Grant: Alliance Grants

The mining industry is a significant asset to the Canadian economy. One of the most serious environmental issues related to mining is the reclamation of waste disposal areas that generate acid mine drainage (AMD). Several types of cover systems can be used to control AMD at mine sites, including low saturated hydraulic conductivity covers (LSHCCs), covers with capillary barrier effects (CCBEs), covers combined with an elevated water table (EWT), and insulation covers (ICs). All these reclamation techniques are highly sensitive to climate conditions since they are exposed to atmospheric conditions at the surface. One of the main challenges for cover designers is to define extreme climate conditions and to integrate climate change (CC) into performance predictions using numerical tools. Problematic extreme events to consider for cover systems design differ depending on the reclamation technique used and the environmental risks associated with infrastructure failure. The resilience capacity of the reclamation system must also be considered. Currently, there is no consensus on an approach to define extreme climate conditions for cover systems design. In this project, a methodological approach will be developed to determine such extreme conditions to apply in numerical models for cover systems design, with specific considerations for CC. Guidelines will also integrate environmental risks into the determination of the extreme conditions. This approach will contribute to standardization of the integration of extreme events (considering most recent CC projections) and considerations of environmental risk in the design of mine cover systems in Canada.