In 2019, Bear Creek Contracting Ltd. was engaged by Avanti Kitsault Mine Ltd. (AKML) to execute their mitigation plan to remediate potentially acid generating (PAG) rock.
AKML constructed a plant site access road which was identified as having potential for acid rock drainage. The mitigation strategy proposed was to excavate the section of road that contained PAG rock and transport the rock to the suggested remediation site, for permanent subaqueous disposal.
In order to provide a long term storage solution for the PAG rock Bear Creek Contracting Ltd. constructed a containment cell to store the excavated PAG rock from the road. The containment cell was constructed using rockfill from within the existing Plant Site area and lined with HDPE geomembrane on the bottom and top to minimize exposure of PAG material to the environment and to contain contact water originating from the PAG material after placement.