Ecological perspectives in restoring mine waste management areas

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Ecological Engineering (EE) in mining waste restoration aims to apply knowledge of natural biological systems known to be present on rocks or minerals, and in sediments to practically and beneficially achieve human and industrial objectives in a natural self-sustaining way. Omitting or discarding ecological processes in the engineering of the mine waste management areas severely prolongs the longevity of current mining practices, when chemical treatment must be provided for hundreds of years. The potential biological controls on contaminant generation and the biological strategies available to reverse sulphide oxidation in mine wastes provide pathways toward less expensive, more energy-efficient and ecologically more acceptable strategies for mine waste management. The application of EE to mining has been demonstrated in several field projects and numerous publications, where the relevant bio-mineralization processes have been well-documented. Unfortunately, the EE approach has not been widely accepted, not because of its lack of a scientific foundation or successful implementation, but due to the challenge of effectively communicating the importance of ecosystem function and the associated geochemical and biological processes to the engineering fraternity. The mining industry needs to adapt to the values and aims of contemporary environmental engineering, to develop systems, structures, methods, tools and infrastructures to protect human and environmental health. The progress made in our EE projects has been brought about through the enhancement of ecosystem function. We will here briefly describe the transformation of an acid mine drainage dump into a productive, biologically-active polishing lake.