In recent years, we have noticed the growing agreement over concerns for the enviroment and health. Cyanide bans have now reached 8 countries, with more on the way. The European Union almost passed a ban a few years ago, but didn’t, citing the need for change but lack of viable alternatives at the time. In Peru, locals blow up gold operations over health concerns.
Recently, these problems have come home.
4 Months ago in Williams Lake, B.C., the Mount Polley Tailing pound breached, releasing contaminants into the surrounding environment. the B.C. environment ministry released its first progress report Monday into the Mount Polley tailing pond breach.
“This is the very, very beginning. And it’s not to downplay the efforts that have been made by Mount Polley,” Environmental minister Mary Polak said in a conference call with reporters. “But the scale of the initial disaster is tremendous. We are at the very beginnings of this. It is going to take a long time.”
Going back to last year, this is not the first of it’s kind. On Oct. 31, 2013, 670,000 cubic meters of water and 37,000 cubic meters of sediment poured out of a containment pond at the Obed mine, located 30 kilometers northeast of Hinton.
This month, the Red Chris Mine was recently reviewed to have design problems that could lead to damages WORST then Mount Polley.
What kind of extraction is being used? Heap leach extraction techniques (cyanide). That means that these disasters might have been prevented. How? By using (DST:C) Dundee Sustainable’s technology.
The company’s patented green process for gold extraction utilizes chlorination instead of cyanidation, helping to provide a closed-loop process with recycling of reagents and water, eliminating the need for tailing ponds and the risks of containment collapse. Fortunately, DST has gained much recognition in recent years: The SDTC, The government of Quebec, MOU’s with Peru and Chile, and most recently, having a decree passed in Argentina’s San Juan for the use its technology.
Of course there is cost in switching extraction method, and DST is relatively new to the landscape. But with it’s lower costs, and it’s consistent 90{92d3d6fd85a76c012ea375328005e518e768e12ace6b1722b71965c2a02ea7ce} extraction or more, this method cannot be forgotten by those who wish greater returns and lower costs. As society pushes for more and more environmental and health consideration, it is technology like this that will change the way miners and policy makers view extraction.
One thing is for sure – change is on the tip of everyone’s tongue.