Industrial waste products including seashells could help tackle the ongoing environmental harm from abandoned mine sites, new Tasmanian research suggests.
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"The deleterious environmental impacts of acid and metalliferous drainage (AMD) are a major concern in Tasmania," Mineral Resources Tasmania said in its latest newsletter.
"Historic mine sites across the state continue to produce AMD, generated from the oxidation of improperly stored sulphide-bearing mine wastes.
"Effective active treatment methods are an ongoing economic burden and generate metalliferous sludges that require further processing and disposal, highlighting the need for an economically and technically viable AMD remediation strategy."
UTAS Centre for Ore Deposit and Earth Sciences (CODES) student Annah Moyo in July completed a PHD project looking into the viability of using industrial waste products to control AMD from old mines.
Mineral Resources Tasmania said the study aimed to investigate potential use of eight alkaline industrial wastes.
They were green liquor dregs, red mud, coal ash, wood bed ash, fly ash and mussel, scallop and oyster shells from industries in Tasmania and Victoria.
"The findings of the project demonstrated that all the studied industrial waste products except for wood ashes produced sufficient alkalinity to neutralise AMD and reduce the solubility and mobility of metals of concern," MRT said.
"This proved most effective when industrial wastes were mixed or layered with mine wastes, rather than used as a cover.
"The co-disposal of industrial and mine wastes acts as a filtration system, eliminating the production of problematic melliferous sludges associated with active AMD treatment practices.
"Additionally, the high water retention and low hydraulic conductivity of the industrial wastes reduced permeability and oxidation of the mine wastes, resulting in decreased AMD generation."
MRT said the study concluded alkaline industrial waste products had potential to be a long-term economic and environmentally sustainable strategy for AMD remediation at abandoned mine sites.
Meanwhile, the director of mines intends to recommend new Resources Minister Felix Ellis grant a mineral exploration licence to a company called Mazel Resources involving construction materials in a 13 square kilometre area near Moina Rd, south of Ulverstone.
The licence area surrounds Lake Gairdner.
The proposal is open to objections from people holding mineral tenements or claiming an estate or interest in any of the land involved until September 9.