Summary

This review discusses the preparation and implementation of an Acid Rock Drainage Management Plan. All parts of the plan are discussed in detail, including facility design, performance assessments, construction and operation, and closure of the facility.

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INTRODUCTION

This is a brief piece on a focused topic: Preparation and implementation of an Acid Rock Drainage Management Plan (ARD-MP) for a mine. This piece is intended to set out options and approaches that:

• You may choose to use at your mine;
• Which may enable you to engage and manage a consultant to compile and/or implement the plan;
• As a regulator review the plan for adequacy and potentially approval; and/or
• As a member of the public, judge a proposed plan to manage acid rock drainage at a mine in your neighborhood.

TECHNICAL BACKGROUND

To use, understand, and benefit from this piece, you will need at least a basic understanding of the technical issues involved in acid rock drainage. There are so many fine writings on this topic that are readily available, that I only provide a few links, as follows:

• ARD Sampling
• Acid Rock Drainage Prediction
• Acid Rock Drainage - General Overview

All of these and the many other resources you may read on acid rock drainage boil down to a few simple facts: some rocks at some mines, when exposed to air and water, generate acidic runoff, and the acidity of the runoff may pollute water resources at and downgradient of the mine. The nature of the rock, the specifics of the chemical reactions, the level of acidity of the resultants solutions, and the severity of the environmental impact are site-specific. Only sampling and testing, modeling and analysis, will tell you how much work you have to do to build, operate, and close mine facilities that will not cause water quality impairment by acid rock drainage.