Reorientating Biedjovággi

Future, if the gold-copper mine reopen

After the mine closed (1991-)

R E O R I E N TAT I N G Biedjovรกggi Copper Mine Operating Period(1970-1991)

BOWEN CUI 10.03.2014

Before the mining industry

1

LASTING IMPACT WATER SYSTEM - SOIL - VEGETATION - HABITATS - SPECIES - ECOSYSTEM

FOTO: JOHAN ANTE UTSI / NRK

2

Biedjovaggi Reisa National Park Legend Contaminated sites Restricted use

Kautokeino

Water Quality Very good Good Medium Unknown

Sources: environment.no

Sources: vann-nett.no

3

H E AV Y M E TA L P O L L U T I O N The water on the mining site is unnaturally colored , partly with green, white or brown coating on rocks and vegetation. The water that covers over mine tailings in open pit has completely unnatural color, suggesting pollution from the mines .

Sources:Satellite Photo

4

Cu2+

Fe3+

Zn2+ Cr Ni As Pb Cd ?

Biedjovaggi area in 2006 and 2011.(by Svein Lund)

5

THE PROCESS OF POLLUTION

O2

Snow, Rain Cr Cu

Cu H 2+

Tailings Waste Rock

Zn

Fe

H+

Cr2+

H+

+

Metal Ions Acidic Water

Zn2+

Fe3+ 3+ 2+ Soil Cu Fe Cr2+

Fe

Zn2+

Permafrost

Zn

Cu

2+

Fe Cr2+ 3+

6

Cu2+

Zn

2+

Cu2+

Fish

Fe3+

Cu2+

Runoff

Cu2+

2+

River

dissolve

Arctic Tundra

3+

Cu2+ Zn2+

Soil

Tailings Waste Rock

Zn

2+

Zn2+

Fe3+

Vegetation Zn2+3+ Fe

Fe3+

Fe3+

Reindeer

spread

Cu2+

accumulate

Cr2+

The area co tipping ( ore ) , which tog tons of ore.

Contour Line & Surface Runoff

Contaminated Ground Water

路693

路710

ontains several marginal ore e with lower mineral content gether contain about 300,000

7

RESTORATION STRATEGIES

O2

Entry points

Snow, Rain Cr Cu

Tailings Waste Rock Recycling

H+

Metal Ions

H+

Cu2+ H+

1

Zn

Fe

Cr2+

dissolve

Zn

2+

Acidic Water

Fe3+ 3+ 2+ Soil Cu Fe Cr2+

Fe

Arctic Tundra

3+

Zn2+

Cu

2+

Cu2+

Zn2+

Permafrost

spread

Zn2+

Zn2+

Fe3+

Cu

2+

River Fe Cr2+ 3+

Soil

8

Cu2+

Zn

2+

Cu2+

Fish

Fe3+

Cu2+

Zn2+3+ Fe

Fe3+

Cr2+

Reindeer

Runoff Direct

Fe3+ Cu2+

accumulate Zn2+

2

3

Vegetation

Phytoremediation

Recycle the Waste Rock & Tailings Mining waste can be reused to reextract minerals, provide additional fuel for power plants, supply construction materials, and repair surface and subsurface land structures .

Site clearing

Clean up major sources of pollution

Brick machine

Constuction matertals

Sustainable development Fence Material ďź&#x; Sami Storage ďź&#x;

9

RESTORATION STRATEGIES 3+ 2+ Soil Cu Fe Cr2+

Fe

Arctic Tundra

3+

Zn2+

Cu2+ Cu2+

Permafrost

spread

Zn2+

Zn2+

Zn2+

Fe3+

Cu2+

Prevent contaminated water flow into the river Manipulate the ground morphology to redirect the water flow

runoff

river

runoff river

10

Runoff

Redirect water runoff to prevent the heavy metal iron spreading into the main river to cause large system damage.

Fe3+

Direct Contaminated Water Runoff river (to Alta)

2

accumulate Zn2+

Cu2+

River Fe Cr2+ 3+

Soil

Cu2+

Cu2+

Zn2+

Fish

Zn Fe

2+ 3+

Fe

3+

Reindeer

Cr2+

Cu2+

Fe3+

Phytoremediation in Cold Weather Soil

Fe Cu Zn

3

Vegetation

Remove metals from soil and concentrate them in plant tissues.

Metals can be removed by harvesting the plants (i.e. removal of annual litterfall of deciduous trees ).

metal-tolerant plants (willow and birch) harvesting leaves

Ni

burning as wood chips(renewable energy strategy) raw material for the production of paper

Sources: A pilot-scale example of phytoremediation in the arctic area, ENVIRONMENTAL BIOTECHNOLOGY 2 (1) 2006, 37-45.(The Kola Peninsula (66-70N and 28-41E) in Russia)

11

The impact of mining industry on nature is large and irreversible. The scar in the landscape and contaminated water system will take hundreds of years to recover, especially in arctic tundra ecosystem, where all the processes are slow and the system is extremly fragile. And we should be cautious when doing industrial development on this territory.