Environment

The growing demand for metals and minerals in the green transition has highlighted the importance of strong environmental performance across the entire mining value chain. Mining operations must manage and reduce emissions, water use, water pollution, and waste generation to ensure long-term sustainability and social acceptance.

Within Work Package 5 (WP5) – Environment, CAMM focuses on understanding, controlling, and preventing environmental impacts from mining activities through a combination of applied and fundamental research. The work supports sustainable mining practices from operation through mine closure and post-mining phases.

Mine Water and Waste Management

A central focus of WP5 is the management of mine water and solid waste, including tailings, waste rock, and metallurgical residues. With large volumes of existing waste, research increasingly aims to convert waste into resources by recovering additional metals and minerals, while ensuring compliance with evolving environmental regulations and permitting requirements.

Applied research addresses the recycling, stabilisation, treatment, and remediation of mining waste and water to prevent environmental impact. In parallel, CAMM studies the safe storage of mine waste during and after processing, including the stability and long-term safety of tailings storage facilities and dams through field monitoring and mechanical assessment.

Environmental Geochemistry and Element Mobility

WP5 includes fundamental research in environmental geochemistry, recognising that human activities now play a significant role in shaping geological and geochemical processes. Research focuses on understanding the mobility, transformation, and fate of potentially harmful or critical elements in rocks, mine waters, tailings, and surrounding environments.

This includes studies of critical raw materials, uranium, rare earth elements, and other trace elements to improve knowledge of background levels, transport mechanisms, and long-term environmental behaviour. Such knowledge is essential for responsible water management, waste handling, and effective mine site remediation.

Predictive Modelling and Remediation Strategies

To support proactive environmental management, WP5 develops predictive models for mine water quality, including pit lakes and groundwater systems. By integrating field measurements, laboratory experiments, and advanced monitoring techniques, CAMM improves the ability to assess environmental risks and design preventive measures early in the mining process.

Research also explores innovative remediation strategies, such as the use of secondary materials to improve water quality and stabilise contaminated environments, contributing to safer mine closure and long-term environmental protection.

Mechanical Behaviour and Long-Term Stability of Waste

Beyond chemical aspects, WP5 addresses the mechanical behaviour of mine waste over time. Tailings and waste materials are studied under varying stress, ageing, and storage conditions to understand changes in particle shape, strength, and stability.

By linking mineralogical composition, particle properties, and mechanical behaviour, CAMM supports improved design and monitoring of waste storage facilities, enhancing safety and reducing environmental risk throughout the life cycle of mining operations.

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