HYDROCARBON CLEANUP AT THE EKATI MINE SITE USING BACTERIA
Adding nutrients to the Ekati landfarm soil
Edited from an article by Robert Lacey, Delta Remediation, and Kurtis Trefry, Dominion Diamonds
T
he Ekati Diamond Mine is located near Lac de Gras in the Northwest Territories, approximately 300 kilometres north
of Yellowknife. The mine is only acces-
contaminated materials must be treated.
However, typically these sites have been
Ekati looked for innovative, alternative
located in warmer temperatures than
solutions which could be done on site
those at Ekati Arctic environment, and
and become part of the mine’s operating
these warmer temperatures result in
practices.
faster cleanup of the hydrocarbon-con-
sible by air, except for the brief period of
Ekati decided to clean hydrocarbon-
taminated soils. Also, it has been shown
winter road operation. This remote loca-
contaminated soil by using microbiology,
that soils that have moisture in the range
tion comes with many challenges, includ-
which would make use of bacteria to
of 10 to 20 per cent have healthier com-
ing limited timeframes for transporting
consume (metabolize) the hydrocarbons.
munities of bacteria that consume the
waste materials from the site to a treat-
This method would be cost-effective and
hydrocarbons quicker, which are gener-
ment facility, along with the high costs of
result in soil that meets the appropriate
ally conditions not encountered in the
transporting these materials.
regulatory criteria (Canadian Council of
cold and dry Arctic climate.
In response to these costs, the Ekati mine management decided to under-
Ministers of the Environment [CCME] Agricultural Guidelines).
The formal name for using bacteria to clean up soil is called “land farming”,
take a project which would treat con-
The effectiveness of bacteria at con-
and Ekati set out to determine whether
taminated materials in a self-contained,
suming hydrocarbons has been proven
this method would be effective with the
on-site area. Since Ekati has high environ-
in the cleanup of thousands of contami-
cold temperatures, the extreme changes
mental standards to meet, all spills and
nated sites under a variety of conditions.
in daylight over the course of the year,
8
The Journal of the Northern Territories Water & Waste Association 2021
