Remediating the Giant Mine

Betty Lin driving a concrete truck at the Giant Mine 

The Giant Mine was in operations from 1948-2004. During operations, the process of producing gold also produced high amounts of arsenic trioxide dust which is a highly toxic product. When the mine closed, 237,000  tonnes of arsenic trioxide dust was sent to underground caverns/chambers for containment. Ground freezing was used to prevent the release of arsenic trioxide into the surrounding environment, followed by our project to fill the chambers with paste. The paste recipe was designed by me through onsite testing of existing excavated tailings mixed with slag cement to produce the target strength and flowability requirements to reach target specifications given by the Government of Canada. The site is still undergoing overall remediation, with the expected completion by 2038. More information can be found here: Giant Mine Remediation Project | Environment and Natural Resources (gov.nt.ca) This is what remediation at Giant Mine looks like. It’s going to cost more than expected | CBC News – Stories and photos submitted by Betty Lin, Hatch