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By Rexford D. Singer

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the current literature on the use of calcium chloride and ligninsulfonates as dust suppressants with respect to potential adverse effects on health or the environment. Calcium chloride poses little internal hazard to man and animals, but toxicity to vegetation in and around the area of application should be expected. The effects, however, should be considerably less than those observed from using calcium chloride as a road deicer. Except for trout, ligninsulfonates seem to pose little direct systemic toxicity problems in aquatic organisms, animals and man or any problem with local vegetation. Because of a greater volume of information on its use and effects, calcium chloride is recommended over ligninsulfonates.

Jan 1, 1982

By George L. Wilhelm

Timber support of mine openings continues to be an effective system for ground support, due to its avail¬ability, flexibility, and ease of installation. Timber support of mine openings as a primary method to support loose rock has been replaced to a large extent by rockbolting and by filling systems. How¬ever, the many designs of square-set timber and varia¬tions of crib and stull support that have been developed to suit many stope configurations have proven reliable over many years of application. Integrated in modern excavation and stoping methods, timber remains an im¬portant ground support material for today's mines. ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF TIMBER SYSTEMS Timber, when used as a part of the total support system, is recognized for its unique support properties. More than a cover to prevent minor falls of ground, timber systems have been carefully designed to provide adequate support with sufficient compressive qualities to achieve a safe working environment in extremely diffi¬cult ground conditions. In some cases, a timber support method is designed to yield while retaining its protec¬tive support qualities. Little or no initial investment in equipment or plant is required for incorporating timber into the mining support system. Low cost cutoff saws and portable chain saws are sufficient equipment for effective use of dimen¬sioned (sawed) or round (stull) timber support. Until recently, small sawmills of various complexity were com¬mon at mine surface plants. Sawmills at the mine sites have generally been replaced by timber vendors' mills. Suppliers have been able to use efficient cutting and lumber handling methods to reduce the cost of mine timbers. Most suppliers will package dimensioned mine timber into bundles that are suitable for handling down mine shafts and on level conveyances. The principal disadvantage of timber as a support method is higher material cost and labor cost associated with its labor-intensive installation. Furthermore, stand¬ing timber reserves of mine quality wood are in short supply in some areas, and heavy competition exists for alternative uses of the timber supplies. Vendors are reluctant to supply large cross section dimension tim¬bers relatively free of defects. Some mine operations require 4.8-m (16-ft) lengths of firm timber over 0.09 m2 (144 sq in.) in section and these are difficult to obtain in large quantities. APPLICATION OF TIMBER FOR MINE SUPPORTS Timber used in mine support has been cut from many species of trees. A firm hardwood with physical properties similar to western Douglas fir has been pre¬ferred in the US. Other harder and softer woods, how¬ever, have been used when readily available or where the specific strength or crushing quality of the wood is a desired specification of the support system design. Hard¬ wood, commonly oak, has been used where maximum crushing resistance is required. Mahogany and fir are widely used for shaft guide timber. Normally, timber is used with its core axis parallel to the long axis of the timber dimension. However, in some cases, it is placed normal to its core in a "butt" log position, so as to provide maximum resistance to abrasion of the ore passage adjacent to the cut end of the block. By selective placement of timber block¬ing, controlled resistance to ground closure can be achieved which will prevent early failure of primary sup¬port members of the timber structure. Timber is widely used in modern mining operations as a construction member for chute-lip support. These designs are tailored to each operation to conform to the dimensions of the haulage equipment being used. As a construction material, wood requires none of the spe¬cial equipment necessary for placement of concrete or steel support. Placement of these alternate support ma¬terials requires carefully dimensioned and engineered excavation for their installation. Wood can be easily sawed to fit on location. The successful use of timber in heavy ground de¬pends on the careful and accurate placement of block¬ing and bracing to achieve the controlled yielding re¬sistance needed to support the mine opening. Similarly, frequency, size, and placement of top and bottom block¬ing stulls in flat-bedded deposits are carefully determined to provide adequate support at the mining face. Con¬trolled caving through failure of the stulls may be required as the scope retreats from the earlier mined-out sections. The support program must achieve both of these dimensionless qualities by specification of stull frequency and size. The utility of the square set-system of ground sup¬port and timber support is described in Chap. 2, re¬printed from US Bureau of Mines Information Circular 6691. Four examples of effective use of timber for support of stoping and other mine openings are pre¬sented in other chapters in this section. The Gilman mine's use of Mitchell slice stoping described in Chap. 3 is an early modification of the square-set mining system. This application proved reli¬able for heavy ground and overcame some of the dis¬advantages of conventional square-set timber. Chap. 4 describes the Burgin mine's use of timber with other reinforcement material. This combination of materials achieved high strength and control with yielding com¬ponent members necessary for heavy, squeezing ground. Chap. 5 describes the Bunker Hill mine's use of square¬set timber in a new configuration that provides an effi¬cient and safe support for stoping using small load¬haul-dump (LHD) mobile equipment. Chap. 6 describes some considerations in placing the widely used stull in bedded ore deposits. Finally, in Chap. 7, cost calcula¬tions for

Jan 1, 1982

By B. N. Thompson

The main industrial minerals produced are non-metallic - clay, dolomite, limestone, pumice, salt, serpentine, and silica sand. The other minerals, some with minor production, include diatomite, feldspar, magnesite, sulphur, asbestos, and perlite. Energy and metallic minerals and aggregate are excluded from this account. These industrial minerals occur in a wide range of rock types and geological ages. For example clays are known from the weathering products of Cretaceous rhyolite and leaching of Eocene coal measures; from Quaternary weathering of contemporary loess and shallow marine sediments, and of greywacke of Triassic-Jurassic age; and from the hydrothermal alteration of Late Cenozoic acidic volcanic rocks.

Jan 1, 1982

By Peter Hall

The need for large volume covered storage has increased drastically in the last ten years. Increased world demand for such products as thermal coal, potash, metallic concentrates, etc., availability of land for large open storage and environmental issues have brought about this need. This paper discusses briefly demand, environment, types of covered storage and the Alternative Storage System "Eurosilo", a proven system for storage of dry bulk mateials in units up to 100,000 m3.

Jan 1, 1982

By J. R. Brett

Utah Development Company (UDC) operates five large opencut coal mines in the Bowen Basin of Central Queensland, Australia. In total, over 20 million tonnes of coking coal are exported annually from the five mines. Typically, the coal seams dip at 5 percent, are 2 to 10 metres thick, and sub-crop some 20 to 40 metres below surface. In the main, the operations are single seam, but multiseam (2, 3 or 4 seams) operations do exist and will form an increasing proportion of the mining activities as depths increase. Draglines are used as the major stripping equipment, highwall depths currently ranging from 20 to 65 metres. Whilst project feasibilities were based on stripping to a 60 metre highwall, it is now proposed to continue opencut mining to depths exceeding 100 metres. This will entail large quantities of prestripping (ahead of the draglines) and overcoming problems associated with steepening seam dips, including haulage of coal from the pits.

Jan 1, 1982

By Tweedy. D. H.

"The paper describes the rapid development of, and operational experience in the utilization of, pneumatic low-pressure pipeline hoisting systems to vertically convey raw coal and rock through shafts, supplementing shaft capacity-the greatest lift to date being 535 m.A typical installation has raised over 250,000 tonnes in less than one year from a depth of 413 m through a 350/ 400-mm pipeline at a rate of 85 tonnes per hour. Operational experience on seven systems has provided valuable data on performance and operating costs.The main advantages of the systems lie in the flexibility of the pipeline to occupy existing free space in shafts and underground roadways, the relatively low first cost, the short delivery and installation time, and the economical running cost.Conclusions are therefore reached on future applications for example, the use of boreholes in older mines where new production technology has outstripped shaft or slope capacity, inter-level hoisting to implement concentration on transport roads and perhaps full mine output from relatively small mines.IntroductionIt is seven years since the basic art and practice of the pneumatic hoisting of minerals was described. The technique was developed in Western Canada by Radmark Engineering and found favour in the United Kingdom with the National Coal Board. Engineering and commercial feasibility trails were conducted in collaboration with the Mining Department and Mining Research and Development Establishment of the N.C.B. There was also considerable involvement with the British Health and Safety Executive.During the last five years, rapid progress has been made in the installation of new systems in the United Kingdom, Hungary and other countries. The operational experience gained makes it possible to report ""in depth"" on these installations, which cover a wide range of different physical mining applications."

Jan 1, 1982

By Forest Mintz

Many oil and gas producers find it advantageous to borrow against the value of their hydrocarbon re- serves. This paper considers the requirements for a reserve based loan and the calculations that a bank would perform to arrive at a loan amount. Three of the most common loan structures, i.e. a term loan, a production payment, and a revolving credit/term loan will be discussed. A typical outline for each type of loan is presented. Finally, a comparison of major considerations in the three financing techniques is shown.

Jan 1, 1982

By L. L. Lien

In this economic age of high interest rates and softening mineral commodity markets, the mining industry is taking a hard look at how it conducts its business and where economies can be effected. The capital investment to build a new metallurgical facility or open a new property has traditionally attracted substantial investigation, analysis and management attention. The areas of mineral exploitation, financial feasibility, engineering and construction have been studied extensively and their management, although still difficult, have become refined disciplines.

Jan 1, 1982

By Brain W. Lawrence

Sublevel stoping generally is a large-scale open stoping method. It sometimes is referred to as long-hole or blasthole stoping. This method usually is applied to strong ore bodies that require minimal support and are surrounded by strong country rock. The ore body should be fairly regular in shape and well-defined. The dip of the footwall normally should be sufficient to allow broken ore to gravitate freely, although the method has been adapted successfully to mine some of the flatter ore bodies. Sublevel stoping is not dependent on the width of the ore body. Widths of less than 6 m (20 ft), however, make the utilization of long-hole drilling techniques more difficult. The main criteria for sublevel open stoping are competent ore and stable host rock, regular ore boundaries, and a footwall dip that exceeds the angle of repose of broken ore. Basically, the method entails providing access to the ore body at various subintervals between the main haul- age levels in order to drill and blast the intervening ore. Stope drilling is carried out from drilling drifts on the sublevels, and the ore is blasted in slices towards an open face, which generally is vertical on the downholes and may be inclined towards the open face for the up holes. The blasted ore gravitates to the bottom of the stope and is collqcted through drawpoints. Fig. 1 illustrates a typical sublevel stoping mine. The method requires extensive ore body development with relatively high capital expenditures. How- ever, much of the development is in ore, and production costs are comparatively low. Productivity rates are in the 13.6 to 27.2 t (15 to 30 st)/manshift range. The drilling, blasting, and loading operations are performed independently, and equipment utilization is high. Large outputs can be obtained with few units and limited personnel. Dilution with waste rock may occur if ore boundaries are irregular or if caving occurs, but 100% of the ore within the stope usually is recovered. Pillar recovery sometimes is a problem. It is at this point that most of the waste dilution occurs. At the time data was gathered for this report (1973), the sublevel open stoping method was used by more than 21% of the metallic ore mines in the US (9 out of 42 mines producing 1088 + t/day (1200 + stpd) and provided more than 12% of the total metallic ore production from these mines. DEVELOPMENT Access to a sublevel open stope mine is gained by a slope or shaft that is normally sunk in the footwall of the ore zone, away from any possible effects from blasting or other production operations in the stoping process. Main level interval is selected and usually varies from 45.7 to 121.9 m (150 to 400 ft), depending on the vertical extent of the ore body, the number of drawpoints required to maintain output, and the eventual stope height. The main haulage drifts are located at the bottom of the stope horizon, either directly in ore or in the footwall, with access crosscuts at intervals. Raises are driven up through the ore to connect to the level above and provide access and ventilation to the sublevel drilling drifts, which are driven horizontally in the ore for the length of the stope. Depending on the drawpoint system to be used, the stope is either undercut by a raise-and-cone system, from a scram or slusher drift, or simply provided with a drilling drift from which access is made at intervals to the main haulage level. A raise driven either at the end or in the middle of the stope (if stope access is from both ends) provides a start for opening up a vertical slot across the stope to establish a free or open face for long-hole drilling and blasting. Sublevel stoping has proved to be a relatively safe and economical system.

Jan 1, 1982

By Tom W. Pfeifle, Paul E. Senseny

INTRODUCTION Engineered structures such as mines, shafts and tunnels, and storage caverns for hydrocarbons, chemical s and brine are being built in natural rock salt formations in increasing numbers. In addition, salt formations are being considered as potential hosts for mined, nuclear waste repositories. The popularity of these formations for engineering purposes stems from the many favorable commercial, physical, and thermal characteristics attributed to the material itself. Not only have the formations been stable and free of dissolution for hundreds of millions of years, but the salt is fairly easily mined and has very low permeability, low water content, and high thermal conductivity. Another characteristic of salt is its tendency to flow or creep when subjected to a shear stress. Although this behavior may be desirable in certain instances, it may be detrimental in other instances since the creep rate may be large enough to produce deformations that tend to reduce the volume of storage caverns or to restrict access to mining operations. In either case, the engineer is faced with the problem of accurately predicting the long-term structural deformations under various combinations of stress and temperature and is required to compare these deformations with long-term design criteria. In the laboratory, deformation-versus-time curves obtained at constant stress and temperature show that creep of salt is similar to creep of many other crystal line solids. Figure 1 shows a typical deformation-versus-time curve for salt. When a shear stress is first applied, the rate of deformation is high, but decreases monotonically. This initial behavior is called transient or primary creep. At some time, the deformation rate no longer decreases but continues at a constant rate. This behavior is called steady-state

Jan 1, 1982

By H. Colijn

The design of bulk materials handling facilities is greatly influenced by the handling characteristics of the bulk solids. For instance, free flowing materials need only small discharge openings in hoppers, while cohesive materials require large discharge openings. Chute and hopper slope angles are affected by the sliding friction coefficients. During the past ten years, large lignite deposits in Texas are being opened up for energy production, both in generating plants as well as in synfuel projects. The early plants have encountered many problems in handling and storing this lignite. This paper will provide some information about the handling characteristics of Texas lignite.

Jan 1, 1982

By Edward Hanrahan

September 1981 I'm here today to report on a revolution -- a revolution in the way the Federal Government looks at energy. I'm not talking about a simple change in the relative emphasis on sources -- such as more recognition for coal and nuclear power, with less rhetoric about "soft- technology." Nor am I describing a mere change in focus -- from the demand side to the supply side. And I am not referring exclusively to our obvious goal of budget cuts. No, I'm here to discuss a fundamental change in Federal direction -- one that started as soon as President Reagan was inaugurated, and one that is articulated in the National Energy Policy Plan he sent to Congress in July. That brief policy document was backed up by three volumes of supporting data; but I think I can catch it's flavor for you in just three phrases: * First, various energy forms complete with each other and complement one another. * Second, fair competition among them (which includes honest pricing) will give us the best "energy mix." • And, finally there may be ligitimate arguments about where Federal responsibility in regard to energy spills over into Federal interference; but it's about time we drew the distinction -- and eliminated the latter. This Administration's national energy policy is quite different from any we have had in recent years. It is tuned to human nature and changing times. We are seeking the best practical solutions in the energy -a lot better than the ones we have been offered before, but still something less than perfection. One way we do that is by counting on a fully informed public to guide it's own destiny. And, instead of treating energy as an isolated entity, we recognize it as part of the overall economy. The President's Program for Economic Recovery is as much a factor in energy policy as the specific actions of the Department of Energy. One striking difference from the past energy policy 1s that this policy plan does not say: "In 1985 we will -produce so many hundreds of millions of tons of coal: . . . or . . . "By the end of this century the Nation will be deriving X percent of it's electricity from wind generators." Unfortunately, targets like these are what many people have come to expect from the Federal Government -- and what they think of as energy policy, whether the figures hold up in the long run or not. But . . . think about it! Nether the Department of Energy nor any other part of the Federal Government produces coal, or mines uranium, or manufactures solar collectors. There are only a few sections of the country where the Federal Government generates and sells electricity. So it does not take any great insight to recognize that the amount of energy we will produce or consume as a Nation In the future depends on many factors beyond direct government action. And those future totals cannot be predicted precisely, anyway -- by the Government or by anybody else. According to our way of thinking, the choices should be up to the people. When the free market works within a healthy economy, individuals express their preferences in the marketplace -- adjusting the balance of all energy factors continually in a way that no computer could be programmed to reflect perfectly. So, instead of having the Government issue a rigid set of numerical goals, our main concern simply is that there be enough energy. We want the Nation itself to decide how much that should be, what form it should take, and how that energy should reach consumers. The marketplace decides. Considering the recent past, this is indeed a revolutionary idea. It has some pitfalls, and we won't reach this ideal of free choice overnight. But that is where we are headed. And I'll offer some evidence in a few minutes that the policy has already started working. First, let me give you some of it's highlights: 1) Nobody who appreciates the philosophical underpinnings of this Administration will be surprised that the energy policy shows faith In domestic energy production and the supply side of the economy; but it also recognizes the important role of energy conservation -- the wise and efficient use of energy resources.

Jan 1, 1982

By John Tabor, R. B. Spivey

INTRODUCTION Shafts have been sunk in a number of ways. By and large, however, most have been sunk by drill, blast, muck, and slip form methods. Most methods have provided satisfactory means of completion. The major drawbacks to the conventional methods have been: (1) un- reliable cost estimates for completion; (2) unreliable rates of progress; and (3) unreliable integrity of the shaft lining. Recently , engineering design studies have been done that strongly indicate, that, by the use of existing proven technology, shafts can be completed faster, more cheaply, safer, and with a better lining that has been possible using conventional methods. THE METHOD The alternate method utilizes the techniques of big hole drilling, shield excavator tunnelling, and pre-cast concrete lining. Big Hole Drilling - Drilled shafts have been completed for several years and I don't intend to address the technology, only to point out the use of drilled shafts is an alternate method of shaft sinking. Ideally, in a multi-shaft mine, the first shaft would be blind bored and cased to a size, whereby it can handle the muck from the excavation of subsequent shafts. It should be an 8' to 10' completed diameter. The cost of such a shaft in sedimentary formations compares favorably with a conventional shaft. However, it is much faster. For additional shafts, the role of the drill is to complete small holes (3' to 4') to the desired horizon. This is merely a hole to allow slashing to a larger size with easier muck removal from an underground drift connected to the previously drilled shaft. The smaller holes, just as the larger one, should be cased and grouted into place so as to assure a smooth open hole. SHIELD EXCAVATOR Theory and History - Tunnelling Shields have been in common use for several decades, and steam powered shields were used in England over 100 years ago. The purpose of the shield is to provide temporary ground support, protect personnel during operation, and to house the excavating equipment. The excavating equipment approach has varied from attempts at a continuous or semi-continuous boring machine, the tunnel mole, to a mechanical or hydraulic digging arm. The shield may or may not be an active digging element. If not active, the boring tool or cutter is advanced ahead of the shield to full diameter and then the shield is moved up to the cutter, or the shield advances along with the cutter. If active, the cutter opens a conical free face, and the shield is either jacked forward so that the leading edge spalls rock to the free face or poling plates are thrust forward to spall to the free face. In either approach, various methods of muck removal are incorporated into the shield. These may be gathering arms, conveyors, or with moles, hydraulic transport, where the cuttings are sufficiently fine. The efficiency of the muck removal system is critical as excavation is rapid and the system could easily become muck-bound. Application to Shaft Sinking- Technically, the use of a shield to sink vertical shafts is no different than a tunnelling operation. It is, in fact, less complex in most respects. Muck and water removal are difficult in a blind-driven shaft. However, where an underground opening is available for handling muck and water, rapid shield sinking is possible, using a pilot hole for muck and water to fall through and be removed from below. The Tabor Mining Shield is basically a caisson approach, whereby, the ground is only seen at the face or bottom. It does have hydraulic jacks to force it downward and has segmented cutting edges which allows forepoling ahead of the shield. The hydraulic excavator allows mining in the center of the face around the previously drilled hole with the forepoling segments slabbing to this free face. First, the drilled hole is cased and grouted. The machine is a tube with an excavator. The work cycle is as follows: (1) The casing and grout are cut at predetermined intervals by shaped charges. (2) The casing is crushed by the excavator, removed from the hole and hoisted to the surface. (3) The excavator then rips out a face around the hole by digging the formation in tension and breaking the pieces

Jan 1, 1982

By R. N. W. DiLabio

"In a continuing program of mapping glacial dispersal trains, near-surface till samples were collected down-ice from a copper-silver-gold prospect at Onaman River, Ontario, and down-ice from the past-producing gold district at Oldham, Nova Scotia. The program is designed to aid exploration by illustrating glacial dispersal from various types of known occurrences and by identifying postglacial processes that control drift composition at a detailed scale.Native gold was mined at Oldham from arsenopyrite-bearing saddle reef quartz veins in a dome in Early Paleozoic slates of the Meguma Group. Gold abundances greater than 10 ppb in till form a dispersal train at least 1900 m long. Gold abundances between 40 and 100 ppb occur in clusters up to 600 m down-ice from gold-bearing bedrock. Anomalous arsenic abundances in till form a broad train 1100 m long that is significantly different in shape from the gold train.At Onaman River, subeconomic amounts of Cu-Ag-Au occur in quartz lenses in Archean mafic volcanic rocks. A dispersal train defined by the distribution of mineralized boulders and increased abundances of Cu, Ag and Zn in till extends 600 m down-ice from mineralized bedrock. Gold abundances between 10 and 70 ppb do not define this dispersal train, but occur instead in clusters 300 to 600 m down-ice from mineralized bedrock. In vertical sections in the upper 2 m of copper-rich till, Au abundances vary sympathetically with Ag and Cu levels; however, there seems to be no preferential site of Au enrichment in the mineral portion of the soil profile.Several of the mineralized boulders at Onaman River are richer in Au and Ag than the mineralized bedrock from which they were derived. Although some of the high Au and Ag assays were caused by biased sampling of sulphide-rich portions of the boulders, many were caused by leaching of sulphide minerals from 'the boulders, which left a limonitic boxwork that is enriched in Au and Ag. A few of the Au-rich boulders may have been derived from an unknown bedrock source."

Jan 1, 1982

By Roger W. Dewey

The opposition is all kinds. There are extremists. There are quiet, sensible sounding folk who can twist numbers and facts to make their point. But they are all out to shut you down! Some of them are genuinely concerned about miners' impact on the environment. Others are just anti- society, anti-big business - small is beautiful - live naturally. The opportunity for them to make those statements on television was provided by us, the Uranium Public Affairs Task Force, as part of a media tour of the State of Idaho in May. We fielded four representatives of the industry and got 25 hours of television coverage, 22 hours of radio coverage, and print coverage by every paper in Idaho. The tour included several debates, and these clips are from two of them. Our folks creamed them! This one was so upset that he ran off the set while his mike was still plugged in, trailing studio equipment behind him. But we don't always have the opportunity to rebut them. They are making these statements all the time, everywhere they can. They have learned their trade well. They use the hearing process like A1 Hirt uses the trumpet. If the process of intervention should shut us down or prevent us from getting a license, so much to the good. But even if it doesn't - they win - for it causes delay - delay costs money and so does complying with regulation. If they can make us uneconomic, and that's not too hard to do these days, they have won. Regulation restricts the decision process. Any time the decision process IS restricted, you face the possible loss of a more economic alternative. They are out to pile every regulation on you they can and every delay they can. Initiatives! They came after us - the uranium industry - in South Dakota and Montana last year. They won in Montana. We tried to reverse it in the legislature, but they were too frightened of public reaction to do it. They did put it on the ballot for reversal in November of '82. That puts it squarely up to us to influence the public so we can win a campaign. There will be more initiatives, and at local levels as well as at state. We must join together and win! The public generally supports the continued operation of nuclear power plants. They about split on whether to build more. But they strongly support regulating the industry more stringently. Every survey reflects concern about safety and the desire for the government to take responsibility and regulate. You and I know that regulation nearly always adds cost, and only sometimes increases safety. We need to influence the creation of regulation. We need to accept responsible regulation and fight that which is counter-productive. To win in hearings, to win initiatives, to win in getting responsible regulation, we need public support. We need an informed, understanding, and supportive public. To accomplish this, we need two kinds of efforts. The first is to reach the people at the local level with local representatives of our industry. Informal conversations at church, PTA, cocktail parties, whatever. Presentations to Kiwanis Clubs, League of Women Voters, church groups - wherever we can. Facts, information in printed form, to these same local audiences with the credibility of the local sources. The second is to reach mass audiences through the media. Positive media. This can be done by advertising, but it is very expensive. We have to look to influencing the reporters and editors to get more balanced and accurate reporting. We need to get free time - interviews, debates, letters to the editors, etc. The Uranium Public Affairs Task Force was created last year to provide tools for you to use to reach these audiences (it is affiliated with the Atomic Industrial Forum). Twenty-two companies provided money and man- power. A consultant, Denver Research Group, was retained to produce materials. In this Phase I effort, we first researched what issues were of greatest concern and what were felt to be the greatest needs in materials. We determined that we did not have the funds to go out and do the job for the industry, so we decided to develop tools for the Industry to go out and do the job for itself. From the research, we determined what tools we should develop for you to use. We first developed a set of the quest- ions most likely to be asked of you and the issues most likely to be thrown up to you. We have developed a loose-leaf notebook. Each page contains one of those questions or issues, a short verbatim response that you can use, a short discussion of the subject, and references you can cite or research for further information. It is organized by subject: tailings, water radiation, etc. This book is an extremely handy tool for anyone in the industry. Each uranium location should have at least one.

Jan 1, 1982

By Bruce C. Smart

"Very little attention was given to the regulation of uranium mills by the Atomic Energy Control Board prior to 1974. The ore grade treated by Canadian mills in the past was in the order of 0.08 - 0.3% U and it was not difficult to keep the exposure of workers well below regulatory limits. Furthermore, uranium milling has also been substantially free of occupational illness because environmental control has been generally satisfactory (l).The discovery of higher grade ore bodies in Canada has resulted in higher radiation levels in one mill and this has partly contributed to a need for increased radiation monitoring in the mill. In addition, as greater insight is gained on the effects of radiation, the implementation of the ALARA principle is being stressed at all mills.The concept of ALARA was emphasized by the ICRP (International Committee for Radiological Protection) in 1977 and stands for '""as low as reasonably achievable'"". It is based on the premise that no proven threshold for potential effects of radiation exists and that the actual individual exposure should therefore be kept as far below the regulatory limit as possible, economic and social factors being taken into account."

Jan 1, 1982

By William H. Mount

INTRODUCTION Effective mine ventilation is required to maintain a healthy underground environment for humans. Without effective ventilation, the environment can become unhealthy or hazardous as a result of the depletion of oxygen, contamination with toxic gases, or the buildup of an excessive amount of particulate matter (dust). Each contaminant has an upper limit of concentration that should not be exceeded within an 8-hr period. This is known as the threshold limit value (TLV). The TLV represents an acceptable level of exposure that should produce no ill effects. Unfortunately, more than one contaminant may be present at any one time and the effects of the individual contaminants may be additive, i.e., the effects of each contaminant must be considered simultaneously to determine the potential danger to miners. Possibly the greatest threat to mine-air quality is the uncontrolled underground use of the diesel engine. The diesel engine was invented in 1892 by Rudolf Diesel. His intention was to develop a power source that could burn coal dust as a fuel, but he was unsuccessful in that attempt and had to resort to liquid petroleum fuels (Johnson, 1975). In 1898, the diesel engine was intro¬duced into the United States by Adolphus Busch, who anticipated using it as a prime mover in factories and generating plants. At that time, the diesel engine was a very large and very heavy engine, designed for fixed installations. By 1919, lighter engines were being developed, and by 1931, Caterpillar was marketing a diesel-powered, track-type tractor (Henderson, 1975). Since 1931, the diesel engine has evolved into an extremely popular prime mover in medium and heavy-duty applications. Efficiencies now are on the order of 40% and improvements such as turbocharging and aftercooling have produced engines capable of generating power at a ratio of 0.3 kW/kg (1.0 hp per 5.0 lb) of engine weight. Although the diesel engine is relatively efficient as a mobile power plant, it is far from efficient in terms of the energy produced from the energy potential of the fuel. About 60% of the heat value of the fuel leaves the engine as wasted heat, with about 50% of that heat being emitted through the exhaust pipe and the other 50% being emitted through the radiator or cooling fins. Perfect combustion in an engine would produce only water vapor (H_0), carbon dioxide (CO_), and nitro¬gen (N2) as the byproducts. Since the diesel is not a perfect engine, each pound of fuel burned generates 5.6 m° (200 cu ft) of exhaust gas, containing about 0.009 m3 (0.33 cu ft) of carbon monoxide (CO), 0.009 m' (0.33 cu ft) of nitrogen oxides (NO, NO2, and NOD), and 0.57 m3 (20 cu ft) of carbon dioxide. The balance of the exhaust emission consists of free nitrogen and water vapor (Hurn, 1975). Contrary to popular belief, the diesel is not inherently dirty. Under normal operating conditions, a well-maintained engine neither smokes nor smells. However, the same well-maintained engine can and does produce toxic emissions. A diesel engine is not inherently safe and constitutes a distinct hazard to personnel. This chapter is devoted to a description of the various toxic substances that may be generated by a diesel engine. Although some of these substances may also be produced by blasting or natural causes, the focus of this chapter is on the relationship between the internal- combustion compression-ignition engine (the diesel) and the quality of the mine air. CARBON MONOXIDE Combustion Process During the combustion process (burning) of organic fuels, each atom of carbon combines with two atoms of oxygen, provided that a surplus of oxygen atoms is available. Thus, the carbon is oxidized to carbon dioxide. Most open flames, such as trash fires, camp fires, gas ranges, etc., produce carbon dioxide. However, with insufficient oxygen, incomplete combustion results as the carbon atoms each combine with one atom of oxygen to produce toxic carbon monoxide. Burning charcoal briquettes produce carbon monoxide because the combustion takes place inside the briquettes where sufficient oxygen is not available to the combustion process. Internal-combustion engines, whether burning gasoline or diesel fuel, also produce carbon monoxide. The only oxygen available to the combustion process is that trapped within the cylinder. If the amount of fuel delivered to the cylinder is excessive, there is insufficient oxygen for complete combustion and carbon monoxide production results. In a normally aspirated (nonturbocharged) diesel engine, the amount of air "sucked" into a cylinder is the same on every intake stroke, resulting in complete combustion only at low levels of engine loading, when small amounts of fuel are injected. Higher levels of engine loading cause larger amounts of fuel to be injected into the same volume of air in the cylinder. Unless the volume of air is increased, the combustion process becomes progressively less complete as the amount of fuel increases. Turbocharged engines are able to compensate some¬what for increased loading and increased fuel consumption. The turbocharger acts as a compressor for the intake air, forcing a larger volume of air into the cylinders as the engine speed increases. Hence the turbocharged engine burns cleaner than a naturally aspirated engine and produces slightly less carbon monoxide (Marshall and Fleming, 1971). Much of the underground equipment used today is powered by turbocharged indirect-injection diesel engines. Although these engines emit fewer toxic contaminants than naturally aspirated engines, they do not eliminate the problem. Since the turbocharger is driven by the exhaust gases, rapid accelerations can cause temporary overfueling of the engine until the turbocharger attains a speed sufficient to restore the correct air-to-fuel ratio. During this "turbocharger lag," the combustion cylinders contain insufficient oxygen, causing severe smoking and an increased output of carbon monoxide.

Jan 1, 1982

By V. J. McSweeney

This paper is directed at interested parties outside the Beach Sand Industry : the scope is quite broad. The geomorphology described is a successful working hypothesis which guided the author during prospecting and pegging campaigns : the author is not an expert in this field. The test data used in the text, for illustrative purposes, is original and may constitute a contribution to the state of the art. The operation- al and design philosophy embodied in the text is personal and describes the author's methods : all practising exponents would differ in some degree amongst themselves on these subjects. In this paper, no criticism of any existing operation or brand of equipment is intended and names are used to maintain a real contact with the subject matter. The author believes that the operational and design techniques evolved in the Beach Sand Industry under continual duress, have a wider application in the mining industry. This glimpse of the Industry is intended to enhance the respect for the present and past members. Space does not permit individual acknowledgements.

Jan 1, 1982

By R. W. Hodder

"Archean lode gold deposits of both vein and chemical sedimentary types typically have major enrichments of certain rare elements, including Au, Ag, As, Sb, B, W, Se, Te and Bi, coupled with low or negative enrichments of the more abundant and mobile base metals, Cu, Pb and Zn. On the other hand, in massive base metal sulphide deposits Au, Ag, Cu, Zn and in some instances Pb are all enriched by a factor of 200 to 2000 t:'Jf'1pared to background and there is no large separation of gold relative to the base metals.The fluids from which gold was precipitated in veins were at temperatures of 320 to 480°C, at lithostatic pressure, had significant C02, and Na """" K; whereas the fluids which generated base metal deposits were at 250-300°C, at hydrostatic pressure, had C02 < < H20 and Na > > K.Many lode gold deposits are characterized by K, C02 and Si additions to their enveloping rocks, whereas base metal deposits typically have a fixation of Fe, Mg, Si and S in footwall rocks. Lode gold deposits may also have a relatively large halo of low-temperature oxidative, sadie spilitization in enclosing volcanic rocks, where seawater has later streamed into cooling stocks or flows that have initially acted to focus gold mineralizing fluids along thermal contraction fractures. The submarine environment is one hydrologically appropriate for the mixing of two initially independent hydrothermal systems, and the blending of their separate characteristics. Hence, lode gold and base metal massive sulphide deposits appear to be products of two distinctly different crustal and hydrological regimes. The former involves a high-temperature, high-pressure discharge of fluids which probably were generated during dehydration accompanying burial and progressive accumulation of volcanic-sedimentary sequences, with an additional influence of marine water in the near-sea-floor environment. The latter represents thermally driven convection of ocean water at lower temperatures and under hydrostatic conditions.Auriferous fluid systems with only minor base metal content could plausibly be generated during dehydration accompanying burial and metamorphism, when the water-to-rock ratio is low and halogen availability is limited by crustal abundance (- 60 ppm Cl). These two factors may constrain the uptake of the abundant base metals into fluids, but the solubility of rare elements is not constrained by limited fluid; and preferential uptake of Au along with other rare elements may be promoted if such elements compete more successfully for the limited halogens than the base metals, and/or have an alternative complexing agent such as CO or C()j-."

Jan 1, 1982

By R. B. Hawkins

The discovery of the gold deposits of the Jerritt Canyon district and the construction of the E. R. Bell Mine is one of the significant mining developments in the United States during the past ten years. This mine will exploit one of the larger deposits of disseminated gold presently known, with proven, recoverable reserves in excess of 67.6 million grams of gold. Interest generated by the success of this project has contributed greatly to the tremendous resurgence in exploration for disseminated gold deposits in Nevada and throughout the west. The Jerritt Canyon project, including the Bell Mine, is a 70/30 joint venture between Freeport Gold Company and FMC Gold Incorporated, both of which are wholly owned affiliates of the respective parent companies, Freeport-McMoRan, Inc. and FMC Incorporated. Under the terms of the joint venture agreement, Freeport Exploration Company, another Freeport-McMoRan affiliate, manages the exploration and pre-mine development. Drilling, design, construction and management of the Bell Mine are provided by Freeport Gold Company.

Jan 1, 1982