Abstract
Pit lakes can represent significant liabilities at mine closure. However, depending upon certain characteristics of which water quality is key, pit lakes often also present opportunities to provide significant regional benefit and address residual closure risks of both their own and overall project closure and even offset the environmental costs of mining by creating new end uses. These opportunities are widely dependent on water quality, slope stability, and safety issues. Unfortunately, many pit lakes have continued to be abandoned without repurposing for an end use. We reviewed published pit lake repurposing case studies of abandoned mine pit lakes. Beneficial end use type and outcome varied depending upon climate and commodity, but equally important were social and political dynamics that manifest as mining company commitments or regulatory requirements. Many end uses have been realized: passive and active recreation, nature conservation, fishery and aquaculture, drinking and industrial water storage, greenhouse carbon fixation, flood protection and waterway remediation, disposal of mine and other waste, mine water treatment and containment, and education and research. Common attributes and reasons that led to successful repurposing of abandoned pit lakes as beneficial end uses are discussed. Recommendations are given for all stages of mine closure planning to prevent pit lake abandonment and to achieve successful pit lake closure with beneficial end uses.
Highlights
Mine pit lakes are created, intentionally or otherwise, when open cut mine voids fill with water after mining and dewatering cease [1]
Recommendations are given for all stages of mine closure planning to prevent pit lake abandonment and to achieve successful pit lake closure with beneficial end uses
Pit lakes often present an attractive solution for disposal of mine wastes, especially potentially acid-forming (PAF) waste rock and tailings
Summary
Mine pit lakes are created, intentionally or otherwise, when open cut mine voids fill with water after mining and dewatering cease [1]. With over a half century of open cut mining demonstrated in most countries, pit lake legacies have been shown to present long-term and significant health, safety, and environmental risks that are difficult to resolve [7] These risks are, in particular, poor water quality (elevated metal concentrations and/or acidification due to the mobilization of metals as contaminants of potential concern (COPC) and the oxidation of sulfide minerals, pyrite) [6,8,9], unstable sidewalls and, landslides [10,11], and steep sidewalls accompanied by the risk of falling and drowning [12,13].
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