3.4.6 Waste
The gangue extracted from the ore forms mine waste or "tailings."
Most of the tailings, in the form of rock dust, are sent to the fill plant located next to the concentrator.
In this plant, chemical reagents are added to the tailings to make a type of concrete slurry called "fill."
The fill is used to fill in the holes created by the extraction of ore from the mine. This strengthens the network of underground drifts and decreases the quantity of mine waste at the surface.
Tailings which are not used as fill are sent to a large pool called a "tailings pond." This is like a large artificial lake where the mine waste accumulates at the bottom.
In Québec, tailings ponds are rehabilitated when mining operations are over.
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