Modern Mining April 2022

In short, the risk profiles of the dams were graded, accounting for factors such as their mineral content, the way in which they were deposited, and whether there were water systems nearby, both surface and subsurface. Given the company’s extensive expertise and knowledge of tailings remediation, having success fully been recovering profitable minerals such as platinum group metals, chrome and copper from mining and processing waste since 2012, Jubilee consulted on the project. Leon Coetzer, explains, “It is important to separately review the structural

surrounding water and soil. Quantities of lead have been absorbed by food grown on the land, leading to very high Blood Lead Levels (BLLs) in the local population, also caused by skin contact with lead, or inhalation of lead particles that are contained in dust in the air. Amnesia, seizures, neurological symptoms and developmental delays in children are some of the myriad diseases that high BLLs can induce. The World Bank estimates that 70,000 people in Kabwe have been impacted by lead pollution, not to men tion the effect lead contamination has had on wildlife and the biodiversity of the Kabwe municipality. In addition to water contamination, tailings dams, particularly those with poor engineering foundations, can fail suddenly and catastrophically. Historically, dam collapses around the world have caused many human and environmental casualties, and Zambia is no exception. One such Zambian example is the Mufulira Mine Disaster in 1970, where an unstable tailings dam collapsed, opening up a sinkhole which flooded the mine system, killing 89 miners on a night shift. When a tailings dam disaster occurs close to a developed area the effect on life, infrastructure and the environment can be grave and long-lasting. When Jubilee began investigating economically viable remediation projects on the Copperbelt its path inevitably crossed with that of the World Bank. At the time, the World Bank was beginning to assess government-owned historical tailings dumps by their risk profile, in order to allocate funds for the targeted rehabilitation of the highest-risk dumps.

Mining of PGMs tailings.

Opportunity exists to play a role in creating a safer and more sustainable environment for mining communities.

April 2022  MODERN MINING  41