Winona, Ontario -- (SBWIRE) -- 02/09/2011 -- Eldora Gold Resources Inc. is pleased to announce the results of a recently completed acid base accounting (ABA) analysis. This static environmental analysis was performed by AGAT Laboratories of Mississauga, Ontario on a sample of rougher tailing material from the GravSep™ pilot plant conducted at the Kirkland Lake tailings site.
Eldora is encouraged by the Net Neutralization Potential (NNP) value of 66.2, as values of NNP greater than 20 are not likely to produce acid. The NP/AP value of 3.38 suggests that the material falls in the “not potentially acid rock drainage generating unless extremely reactive sulphides are present with insufficiently reactive neutralizing potential” category. The paste pH value of 8.06 indicates that the material will likely remain sufficiently alkaline.
Eldora researchers will conduct follow up testing involving the planting of hemlock seedlings in a 6 cm humus layer on GravSep™ rougher tailing while continuing to test the potential for sustained rehabilitation efforts. This will enable a soil base which may support vegetative rehabilitation without resorting to further and ongoing chemical treatment.
The Eldora seedlings test is designed to check if vegetative rehabilitation in the form of the original forest cover can be achieved with no requirement to add carbonate (usually limestone) or supply a humus cover of at least 0.5 metre. The ‘standard treatment’ for the rehabilitation of sulphide tailings ponds involves:
a) Catching and treating the runoff and groundwater for dissolved metals,
b) Monitoring the above for approx 100 years,
c) Adding sufficient carbonate to the tailings sands to neutralize anticipated acid generation, and
d) Covering the contoured sands with at least 0.5 metre of humus or composted organics and establishing a grass cover.
Clearly, if Eldora’s method can be proven in the field, it will represent a major cost savings over current standard practice, and set up conditions for future harvesting of a renewable resource: tailings.
Profitably addressing the critical clean-up challenges that face owners of former mining sites globally, the chemical-free GravSep™ process enables niche deposits to be considered for successful treatment and rehabilitation, while extracting and recovering valuable mineral concentrates which have significant deleterious environmental effects when left in-situ. Eldora Gold provides portable and simple to maintain equipment that can be specifically tailored to each deposit.
Tailings have always been an unwanted byproduct of mining from an environmental standpoint, greatly affecting wildlife and water tables for years to come. GravSep™ drastically reduces the acid forming mineral content of these tailings during the mineral extraction process. The result is cleaner tailings. The profitable sale of the recovered mineral concentrate provides the incentive to use Eldora Gold technology to stop the destruction of the environment.