Virtual ICARD 2021

Photo Credit: S. Holland

The Virtual ICARD 2021 conference was held on September 21-23, 2021. Hosted by INAP and themed “Meeting Challenge Through Innovation”, this event attracted 387 delegates from around the world. There were 15 presentations, 2 site visit presentations, 3 panels and several networking sessions over the three-half-day event. The daily program featured presentations and a panel discussion on a specific topic: Day 1 on Learnings Driving Future AMD Management; Day 2 on Mine Planning for Closure; and Day 3 on Future AMD Management Strategies and Innovation. All presentations are now available for viewing.

And congratulations to the organizing committee members for this successful event.

Day 1 of Virtual ICARD

Focused on Learnings Driving Future AMD Management

Looking to the past can provide insight into future directions in Acid and Metalliferous Drainage (AMD) management. Talks in this session provided a perspective on past AMD management initiatives (e.g. waste rock blending) and their outcomes. There were four presentations from the organizations short listed for the INAP Leading Practice Award, representing the forefront of AMD management excellence. The panel discussion for Day 1 addressed AMD State of Practice from experts in Industry and Academia. The virtual site visit was Boliden’s Garpenberg operation in Sweden. The Day 1 session was of interest to all participants of the conference, given the range of topics.

Conference Opening Remarks: Chris Kennedy
ML/ARD Innovation and Factors to be Addressed – William (Bill) Price, NRCan
Leading Practice Awards – Teck, New Gold, Detour and Agnico
Technical Talk: Current Thinking on Waste Rock Mixing to Mitigate Acid Rock Drainage and Metal Leaching Potential – Stephen Day, SRK Consulting
Technical Talk: ARD Prediction and Management in Africa - The Pragmatic Approach by Rob Bowell, Queens University & SRK
Technical Talk: Advancing the Site-specific Geochemical Toolbox – Steven Pearce Mr, Mine Environment Management
Virtual Site Visit to the Garpenberg Mine, Sweden — Seth Mueller Senior Environmental Engineer, Boliden Mines
Day 1 Panel: AMD State of Practice
Day 1 Closing Remarks: Brandon Lewis, Environmental Scientist, New Gold Inc. - Afton Mine

Day 2 of Virtual ICARD

Focused on Mine Planning for Closure

The development of proactive mine planning for closure strategies is a crucial element to ensuring sustainable and profitable mine operations. Lack of long-term considerations can result in significant costs to the point that all value is eroded from a project. Decisions made by mine planners are particularly important for developing source control strategies, with more options to effectively reduce AMD risk available early in the mine life.

Mine and closure planners were particularly encouraged to attend Day 2 to hear from peers in the industry and understand how to influence and reduce AMD risks, ultimately leading to improved environmental and closure outcomes.

Day 2 Opening Remarks: Gilles Tremblay, Technical Manager, INAP
International Network for Acid Prevention (INAP) Update – Gilles Tremblay Technical Manager, INAP
Social, Environmental, and Regulatory Approvals Perspectives on Closure – Carleigh Whitman Director, Environment, Teck Resources Limited
Integrating Mine Planning and Closure Planning Are We Speaking the Same Language? by Mike O’Kane Founder & Senior Technical Advisor, Okane
Planning for Closure: Beginning with the End in Mind – Greg Doyle Chief Surface Mining Engineer - Copper, Rio Tinto
Closure Competencies and Interdisciplinary Collaboration for Improved AMD Outcomes – Jon Crosbie, Group Manager Closure & Remediation, MMG
Virtual Site Visit to the Bingham Canyon Mine, USA — Paul Brown Chief Geochemist, Rio Tinto
Day 2 Panel: Mine Planning and Finance Considerations for Closure
Day 2 Closing Remarks: Alexandra Hood, Director, Closure and Rehabilitation, Agnico Eagle Mines Limited

Day 3 of Virtual ICARD

Focused on Future AMD Management Strategies and Innovation

The Day 3 session focused on the future for Acid and Metalliferous Drainage (AMD) management. Perspectives on the use of machine learning, exploiting microbiology for mine waste management, water treatment, and industry initiatives in addressing environmental challenges, were given. The panel discussion for Day 3 addressed Barriers to Reducing AMD “from the classroom to the mine site”. The panellists covered a broad range of experience and addressed human resource challenges for the next generation of practitioners and addressed current practices in operations that could inhibit advancement of effective AMD management.

The Day 3 session was of interest to all participants of the conference, with an interest in the future evolution of AMD management topics.

Day 3 Opening Remarks: Bruce Kelley, Senior Advisor, INAP; and Russell Staines, Principal Environmental Geochemist, BHP
Technical Talk: Nitrate and AMD: An Opportunity to Innovate — Dr. Paul Weber, Mine Waste Management
Technical Talk: Geochemical data, machine learning, and mine planning: Using integrated, project-scale datasets for the purpose of environmental and engineering decision making — Kristin Salzsauler and Tom Meuzelaar
Technical Talk: Innovation in Mining Biogeochemistry: Can we avoid making science projects out of permits? Dr. Lisa Kirk, Enviromin, Inc.
Technical Talk: Future of AMD Management. Talk: A Paradigm Shift in Managing AMD - Sulfide oxidation in mine wastes is a globally significant CO2 source. Dr. Jeff Taylor, Earth Systems Pty. Ltd.
Technical Talk: Mine Water Treatment - INAP Update and Emerging Technologies — Bridgette Hendricks and Brent Usher
Technical Speaker: Acid Rock Drainage for Non-Geochemists – 40 Years of Observations. Michael Davies, Teck
Day 3 Panel: Barriers to Reducing AMD: From the Classroom to the Mine Site
Invitation to attend ICARD 2022 – Mansour Edraki, University of Queensland
Conference Closing Remarks: Chris Kennedy