Effective and timely tailings management is imperative to Suncor’s reclamation plan and sustainability. A portion of our currently operating fluid tailings treatment area (DDA1) is located above the ore and must be removed with the advance of overburden operations. Integrating these materials into the overburden removal plan ensures an efficient approach that will reduce environmental impact and that is cost-effective. Safe and productive mining of mixed material with heavy equipment poses complex challenges concerning safe operations, regulatory requirements, schedule integration and final integration of a relatively low strength material into bulk-fill structures.
