Abstract
Gold Mining and Submarine Tailings Disposal: Review and Case Study
Highlights
Gold has tremendous cultural and economic importance around the world, and gold mining is one of the oldest forms of mining on the planet
Environmental impacts associated with submarine tailings disposal (STD) of gold mine wastes vary widely among the relatively few cases studied
The mineralogy and ore processing techniques associated with different kinds of gold deposits may strongly influence the outcome of STD
Summary
A fringing coral reef in Buyat Bay, Indonesia, June 2002 This reef at 3 m depth is closest to gold mine tailings outfall. Environmental impacts associated with submarine tailings disposal (STD) of gold mine wastes vary widely among the relatively few cases studied. Local villagers observed fish kills shortly after the beginning of STD operations, and they noted fine red sediment resembling the tailings smothering corals on reefs adjacent to the tailings disposal site. Tailings from this mine dispersed from the intended STD depth of 82 m up to nearby coral reefs, and dispersal extended up to 3.5 km from the end of pipe. Methyl mercury derived from tailings was incorporated into the local food chain, probably via benthic invertebrates
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