Waste dump management at Quintette Coal Limited
CIM Bulletin, Vol. 81, No. 917, 1988
W. P. TASSIE,Quintette Coal Limited,Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia
The location of Quintette Coal Limited's pit and geologic nature of the dedicated reserves combine to introduce a number of factors which can adversely affect waste dump stability. These factors include steep terrain, variable material type and particle size, and precipitation. This paper describes the solutions to related waste dump problems. A brief geotechnical review of the waste dumps is given and Quintette's operational strategies during periods of dump stability and instability are discussed. Despite best efforts, failures occasionally occur and discussion is included on Quintette's success at bringing failed dumps safely back into use.
Keywords:
Open pit mining, Quintette Coal Limited. Waste dump management, Coal mining.
