The importance of a holistic approach to reclamation planning using monitoring with the flexibility to pivot when necessary are some of the themes discussed with Sara Wilkins from Stantec and Megan Miller from SRK Consulting.
Sara Wilkins is the global mine water practice lead at Stantec, specializing in mine water management and groundwater and surface water assessments. She has an environmental sciences background and 20 years of experience in mine closure and reclamation. Wilkins holds a P.Geo. designation and has a B.Sc. in environmental geology from Carleton University.
Megan Miller is a principal consultant at SRK Consulting. She has 15 years of experience in reclamation, mine closure, and permitting. Miller has an M.Sc. in civil engineering from the University of British Columbia.
My philosophy is to try to make it a practical plan looking at an integrated, holistic approach. The main thing to consider is what to do with the water. That drives everything. Often, there is an erosion problem. It really comes down to the specific sites. We use vegetation to stop erosion. We find the best plan to make that happen. We put the topsoil in a pile at the beginning, and if there is not enough topsoil, it must be borrowed. Then, we consider what are the best sources to grow, and how to place it.
Click here to read the full interview with the Canadian Mining Journal
