Rehabilitation Planning for Abandoned Mines at Silvermines, Tipperary, Ireland

摘要

Lead Zinc, copper, sulphide and barites have been mined in the Silvermines area of Ireland since Roman times. The last active mining ceased in 1993 and there is a legacy of abandoned open pits, underground workings, waste dumps, tailings and mine infrastructure. There have been incidents of animal lead poisoning and general health and safety concerns in various parts of the area. Groundwater and surface water continue to be affected to varying degrees and this paper presents the risk based approach used to assess the present environmental impacts, including the risk to humans and livestock. Options and preferred solutions for remediation and water management are discussed. Although there are many factors affecting decision making for remediation of abandoned mine sites such as Silvermines, this presentation will focus of the water management which is a key factor for the off site impacts.