Use of alternatives analysis to determine the reclamation approach for heap leach pads

Cyanide heap leach pad operations present challenging conditions for reestablishment of vegetation. Heap leach material at the Santa Fe/Calvada Mine was generally unsuitable for plant growth, and topsoil resources salvaged during mining were limited. A multidisciplinary project team developed a process to identify an evaluate a range of realistic reclamation approaches. The range in alternatives considered environmental, regulatory, and financial aspects. Five alternatives were evaluated against the criteria most critical to determining reclamation success and bond release: regulatory compliance, conservation objectives, and management considerations. The result of the analysis provided Homestake with a technical basis for management decisions regarding the reclamation approach for the heap leach pads.