Newterra Helps Clean-Up One of the Worst Disasters in Ontario History
Kam Kotia was a Copper and Zinc mine located near Timmons, Ontario, Canada and is the site of what is considered one of the worst environmental disasters in the history of Ontario. The mine was in operation for several decades and was shut-down and abandoned in 1972. The site contained almost six million metric tons of unmanaged, high sulfide tailings that covered almost 3.1 square miles, which massively impacted all water, vegetation and wildlife surrounding the site. The remediation of this site had greater than predicted volumes of ground water, which resulted in unexpected repair time and additional costs.
Newterra was brought in to help remediate the site and provided a few key solutions:
•Designed and built multiple reactors for a two-stage pH adjustment using caustic soda solution and metering pump system
•Emulsion polymer was added using feed metering system for metal hydroxide precipitation enhancement
•Separation and dewatering was accomplished with geo-textile filter bags
In all, 600,000 m3 of acid water was treated, taking the influent pH level from 2.48 to pH 6-9 after treatment and copper levels from 15.6 mg/L to 0.3mg/L post-treatment.
From lack of water and wastewater services to strict discharge requirements, the mining industry faces many financial burdens. Newterra’s global expertise delivers cost-effective solutions that treat water efficiently and reliably for long-term performance. Newterra provides cost-effective remediation solutions for groundwater, water repurposing and volatile organic compounds, chlorinated solvents and total suspended solids (TSS) reduction — among others.
From simple indoor facilities to complex outdoor systems, we’re equipped to clean up your site. As a one-stop shop, we handle every step of the process in-house. You receive streamlined assembly and a knowledgeable team who can handle the most difficult contaminants and flow rates.
Contact us today to solve your challenging remediation problem.
