presentation will highlight advancements in design, construction, and verification of these barriers that significantly improve reliability and cost-effectiveness. Topics covered will include:
- Contaminants of Concern & Treatment Approaches: How treatment barriers effectively mitigate arsenic, cadmium, zinc, and other heavy metals in groundwater.
- Innovations in Design: The evolution of site characterization techniques, alignment profiling, and bench-scale feasibility testing to eliminate waste and uncertainty.
- Enhanced Installation Techniques: Selection of optimal installation methods for depth and geology – from unconsolidated overburden to dense till or even bedrock.
- Long-Term Performance & Verification: Case studies demonstrating the successful deployment of treatment barriers, showcasing groundwater monitoring results, geochemical stability, and sustained contaminant reductions over time.
Through real-world case studies, this session will provide insights into how ML/ARD treatment barriers continue to evolve into more precise, cost-effective, and sustainable remediation solutions, making them an increasingly preferred option for mitigating heavy metal impacts in groundwater at complex contaminated sites.
Presenter: Pete Craig, B.Sc., M.Sc., PChem (BC)