Natural Resources Canada
Compendium of Government-funded green mining
research and innovation programs and activities
September 28, 2010
Green Mining Initiative Intergovernmental Working Group
Table of Contents
Introduction
Alberta
British Columbia
Manitoba
Nova Scotia
Ontario
Quebec
Saskatchewan
Yukon
Fed / NRCan (CANMET-MMSL)
Fed / NRCan (Canadian Forest Service)
Fed / NRCan (Earth Sciences Sector)
Fed / NRCan (Office of Energy Efficiency)
Federal / Provincial / Territorial
Note: Jurisdictions across Canada were all approached to provide their input into the compendium.
Note: Nunavut has indicated they did not identify any appropriate activities/research for the compendium.
For additional information, please contact:
CANMET Mining and Mineral Sciences Laboratories
Phone: 613-992-7392
E-mail: canmet-mmsl@nrcan.gc.ca
Mail: 555 Booth Street, Ottawa, Ontario, K1A 0G1
Introduction
At the 2009 Energy and Mines Ministers Conference, Ministers endorsed the Pan-Canadian Green Mining Initiative (GMI) to improve the mining sector’s environmental performance while, at the same time, ensuring the international competitiveness as well as to create green technology opportunities for Canadian businesses. Ministers also agreed to participate through partnerships and policy measures to advance green mining and to strengthen linkages with other initiatives (e.g. the National Orphaned and Abandoned Mines Initiative: NOAMI), and to investigate methods to accelerate technology demonstration.
Governments across Canada are already significantly involved in the development of green mining technologies and processes, whether it is through research and activities that they perform themselves or fund (totally or partially). However, the information (i.e., projects, value, etc.) on these activities was scattered and not easily accessible, thus the need to have a document that would provide a broad overview of pan-Canadian GMI activities and research.
Objectives
By encompassing GMI activities and research across Canada, the Compendium meets several objectives that will advance the Green Mining Initiative:
- Foster collaboration and synergies by categorizing projects by common themes
- Identify key science and technology gaps
- Highlight the breadth and depth of GMI activities across Canada
Methodology
The Green Mining Initiative Task Group, a sub-committee of the Mines Intergovernmental Working Group, has designed a template for the compendium to facilitate the identification of government-funded research and activities. The mining-related departments at the federal, provincial and territorial levels were all approached through the Mines Intergovernmental Working Group to provide their input into the compendium.
‘Government-funded green mining research and innovation programs and activities’ is defined by all activities and programs that federal / provincial / territorial jurisdictions perform and/or fund (totally or partially) and that are related to the four broad GMI themes: Footprint Reduction, Innovation in Waste Management, Mine closure and rehabilitation and Ecosystem Risk Management.
The compendium will be updated annually.
Caveat
This list is only intended to provide a broad overview of GMI research and activities across Canada. Information included in the document should not be considered official governmental documentation. The compendium should be considered as a ‘snapshot’ that reflects GMI research and activities collected between May and July 2010, i.e., this list will never be static as projects are completed and new ones come on stream. Significant efforts were made to identify all GMI activities and research across Canada, but there might be additional ones that jurisdictions were not able to identify and not all jurisdictions have provided input to the compendium.
| Federal / Province / Territory | Research Areas | Description | Pillar | Theme | Projects / Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alberta | Comprehensive contaminant load study | With the expansion of the oil sands development and the growing concerns being raised about the industry’s contribution to the downstream movement of sediments, water and associated contaminants (naphthenic acids, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and metals), it is essential that the sources, fate, and ecological impacts of these contaminants to the Athabasca River, Peace Athabasca Delta, and Lake Athabasca be determined. | Ecosystem Risk Management | Ecosystems |
Contaminant Load Studies A series of reports and models will be produced which determine the influence of the oil sands operations in the Fort McMurray area as a source of metals, naphthenic acids, and polycyclic aromatic and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) to the Athabasca River, Peace Athabasca Delta, and Lake Athabasca through enhanced waste and/or sediment transport and the consequences of this to the health and these aquatic ecosystems. $300,000 x 3 years. Contact: Roger Ramcharita, Alberta Environment (780) 644 5290 Roger.Ramcharita@gov.ab.ca |
| Alberta | Water management and conservation | Through various ministries, $300 million in capital and $63 million in operating funding over the next three years will go towards supporting Alberta’s Water for Life strategy. To help sustain reliable, good quality water supplies for our communities, ecosystems and economy, $16 million in new funding will further the province’s knowledge and management of groundwater. Launched in 2003, Water for Life is North America’s most comprehensive water management plan. | Ecosystem Risk Management | Water |
Water for Life Strategy The Alberta government is investing $237 million to implement the 2008 Climate Change Strategy. Of that, $52 million from the Canada Eco-Trust for Clean Air and Climate Change and $155 million will be collected through the Climate Change and Emissions Management Fund, as large industrial emitters comply with greenhouse gas legislation. Other initiatives, such as consumer incentives, will get a boost of $30 million. |
| Alberta | Permeability characteristics of fine tailings | This study deals with understanding the consolidation and permeability characteristics of matured fine tailings from different bitumen extraction processes. Nuclear density measuring device will be used to accurately determine the density profile in settling columns. Physicochemical behaviour of clay water system at low effective stress will be studied. | Innovation in Waste Management | Waste Management |
Dewatering Behavior of Oil Sands Tailings from Different Processes. Graduate Study - through Oil Sands Tailings Research Facility (OSTRF) owned by the University of Alberta and sponsored by Canadian Oil Sands Network for Research and Development (CONRAD). Funding through the OSTRF’s $2.3 million worth of capital infrastructure from a Canada Foundation for Innovation grant (Federal Government), Natural Resources Canada, Alberta Science and Research Investment Program (Alberta Government) and Oil Sands industry partners (Syncrude, Suncor, Albian, and True North Energy). Contact: dave.sego@ualberta.ca |
| Alberta | Emission reduction | The newest operating oil sands company, Albian Sands Energy Inc., has seen a rapid development of methane emissions from their tailings pond. This research focuses on determining how methane is being produced from these tailings. Densification of Albian tailings will be analyzed in small- and large-scale columns. The results of this work will be compared to Syncrude tailings to obtain important insight on the effects of different oil extraction processes on methane production from tailings ponds. A better understanding of the complex process of biogenic methane production also holds implications for options in controlling greenhouse gas emissions, tailings management, land reclamation, and water recycle and reuse. | Innovation in Waste Management | Land, climate change, water, air, waste management |
The Potential Role of Aliphatic Diluent in Biogenic Methane Production and Accelerated Densification of Tailings at Albian Sands. Graduate Study - through OSTRF owned by the University of Alberta and sponsored by Canadian Oil Sands Network for Research and Development (CONRAD). Funding through the OSTRF’s $2.3 million worth of capital infrastructure from a Canada Foundation for Innovation grant (Federal Government), Natural Resources Canada, Alberta Science and Research Investment Program (Alberta Government) and Oil Sands industry partners (Syncrude., Suncor, Albian, and True North Energy). Contact: dave.sego@ualberta.ca |
| Alberta | Tailings separation | Different methods of solid – liquid separation including thickeners, inclined plate settlers, hydrocyclones, sedimenting centrifuges and filtering centrifuges have been studied. A series of tests including sedimentation in vertical and inclined standpipes and dewatering of composite/consolidated tailings (CT) layers of different placement thicknesses on inclined plates have been conducted to assess the dewatering characteristics of CT. Also some standpipe, flume, slump and vane tests have been conducted to study the dewatering and flow characteristics of the non-segregated tailings made from the centrifuged mature fine tailings (MFT). The results indicate that use of inclination along with dividing a thick stream of CT to multiple thinner layers enhances dewatering of the material significantly. Also for the CT made from thickened MFT, the initial results indicate that this material holds higher angles upon deposition in comparison to the CT made through the conventional method. | Innovation in Waste Management | Waste Management |
Approaches to Achieve Non-Segregating (Oil Sands) Tailings With High Solids Content. Graduate Study -through OSTRF owned by the University of Alberta and sponsored by Canadian Oil Sands Network for Research and Development (CONRAD). Funding through the OSTRF’s $2.3 million worth of capital infrastructure from a Canada Foundation for Innovation grant (Federal Government), Natural Resources Canada, Alberta Science and Research Investment Program (Alberta Government) and Oil Sands industry partners (Syncrude., Suncor, Albian, and True North Energy). Contact: dave.sego@ualberta.ca |
| Alberta | Tailings disposal | Foam technology has the potential to revolutionize surface tailings disposal by providing an environmentally safe alternative for reclamation of tailings. The major objective is to flow and float a pioneer sand layer on top of weak fine tailings as part of the tailings reclamation. The sand layer is going to be mixed with foam before being pumped onto the tailings pond. The role of the foam is to increase the buoyancy of the (sand/foam) mixture as well as to decrease the density. Moisture content of the sand, gradation, different properties of foaming agent as well as the physical characteristics of the tailings are among the very important parameters which must be accounted for in the tests. | Innovation in Waste Management | Waste management |
Foam Tailings: A New Methodology of Stabilization of Tailings. Graduate Study - through OSTRF owned by the University of Alberta and sponsored by Canadian Oil Sands Network for Research and Development (CONRAD). Funding through the OSTRF’s $2.3 million worth of capital infrastructure from a Canada Foundation for Innovation grant (Federal Government), Natural Resources Canada, Alberta Science and Research Investment Program (Alberta Government) and Oil Sands industry partners (Syncrude., Suncor, Albian, and True North Energy). Contact: dave.sego@ualberta.ca |
| Alberta | Research focused on catalytic in situ upgrading | Research is exclusively focused on in situ (in-place) upgrading: the simultaneous recovery and chemical upgrading of bitumen or heavy oil, ideally in an underground petroleum reservoir. This innovative concept has the potential to deliver enhanced recovery rates and reduced environmental impact, while producing oil with value-added properties (decreased viscosity, reduced sulphur, nitrogen and metal content, and increased API gravity) that would allow pipelining without diluent from the field directly to refineries in North America and maritime export terminals. Thus, the centre targets the radical improvement of existing recovery processes, using in situ ultra-dispersed catalysts, in order to develop more efficient, cost-effective and environmentally sustainable processes and practices for in situ recovery and upgrading of Alberta's oil sands resource, with extremely low to zero environmental impacts. | Innovation in Waste Management | Water and energy conservation and CO2 emission reduction |
Catalyst Design, Kinetics, and Recycling Alberta Ingenuity Centre for In Situ Energy (AICISE), University of Calgary. The Centre is focused on research in these core integrated research areas:
|
| Alberta | Value-added research | The company is researching the value-added opportunities and environmental benefits of stripping out hydrocarbons and heavy minerals from oil sands tailings streams. Development of new technology that will reprocess an otherwise discounted waste product will add value to the bitumen resource and provide a number of environmental benefits such as reduced carbon dioxide emissions and smaller disposal areas. | Innovation in Waste Management/ Footprint Reduction | Waste management, emission reduction |
Value-Added Opportunities and Environmental Benefits of Recovering Hydrocarbons and Heavy Minerals From Mined Oil Sands Tailings. Titanium Corporation Inc., Alberta and Federal Governments. The Alberta government has contributed $3.5 million towards the project which is now going through a pilot demonstration operation at the CANMET facility in Devon, Alberta. |
| Alberta | CO2 Capture and Storage | The coal fired Keephills 3 power plan, will be one of the world’s first fully integrated carbon capture and storage facilities for a coal-fired power plant. It will use post-combustion, chilled ammonia technology to capture CO2. The carbon dioxide will then be used either for enhance oil recovery or stored almost three kilometres underground in saline aquifers. Through this process one million tonnes of carbon dioxide annually will be captured beginning in 2015. | Ecosystem Risk Management/ Footprint Reduction |
Air, environmental monitoring, waste management Air emissions, reduction in green house gas |
Project Pioneer TransAlta Corporation and its partners, Alstom and Capital Power. The Government of Alberta investment in this project is $436m and the Government of Canada’s investment is $343m. |
| British Columbia | BC Mining and Sustainability Awards | An annual award presented by the BC Ministry of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources and the Mining Association of BC to recognize companies, communities, First Nations, non-governmental organizations, government agencies and/or individuals committed to advancing and promoting sustainable development in the British Columbia mining sector | Ecosystem Risk Management | Responsible mine developments & operations | This Government/Industry initiative encourages responsible mine operations and raises community awareness of industry’s significant contributions to BC quality of life. |
| British Columbia | The Mining Climate Action Working Group |
The Mining Climate Action Working Group was one of eleven stakeholder-based advisory bodies formed to:
|
Footprint Reduction | Climate Action |
The Mining and Smelting Climate Action Working Group focused on three main areas of interest:
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| British Columbia | Cost-effective & responsible mine reclamation programs | Government – Industry – University sponsored technical conferences and field trips | Mine Closure and Rehabilitation | Effective and/or innovative mine reclamation programs | Technical papers, site tours, discussions and awards highlight innovative, leading-edge reclamation practices, encourage their adoption and ongoing improvement. |
| Manitoba | Ecosystem Risk Management | An ecologic study to determine whether acid deposition from base metal smelters in northern Manitoba has a negative impact on the ecosystem and where impacts are occurring. Lakes, Rivers and terrestrial environments were sampled for sensitivity. | Ecosystem Risk Management | Land, air and water | Manitoba Acid Rain Impacts Assessment-Sustainable Development Innovations Fund |
| Manitoba | Footprint Reduction | A flight demonstration project to isolated northern Manitoba communities using a Canadian airship was conducted. The project involved measuring GHG emissions per tonne/kilometre as a platform for mineral exploration thereby reducing the footprint | Footprint Reduction | Minimize resource inputs into mineral exploration and development in northern Manitoba | Polar airship demonstration project-Sustainable development innovations fund |
| Manitoba | Mine Closure and Rehabilitation | Manitoba initiated a four year investigation to study site specific human health and environmental site assessment for identified orphan and abandoned mine sites in Manitoba. | Mine Closure and Rehabilitation | Environmental risk assessment for air, water and land | Orphan Mine site Assessment Program-sustainable development innovations fund |
| Nova Scotia | Surface Coal Mine Reclamation Enhancement Initiative | The project includes the evaluation of former coal mine sites, development of protocols and “best practises” for reclamation and revegetation. Ecological studies. Test vegetation plots and monitoring of the sites has continued over 3 years. Recommendations for existing sites and future reclamation standards is ongoing. | Mine Closure and Rehabilitation | Rehabilitation | Concurrent Reclamation Practises at the Point Aconi Surface Coal Mine, A Collaborative Study by Pioneer Coal Limited and N S Natural Resources. |
| Ontario | Organic cover materials for tailings areas | Research and the investigation of organic cover materials for tailings areas has been integrated as a component of the Green Mines Green Energy program – a Natural Resources Canada led feasibility study with the objective of growing biofuel crops on mine tailings using organic residuals. The Centre for Environmental Monitoring (CEM) of MIRARCO has constructed four biosolids demonstration plots at three mine tailings sites with cultivation of several crops. | Mine Closure and Rehabilitation | Growing energy crops on mine tailings. | ORF-RE: Productivity Enhancement and Risk Management in Underground Construction and Mining(PERM): MIRARCO and CEM project Theme 3 – Providing new and innovative approaches to site remediation. |
| Ontario | Rock Fragmentation | Productivity Enhancement and Risk Management in Underground Construction and Mining (PERM) project with Vale, which focused on a fragmentation analysis for underground rock. Drilling and blasting practices were optimized so that 95% of the blasted rock is less than 0.46m. The material could then be transported by a new material conveyance system with increased capacity at lower costs and without emissions. | Footprint Reduction | Material conveyance with reduced emission | ORF-RE: MIRARCO/PERM project with Vale to develop a new material conveyance system, the Rail-Veyor, |
| Ontario | Natural heat exchange | MIRARCO/PERM work with Vale on the optimization of the natural heat exchange area at their Creighton Mine. The work allows Vale to continue mining to depth without incorporating rest periods for workers because of excessive temperatures. It also serves to manage financial risk and provide considerable energy savings by allowing the mine to postpone the installation of mechanical refrigeration | Footprint Reduction | Energy savings | ORF-RE: MIRARCO/PERM Project Title: “Productivity Enhancement and Risk Management” |
| Ontario | Remote Water Monitoring | PERM, in partnership with Symboticware (an Ontario-based Small to Medium Enterprise (SME)) is conducting work on the integration of cellular and satellite data transfer and integration systems for remote monitoring of lake and mine water systems to understand the environmental impact of mining and hence, understand both reclamation and conservation measures that can be taken. | Ecosystem Risk Management | Water conservation and reclamation | ORF-RE: PERM Theme 3 project “Remote monitoring of lake and mine water systems.” |
| Quebec | Mineral Processing | COREM – Optimisation of ore processing processes. |
Footprint Reduction/ Innovation in Waste Management |
Reduction of pollutants, effluents and energy consumption | Several projects totalling about $5M per year |
| Quebec | Mine Rehabilitation | Rehabilitation methods or waste management that reduce environmental impacts | Footprint Reduction | Mine Rehabilitation | Mine site rehabilitation using waste from other mining sites (Goldex-Manitou and Canadian Malartic Projects) |
| Quebec | Waste Management | NSERC Poly-UQAT Industrial Chair in Environment and Waste Management, partly funded by the Quebec Government | Footprint Reduction | Waste Management, Mine Rehabilitation | Several projects totalling about $1M per year |
| Quebec | Waste Management | Rehabilitation innovation that aims to reduce environmental footprint of mining operations - MISA (Abitibi) – pending funding from Ministère du Développement économique, de l’Innovation et de l’Exportation | Footprint Reduction | Waste Management, Mine Rehabilitation | Investigation of the use of treatment sludges in the prevention and control of acid mine drainage and preparation of a mine site restauration guide |
| Saskatchewan | CO2 Capture and Storage | The existing coal fired Number 3 Unit at Boundary Dam will be replaced with a new 115 megawatt coal fired electricity generating unit that will use post-combustion amine technology to capture CO2. SNC Lavalin-Cansolv will provide the carbon dioxide capture technology. The project is planned to begin commercial operation in late 2013 and will be one of the world’s first fully integrated carbon capture and storage facilities for a coal-fired power plant. The one million tonnes of carbon dioxide that will be captured annually will be used for enhanced oil recovery in nearby reservoirs. A decision on whether to proceed with the project will be made by the end of 2010. | Ecosystem risk management, Footprint Reduction |
Air, environmental monitoring, waste management Air emissions, reduction in green house gas |
SaskPower Boundary Dam Integrated Carbon Capture and Sequestration Demonstration Project SaskPower and its partners SNC Lavalin-Cansolv and Hitachi Canada. SaskPower will provide $758m and the Government of Canada’s investment is $240m. Oil producers would invest $400 million to convert their reservoirs to use carbon dioxide for enhanced oil recovery. |
| Yukon Government (EMR) | Metals toxicity to Fish | The overall objective of this project is to gain a better understanding of: 1) copper concentrations that inhibit olfaction in Yukon River Chinook salmon; 2) the potential role of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and dissolved iron in modifying copper concentrations that inhibit olfaction in Yukon River Chinook salmon; and 3) the potential influence of heterogeneous Yukon waters in modifying copper concentrations that inhibit olfaction in Yukon River Chinook salmon. |
Innovation in Waste Management/ Footprint Reduction |
Water Management |
Yukon Government funding and possibly Access Consulting Group, Nautilus Environmental, Simon Fraser University and Yukon Environment Total cost for two phases is $49,000. Phase 1 is $20,000 |
| Yukon government (EMR) | Revegetation | An Evaluation of Factors Influencing Spontaneous Vegetation Succession in Northern Latitude Disturbances: Assessment of Natural Recolonization of Historic Decommissioned Borrow Pit and Highway Sections in Yukon | Mine Closure and Rehabilitation | Land, ecosystems, rehabilitation |
Yukon funding $6,000 Consultant proposal |
| Yukon Government (EMR) | Land rehabilitiation | Soil Conservation, Replacement and Impact Mitigation Techniques for Linear Disturbances in the Yukon | Footprint Reduction | Land, ecosystems |
Golder Associates Ltd. Keyeh Nejeh Golder Corp Yukon Mine Training Assoc. Yukon Govt funding $15,000 requested. $5,000 approved to date |
| Yukon Government (EMR) | Best practices for land use | Limiting Access on Resource Roads: Working Guidelines for Industry | Footprint Reduction | Land, ecosystems |
Ecological Logistics & Research Ltd. Yukon Government funding $13,000 requested. $9,000 approved to date |
| Yukon Government (EMR) | Fish Habitat Management System for Yukon Placer Mining | Aquatic health and water quality objectives are monitored on an annual basis downstream of placer-mined sites. Under the Adaptive Management Framework, the results may lead to regulatory changes to ensure the system achieves its management objectives. | Ecosystem Risk Management | Ecosystems |
Partners: Fish Habitat Management System for Yukon Placer Mining Energy, Mines and Resources, Environment Yukon, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Council of Yukon First Nations, Environment Canada Research Costs: Approximately $160,000 per annum (not including salaries) |
| Federal, Natural Resources Canada (CANMET-MMSL), Ontario (Observer) | Green Mines Green Energy | CANMET-MMSL led consortium to examine use of “waste” organic materials to rehabilitate mine sites and establish energy crops (canola, corn, soy etc.) for the production of biofuels. |
Innovation in Waste Management/ Mine Closure and Rehabilitation |
Rehabilitation |
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| Federal, Natural Resources Canada (CANMET-MMSL) | Rock drilling & Fragmentation | Novel rock drilling and explosive-free rock breaking applications are projects to expose new guidelines, best practices and regulation associated with new technology used in U/G mines to control dilution, reduce waste disposal volumes in surface impoundments, develop new mining methods. | Footprint Reduction | Waste Management |
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| Federal, Natural Resources Canada (CANMET-MMSL) | Mobile Equipment Energy Road Map | Action plan to define a road map with strategic development targeting mobile equipment used in U/G extraction to improve energy consumption efficiency and reduce or eliminate diesel emission pollutants by targeting zero emission technology (hydrogen fuel cells, hybrid, battery, trolley) and identifying means by which diesel engine technology can be made cleaner (high performance fuel efficient engines, biodiesels, after-treatment technology) | Footprint Reduction | Energy |
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| Federal, Natural Resources Canada (CANMET-MMSL) | Ventilation Management /Automation | Ventilation in the mining extraction process accounts for approximately half of the energy costs. Because the relationship between airflow reduction and cost savings is cubic and not linear, huge opportunities exist to reduce the costs associated with underground mine ventilation. Present activities include mine ventilation systems management, analysis and modeling, problems associated with deep mines and ventilation on demand. | Footprint Reduction | Energy |
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| Federal, Natural Resources Canada (CANMET-MMSL) | Ground control for deep mines | Deep mining can be considered as one of the best (pro-active) opportunities for reducing footprint, as this type of mining usually involves high-grade deposits, hence limiting the amount of waste produced, and minimal disturbance of the ground surface (overburden and water table) as the mining proceeds at depth. However, this type of mining also takes place into severe conditions, under very high stresses, hence generating seismicity and related problems. Specific mining and ground support strategies need to be used to cope with such conditions. | Footprint Reduction | Waste Management |
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| Federal, Natural Resources Canada (CANMET-MMSL) | Productivity, Energy Efficiency and Risk management in Mining and Oil Extraction |
On productivity and energy efficiency in underground hard rock metal mines: Mining takes place into a series of steps starting from the inherent fracturation of the host rock, the need to reduce it to a smaller size to allow extraction, transportation and hoisting to surface. Optimisation of mining steps is crucial to maximize the energy consumption and productivity. On risk management of oil sands extraction: Technology developed in mines by CANMET-MMSL to monitor the seismic activity generated during extraction has been applied successfully to the extraction of oil from deep sand formations, mainly for the detection of casing failures. The main outcome of this activity resides in the protection of aquifers, e.g. preventing contamination due to eventual casing failures. |
Footprint Reduction | Energy |
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| Federal, Natural Resources Canada (CANMET-MMSL) | Bioleaching of ore | The main objective of the project is to investigate the technical and economic feasibility of the application of bioleaching to nickel ores from Canadian ore reserves and to develop a bioleaching process circuit including the detailed study of parameters that impact the efficiency and economical viability of the process | Footprint Reduction | Waste management |
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| Federal, Natural Resources Canada (CANMET-MMSL) | Energy Efficiency and Green House Gas Reduction | Reduce energy consumption & GHG emissions in the mining industry through optimal redistribution of rock breakage energy among blasting, crushing, grinding and autogeneous mill feed engineering; and development of novel approaches to grinding of ores. | Footprint Reduction | Energy |
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| Federal, Natural Resources Canada (CANMET-MMSL) |
Cleaner Metals Extraction Processes (Impurity element control and stabilization to address the sustainable processing concerns presently facing the Canadian base metals and precious metals industry) |
(1) Minimizing or completely replacing the electrowinning technology by ion exchange technologies which offer significant reductions in energy consumption and safer, cleaner working conditions. (2) The development and application of new hydrometallurgical technologies (as alternative to smelting) through the reduction of SO2 and heavy metal emissions and improved iron-control technologies that allow the containment of toxic elements in hydrometallurgical wastes. (3) Reduction of the use of cyanide (a toxic chemical) in gold and silver production. (4) Elimination of cyanide by using alternative less toxic chemicals for gold and silver extraction from ores |
Footprint Reduction | Ecosystems |
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| Federal, Natural Resources Canada (CANMET-MMSL) | Ground control issues in deep mines – innovative backfill | Deep mining can be considered as one of the best (pro-active) opportunities for waste management, as this type of mining usually involves the recycling of development waste and mill tailings into a backfill strategy to help support the ground. | Footprint Reduction/ Innovation in Waste Management | Waste management |
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| Federal, Natural Resources Canada (CANMET-MMSL) | Membrane technology | Membrane separation technology is still considered as an emerging technology in the mining sector and does not yet have the widespread acceptance and adoption that it has in other industrial sectors such as the drinking water sector. One of the objectives is to help increasing the acceptance and adoption of membrane separation in the mining sector in Canada in a way that it would receive due consideration as a viable technology option at the mine design and planning stage. | Innovation in Waste Management | Land / water |
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| Federal, Natural Resources Canada (CANMET-MMSL) | Mine water and acidic drainage treatment | Development and application of technologies to treat acidic drainage and mine water to produce cleaner effluents and minimize treatment sludge impacts. | Innovation in Waste Management | Waste management |
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| Federal, Natural Resources Canada (CANMET-MMSL) | Tailings management | Development, application and assessment of tailings management options. | Innovation in Waste Management | Waste management |
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| Federal, Natural Resources Canada (CANMET-MMSL) | Metal mobilization, characterization and attenuation for mine waste | Research to study the mobilization, stability and attenuation of metals in the environment through advanced waste characterization, long term impact studies and site assessments. | Innovation in Waste Management/ Ecosystem Risk Management | Ecosystems |
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| Federal, Natural Resources Canada (CANMET-MMSL) | Transformation/Dissolution of metals, metal compounds and alloys | The objective of T/D projects is to develop data on the behaviour of metals, metal compounds and alloys under a standard set of laboratory condition representative of those generally found in the environment. The T/Ds are used in deriving hazard classification proposals for submission to regulators, thereby enabling producers to continue and expand their markets in the targeted jurisdictions. | Ecosystem Risk Management | Ecosystems |
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| Federal, Natural Resources Canada (CANMET-MMSL) | Environmental effects of metals and mine effluents | This research area encompasses two key objectives: 1) Develop and/or improve on ecotoxicology methods, with a specific goal to improve environmental relevance of current lab-based toxicity methods (e.g. investigating the role of food in metal bioavailability) and 2) Assessing data-poor metals to fill essential data gaps. A number of metals have limited toxicity data available (e.g. thallium) making it difficult to accurately assess risk. By conducting this research we will be better able to estimate the effects of metals and mine effluents in the aquatic environment. | Ecosystem Risk Management | Ecosystems |
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| Federal, Natural Resources Canada (CANMET-MMSL) | Life cycle assessment | Life cycle assessment (LCA) is a technique used to assess possible impacts associated with the production, use, recycling and disposal of a product on the eco-system, human health and resource availability. The objective of the research area is to reduce shortcomings in the application of LCA to metals. The research areas aim a) to improve the LCA methodologies associated to minerals and metals and b) to applied methodologies to selected products containing metals. The expected outcome is to have a better science relevant decision making tool for products containing metals. | Ecosystem Risk Management | Ecosystems |
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| Federal, Natural Resources Canada (CANMET-MMSL) | Prediction of environment impact from mining activities | Studies and knowledge to characterize and understanding the impact of mining activities on the environment. | Ecosystem Risk Management | Ecosystems |
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| Federal, Natural Resources Canada (CANMET-MMSL) | Mine Environment Neutral Drainage Program (MEND) | Acidic drainage remains one of the most significant environmental liabilities facing the mining industry. MEND was the first international, multi-stakeholder initiative to develop scientifically-based technologies to reduce the effect of acidic drainage. Through the efforts of MEND, a significant advancement in environmental management has been achieved that has contributed to the long-term sustainability of the mining industry and the environment. | Innovation in Waste Management/ Mine Closure and Rehabilitation | Waste management |
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| Federal, Natural Resources Canada (CANMET-MMSL) | Prediction Manual | Prediction of drainage chemistry is a technical subject, involving a large number of methods, properties and processes. The objective of this Manual is to provide the comprehensive, in-depth level of understanding needed to conduct a prediction program and then review the results. | Mine Closure and Rehabilitation | Rehabilitation |
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| Federal, Natural Resources Canada (CANMET-MMSL) | Anaerobic Bioreactors | The use of passive systems to treat acid mine drainage has been studied since 1978. Improvements are numerous but questions still remain. The objectives of this project were to elucidate the microbial process that is the rate limiting step in anaerobic bioreactors treating effluents contaminated with metals and determine if the addition of supplementary carbon sources will improve the performance of anaerobic bioreactors at low temperatures. | Mine Closure and Rehabilitation | Rehabilitation |
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| Federal: Natural Resources Canada, Canadian Forest Service, Alberta, Saskatchewan | Reclamation of upland oil sands mining sites | A land capability framework for oil sands areas prior to mining will be produced to describe their ecosystem characteristics, services, and properties at the landscape level. A synthesis of work to understand successional trajectories under reclamation alternatives, in terms of resilience and their capacity to deliver ecosystem services, will be developed from current knowledge and ongoing research. The framework will be used to forecast consequences and outcomes of reclamation activities under various land-use policy alternatives. Completion requires three years. Users are the Government of Canada (principally NRCan & Environment Canada) in commenting on the environmental reputation and ecological footprint of oil sands development, provincial governments, scientists, and the general public. The scope entails a historical reconstruction, current, and 50-year forecasted descriptions of biophysical conditions for oil sands lands of Alberta and Saskatchewan. |
Footprint Reduction/ Mine Closure and Rehabilitation |
Rehabilitation |
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| To date Federal (NRCan – ESS) | Sustainable mineral resources development |
Natural Resources Canada - Earth Science Sector (NRCan –ESS) is developing new knowledge base to support mineral exploration in Canada, notably in the North. Research activities under development will study mineral deposit systems of particular relevance to the Canadian economy including the far field effects of the potential mineral development. |
Ecosystem Risk Management | environmental monitoring, permitting/assessment process | Research activities in development to support the sustainable northern mineral development and linked to the Geomapping for Energy and Mineral (GEM) and Targetted Geoscience Initatives (TGI-4) initatives (Dr. Alain Plouffe, GSC-Northern). |
| Federal, Natural Resources Canada, Office of Energy Efficiency | Industrial Assessment and Technology deployment | IPD offers financial incentives for two types of assessments (Process Integration & Computational Fluid Dynamics) to help industrial companies perform assessments of their operations to optimize their processes, reduce operating costs, become more competitive and reduce greenhouse gases (GHGs) and air pollution – all by using energy more efficiently. CIPEC is also used as a vehicle for the piloting and deployment of new energy efficient practices and technologies, tools, best practices and benchmarking through industry partnerships and collaborations. | Footprint Reduction | Energy | Funding for energy assessments at 50% to a maximum 50k per study. Consultation and technical support is available through partnerships with CETC-Varennes and CETC-Ottawa and pilot/deployment opportunities are managed through partnerships with utilities, associations and facilities within industry. http://oee.nrcan.gc.ca/industrial/financial-assistance/assessment/index.cfm |
| Federal, Natural Resources Canada, Office of Energy Efficiency |
Industry Task Forces (Canadian Industry Program for Energy Conservation-CIPEC) |
The Industrial Programs Division (IPD) supports the Mining Sector Task Forces which are designed to share information, identify common needs & best practices and develop action plans for improving energy efficiency within the sector. The Task Forces each meet 2-3 times a year with 10-20 members attending each meeting (including IPD representation). | Footprint Reduction | Energy |
Mining Sector Task Force
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| Federal, Natural Resources Canada, Office of Energy Efficiency / PTs participate through the Canadian Advisory Committee | ISO 50001 | Canada, along with 37 other countries, is participating in the development of the new ISO 50001 standard for energy management systems. The purpose of this standard is to enable organizations to establish systems and processes necessary to take a systematic approach to set targets and measure progress towards achieving continual improvement of energy performance (energy efficiency, use, consumption and intensity). | Footprint Reduction | Energy | Michael Burke, Director of IPD, represents the federal government on the Canadian Advisory Committee, a 22 member group comprised of representatives from industry, government, utilities and academia, and has coordinated industry input to the ISO 50001 drafts. Publication is targeted for mid 2011. IPD will continue to play a major role in the finalization of the standard, aligning Canada’s path forward with international activities and supporting the early adoption and implementation of the standard by Canadian industry. Partners include Canadian Standards Association, Standards Council of Canada. |
| Federal, Natural Resources Canada, Office of Energy Efficiency | Dollars to $ense (D2$) Energy Training Courses |
Four targeted workshops to educate industry on various aspects of energy efficiency and provide the tools to help them do so – - Spot the Energy Savings Opportunities - Energy Monitoring - Energy Master Plan - Energy Efficiency Financing A 5th course based on the energy management information system (EMIS) tool will be piloted in 2010-11 and adapted to ISO 50001 after publication. Customized workshops for specific industries are developed using energy experts in consultation with sector/company representatives to address issues of importance to the sector. (Over 1000 individuals from the mining sector have taken D2$ training.) |
Footprint Reduction | Energy | IPD cost shares customized workshops on a 50/50 cost-shared basis and provides the facilitators and energy expertise to develop the courses to the needs of the sector/company. www.dollarstosense.ca |
| Alberta, Saskatchewan and Federal (NRCan – ESS) | Coal and Oil Resources Environmental Sustainability (CORES) |
Natural Resources Canada - Earth Science Sector (NRCan –ESS) will establish the natural background of inorganic (trace metals and nitrogen-chemicals) and organic constituents in the oil sands area to inform decision making in support of sustainable development of the resource. A unique regional geoscientific approach has been developed that combines historical perspectives provided by lake sediments and tree-ring records, with innovative isotopic fingerprinting. |
Ecosystem Risk Management | Water, air, permitting/ assessment process |
CORES- Accumulation and natural attenuation of organic constituents (Dr. Jason Ahad, GSC-Quebec) in collaboration with CANMET-Energy. CORES Biogeochemical cycles of metals (Dr. Paul Gammon, GSC-Northern) in collaboration with CANMET-MMSL. CORES Natural and anthropogenic perturbations of the nitrogen and sulfur cycles (Dr. Martine Savard, GSC-Quebec) in collaboration with Environment Canada. |
| Ontario, Quebec and Federal (NRCan – ESS) | Tools for Metal Mining Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA) |
Natural Resources Canada - Earth Science Sector (NRCan –ESS) is developing geoscientific approaches in support of EIA regulators and project proponents for metal mining development. On going research aims to extend the geoenvironmental ore model approach to strategic mineral deposits for Canada using innovative hydrogeology, geochemistry and remote sensing techniques. A biogeochemistry research activity is also in development to provide a tool to delineate expected impacts of proposed mineral development from the impacts of historical or current mining releases in receiving waters. |
Ecosystem Risk Management | Water, soil, environmental monitoring, permitting/assessment process | Geoenvironmental Model for U-Th-Mo-REE Granitic Pegmatite Deposits of the Grenville Province (Dr. Alexandre Desbarats, GSC-Northern and Dr. Michael Parson, GSC-Atlantic) in collaboration with the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission. Tools for Environmental Impact Assessment downstream of contaminated mine sites: The lac Dasserat study (Dr. Sam Alpay, GSC-Northern) in collaboration with “Institut de la Recherche Scientifique –Eau, Terre et Environnment. |
| Federal, Natural Resources Canada (CANMET-MMSL) / All provinces and territories | National Orphaned and Abandoned Mines Initiative (NOAMI) | The Initiative is guided by an Advisory Committee whose role is to assess key issues and put forward recommendations concerning collaborative approaches and partnerships for implementing remediation programs for orphaned and abandoned mines across Canada. Work is carried out in six key areas: Information Gathering/Inventory; Community Involvement ; Legislative and Institutional Barriers to Collaboration; Funding Approaches; Jurisdictional Legislative Reviews; and Mine Closure and Long-Term Liabilities Management | Mine Closure and Rehabilitation | Rehabilitation |
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