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Kam Kotia is a former Cu/Zn mine near Timmins, Ontario that had approximately 6 million tonnes of unmanaged acid generating tailings covering more than 500 ha.
The local environment has been significantly impacted.
Concerns include:
The former Kam Kotia Mine site is located approximately 35km North West of downtown Timmins.
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Total Production - 6.0 million tonnes @ 1.1% Cu, 1.17% Zn, 0.10 oz/tonne Ag.
During fiscal 2000/01 Senes Consulting developed the following five-phase conceptual rehabilitation plan for the Kam Kotia Mine site.
Funding for Phases "A" and "B" were from the Abandoned Mines Rehabilitation Fund.
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The construction of a Lime Addition Treatment Plant, as well as all of its required infrastructure, and the construction of a new NUT impoundment dam structure during 2001-2002 - final cost of $10.2 million.
Phase "B" involved the relocation of the SUT tailings to within the new NUT impoundment area during 2002-2003. Upon completion of the work, more than 340,000 m3 of SUT tailings had been relocated and buffered with Envirolime. Lime was also spread over the peat/soil surface in the SUT area to buffer residual acidity. Final cost was $3.6 million.
Phase "C" involved the relocation and buffering of the unimpounded NUT tailings to within the new NUT impoundment area. However, due to the large "pond" of acidified, metal-bearing water that had collected within the NUT impoundment area, the 611,000 m3 of the NUT tailings that were re-located during the winter of 2003/04 were stacked around the perimeter of the impoundment area. Approximately 34,000 m3 of tailings remained to be re-located from the farthest edge of the NUT area and from the various seeps and creeks.
The NUT pond's acidified, metal-bearing water was treated, As well, the stacked tailings where relocated.
Once the remainder of the NUT area tailings have been re-located, Phase “D” will involve the construction of the wet/moist NUT impoundment area cover. This project is currently underway and is expected to be completed by the end of the March 2011.
Phase “E” involves the construction of an engineered aggregate “dry” cover over the NIT area, and will also deal with the physical hazards on the mine site, including the thin crownpillar and the open pit. As Phases “C”and “D” could not be completed due to the contaminated NUT pond, the initial two layers of the Phase “E” NIT cover were built during the winter of 2004/05. Since then, the remaining construction of theNIT cover was completed by October 2008.
The rehabilitation of the physical hazards (i.e. the remainder of the Phase “E” work) is expected to be completed by the fall of 2011.
2006 Aerial View showing construction of NIT cover
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 NIT Before Photo 2001 |
 After construction of NIT cover, 2009 |
 After construction of NIT cover, 2009 |
