Snap Lake Working Group Meeting 3 09.29.2014 The De Beers Group of - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

The De Beers Group of Companies

09.29.2014

Snap Lake Working Group Meeting 3

The De Beers Group of Companies

Early Life Stage (ELS) Testing

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Contents Page 1. ELS fish toxicity Testing 2. Results of August 4 Fathead Minnow ELS test 3. Investigation 4. Preliminary Results of investigation 5. Ongoing work and reporting

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Early Life fe St Stage ge (ELS) fis fish toxicity ty testi ting ng

• Required by the water licence as of July 17, 2014
• A 7-d test with Rainbow Trout to assess embryo viability, and a 7-d test with larval Fathead

Minnow to assess survival and growth

• First time a Fathead Minnow larval ELS test performed for Snap Lake – August 4, 2014

sample

• Sample is a composite sample from 4 diffuser locations, to be tested at 100%

concentration only

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Results ts of Au August ust 4 Fathe head ad Minnow w ELS test t

• Test initiated August 7, preliminary results received on August 11-12, final results

received August 25

• By Day 4, fish in the lake water were not surviving; by Day 7, most fish in the test were

dead

• Control fish had 100% survival
• Initiated an investigation into the results of the toxicity results – two part investigation:

confirmatory sampling and data review– using the USEPA toxicity and Canadian MMER guidelines as guidance

• Notified the Inspector and the Board

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1) Leftover unused water from the August 4 toxicity sample shipped to laboratory for chemistry analysis – August 14 2) Effluent (SNP 02-17B) collected for acute Rainbow Trout and Daphnia magna toxicity tests and supporting water chemistry to confirm the effluent is not acutely lethal – August 21 3) Laboratory liaison to order test organisms for ELS tests – August 15 to 21 4) Diffuser area sampled for additional 7-d Rainbow Trout, 7-d Fathead Minnow, and 3-brood Ceriodaphnia toxicity tests and supporting water chemistry – August 26 5) Effluent (SNP 02-17B) collected for supporting water chemistry– August 26 Inve vesti stigat gation

• n

Confirmatory Sampling

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Inve vesti tigat gation ion Review of Data

• Review the following data:

– August 4 toxicity sample – August 4 water chemistry sample data – August SNP water chemistry data (effluent and diffuser stations) – August 21 toxicity and water chemistry samples – August 26 toxicity and water chemistry samples – Comparison of summer 2014 water chemistry – any spatial and temporal trends? – Site operational records – any operational conditions of note? – Review of field and laboratory handling procedures and QA/QC protocols

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• Acute Rainbow Trout and Daphnia magna tests – preliminary results indicate effluent was

not acutely toxic

• Fathead Minnow 7-day ELS test results indicated test water was not toxic (maximum 5%

mortality in test fish and 0% in control fish)

• Rainbow Trout ELS test – preliminary results indicate no statistical difference between test

fish and control indicating that effluent was not toxic

• Ceriodaphnia result – decreased reproduction in 100% effluent sample (IC25 = 82%)

Preliminar minary y Results ts of In Inve vesti stigation gation Confirmatory Sampling – August 26, 2014

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1) Leftover unused water from the August 4 toxicity sample shipped to laboratory for chemistry analysis – August 14 2) Effluent (SNP 02-17B) collected for acute Rainbow Trout and Daphnia magna toxicity tests and supporting water chemistry to confirm the effluent is not acutely lethal – August 21 3) Laboratory liaison to order test organisms for ELS tests – August 15 to 21 4) Diffuser area sampled for 7-d Rainbow Trout, 7-d Fathead Minnow, and 3-brood Ceriodaphnia toxicity tests and supporting water chemistry – August 26 5) Effluent (SNP 02-17B) collected for supporting water chemistry– August 26 Preliminar minary y Results ts of In Inve vesti stigation gation Confirmatory Sampling

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• August 4 failed sample was slightly turbid with elevated levels of metals (aluminum, iron, zinc)

compared to Snap Lake baseline but not at concentrations of environmental concern

• TDS, nitrate, other metals similar to historical concentrations
• On the basis of the preliminary review, no obvious rationale for the observed toxicity in the

August 4 sample

• All other testing appears to be not toxic, all other chemistry samples typical of past discharges

(final results still pending) Review w of D Data

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• Mid October De Beers will have final results
• Submit to the Board as discussed Oct 21

Next St Steps ps

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Questi estions ns?

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Water Treatment Studies - Status

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Water Treatment Studies - Status

• De Beers conducted limited off-site testing

in June – August 2014, to further evaluate technological options for reducing TDS loading to Snap Lake.

• Consistent with pre-feasibility studies of

technologies presented in TDS Response Plan

• Results confirm that reverse-osmosis

based technology can be up to 95% effective in removing TDS from Snap Lake Mine Effluent.

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Water Treatment Studies - Status

• Ongoing evaluation will confirm:
• secondary treatment (e.g., evaporation and/or crystallization)
• Percentage bleed and configuration
• Final waste types and volumes
• Final evaluation of the technology that is most effective, and also most appropriate for

Snap Lake, will be presented in a report that presents results of the evaluation of technological, environmental and economic tradeoffs

• This BATEA-type study will be submitted as part of the water licence amendment process

Waste Generation Energy Consumption GHG Emissions Operating Cost Infrastructure

↑ TDS removal = ↑

Other Considerations Reliability Scalability Effectiveness Temporary Brine Storage Seasonality of Road

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Treatment Implementation Timeline

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North Pile Activities

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Contents Page 1. North Pile Operations and West Cell Phase I Development 2. Phase II Design and LoM 3. Potential considerations for closure

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North Pile Operations and West Cell Phase I Development

• Current operations focused in the East Cell
• Pending on permitting approval, initial construction of West Cell

(Phase I) to start in early 2015

• Access roads and ditches potentially to be started in 2014
• Deposition of fine PK within the West Cell expected for January

2016

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North Pile Operations and West Cell Phase I Development

IL 7 lake IL 6 ditch Sump SP 5

EastCell Starter Cell West Cell (Phase I)

Grout Curtain Processing Plant Dorms WMP Stockpile organics

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Phase II Design Considering Life-of-Mine (LoM)

• Preliminary design package for Phase II (expansion of North Pile),

including life-of-mine plan is tentatively scheduled for 2016

• Design focus remains in maintaining a stable and environmentally

sustainable facility while allowing for a continuous mine operation

• Preliminary consultation indicates that a height raise may be

preferred over a footprint expansion

• Closure considerations for the North Pile will be included

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Phase II Design and LoM – Design concepts to be evaluated starting Q4 2014 Studies to be initiated in the remainder of 2014 to evaluate the following:

• Potential optimization of West Cell (Phase I) construction sequence,

considering current North Pile footprint and LoM volumes

• Potential opportunities in current North Pile design, including feasibility
• f stacking coarse PK and allowing for increase fine PK storage in the

West Cell without significantly increasing current facility footprint

• Potential opportunities for optimization of mid-term deposition

methodology to improve long term construction methods and slurry/surface water management within the facility.

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East Cell Starter Cell at ~480 masl (~ 40 m above Snap Lake)

Phase II Design considering LoM - Maintaining a stable and environmentally integrated facility

Approximate West Cell Phase I footprint

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Section Title

Potential considerations for closure Results of the studies to be initiated in the remainder of 2014 and that will continue through 2015 will also provide valuable information in terms of:

• North Pile capping requirements and potential capping layer mid to long

term behavior

• North Pile long term surface water management options

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Questi estions ns?