EXTRACTION, RAFINACJA ZŁOTA
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EPA 530-R-94-035
NTIS PB94-201811
T
ECHNICAL
R
ESOURCE
D
OCUMENT
EXTRACTION AND BENEFICIATION OF
ORES AND MINERALS
VOLUME 6
GOLD PLACERS
October 1994
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Office of Solid Waste
Special Waste Branch
401 M Street, SW
Washington, DC 20460
Technical Resource Document: Gold Placers
DISCLAIMER AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
This document was prepared by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA). The mention of company or product names is not to be considered
an endorsement by the U.S. Government or by EPA.
This Technical Resource Document consists of three sections. The first is
EPA's Profile of the gold placer mining industry; the following sections are
reports on site visits conducted by EPA to gold placer mines in Alaska.
The Profile section was distributed for review to the U.S. Department of the
Interior's Bureau of Mines, the State of Alaska Department of Natural
Resources and Department of Environmental Conservation, the Interstate
Mining Compact Commission, the American Mining Congress, the Mineral
Policy Center, and public interest groups. Summaries of the comments
received on the draft profile and of EPA's responses are presented as an
appendix to this section. The site visit sections were provided to
representatives of the companies and of state agencies who participated in
the site visit. Their comments and EPA's responses are presented as
appendices to the specific site visit section. EPA is grateful to all
individuals who took the time to review sections of this Technical Resource
Document.
The use of the terms "extraction," "beneficiation," and "mineral processing"
in this document is not intended to classify any waste stream for the
purposes of regulatory interpretation or application. Rather, these terms are
used in the context of common industry terminology.
Technical Resource Document: Gold Placers
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
1.0
........................................... 1-1
1.1
......................................................... 1-1
1.2
......... 1-2
1.2.1 Background ........................................................ 1-2
1.2.2 Current Operations ................................................... 1-3
1.3
...................... 1-6
1.4
....................................... 1-10
1.4.1 Background ....................................................... 1-10
1.4.2 Extraction Methods ................................................. 1-11
1.4.2.1 Open Cut Methods ......................................... 1-13
1.4.2.2 Other Methods ............................................. 1-14
1.4.3 Beneficiation Methods ............................................... 1-18
1.4.3.1 Sizing .................................................... 1-19
1.4.3.2 Coarse Concentration ....................................... 1-21
1.4.3.3 Fine Concentration ......................................... 1-22
1.4.3.4 Mercury Amalgamation ..................................... 1-26
1.5
....................................... 1-26
1.5.1 Extraction and Beneficiation Wastes and Materials ........................ 1-26
1.5.1.1 Waste Rock or Overburden ................................... 1-27
1.5.1.2 Tailings .................................................. 1-27
1.5.2 Waste and Materials Management ...................................... 1-28
1.5.2.1 Tailings Impoundments/Settling Pond Systems ................... 1-29
1.6
.............................................. 1-38
1.6.1 Surface Water ...................................................... 1-39
1.6.2 Ground Water ...................................................... 1-41
1.6.3 Soil .............................................................. 1-41
1.6.4 Wetlands .......................................................... 1-41
1.6.5 Wildlife ........................................................... 1-41
1.7
.............................. 1-43
1.7.1 Tailings ........................................................... 1-43
1.7.2 Stream Channel .................................................... 1-43
1.7.3 Floodplain ......................................................... 1-44
1.7.4 Soils ............................................................. 1-45
1.7.5 Mined Land Remediation ............................................. 1-46
1.8
................. 1-47
1.8.1 Environmental Protection Agency Regulations ............................ 1-47
1.8.1.1 Resource Conservation and Recovery Act ....................... 1-47
1.8.1.2 Clean Water Act ........................................... 1-48
1.8.1.3 Dredged and Fill Material .................................... 1-49
1.8.2 Department of the Interior ............................................ 1-51
1.8.2.1 Bureau of Land Management ................................. 1-51
1.8.2.2 National Park Service and Fish and Wildlife Service ............... 1-52
1.8.3 Department of Agriculture (Forest Service) .............................. 1-53
1.8.4 State Programs ..................................................... 1-53
1.8.4.1 Alaska ................................................... 1-53
1.8.4.2 Colorado ................................................. 1-56
1.
............................................................ 1-59
ii
Technical Resource Document: Gold Placers
2.
........................................... 2-1
2.
.......................................................... 2-1
2.
...................................................... 2-1
2.2.1 General Facility Description ........................................... 2-1
2.2.2 Regulatory Requirements and Compliance ................................ 2-9
2.
.............................................................. 2-11
2.3.1 General Facility Description .......................................... 2-11
2.3.2 Regulatory Requirements and Compliance ............................... 2-13
2.4
.......................................................... 2-14
2.4.1 General Facility Description .......................................... 2-14
2.4.2 Regulatory Requirements and Compliance ............................... 2-16
2.5
........................................................... 2-17
3.
................ 3-1
3.1
.......................................................... 3-1
3.1.1 Background ........................................................ 3-1
3.1.1.1 General Description ......................................... 3-2
3.1.2 Environmental Setting ................................................ 3-7
3.1.2.1 Geology ................................................... 3-7
3.1.2.2 Surface Water ............................................. 3-10
3.1.2.3 Ground Water ............................................. 3-10
3.
................................................... 3-11
3.2.1 General Overview ................................................... 3-11
3.2.2 Extraction ......................................................... 3-11
3.2.2.1 Excavation ................................................ 3-12
3.2.2.2 Water Management ......................................... 3-14
3.2.3 Beneficiation ...................................................... 3-15
3.2.3.1 Ancillary Facilities ......................................... 3-18
3.3
.................................. 3-18
3.3.1 Waste Rock ....................................................... 3-18
3.3.2 Tailings ........................................................... 3-18
3.3.3 Other Materials .................................................... 3-23
3.4
........................ 3-26
3.4.1 Federal Permits ..................................................... 3-26
3.4.1.1 Bureau of Land Management ................................. 3-26
3.4.1.2 Army Corp of Engineers ..................................... 3-26
3.4.1.3 Environmental Protection Agency ............................. 3-26
3.4.2 State Permits ...................................................... 3-27
3.4.2.1 Dam Safety ............................................... 3-27
3.4.2.2 Diversion Channel .......................................... 3-28
3.4.2.3 Alaska Fish and Game ...................................... 3-28
3.4.2.4 Solid Waste Permit ......................................... 3-28
3.4.3 Inspections and Compliance Incidents ................................... 3-29
3.4.3.1 Inspections ................................................ 3-29
3.4.3.2 Compliance Incidents ....................................... 3-30
3.5
............................................................ 3-31
iii
Technical Resource Document: Gold Placers
APPENDICES
APPENDIX 1-A
................................................... 1-65
APPENDIX 1-B
COMMENTS SUBMITTED BY U.S. BUREAU OF MINES ON
.......... 1-68
APPENDIX 1-C
RESPONSE TO COMMENTS SUBMITTED BY U.S. BUREAU
........... 1-70
APPENDIX 3-A
COMMENTS SUBMITTED BY CAMBIOR ALASKA INC., ON
........... 3-33
APPENDIX 3-B
EPA RESPONSE TO COMMENTS SUBMITTED BY
CAMBIOR ALASKA INCORPORATED ON DRAFT SITE
................ 3-34
APPENDIX 3-C
COMMENTS SUBMITTED BY THE STATE OF ALASKA ON
............ 3-36
APPENDIX 3-D
EPA RESPONSE TO COMMENTS SUBMITTED BY THE
............... 3-37
LIST OF TABLES
Page
Table 1-1.
................... 1-5
Table 1-2.
............................ 1-40
Table 3-1.
............................. 3-13
Table 3-2.
...................................... 3-20
Table 3-3.
.................................................. 3-22
Table 3-4.
.................................................... 3-25
iv
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