Rosia Montana's Gold Mine Capping Case Study

Rosia Montana has always been rich in mineral resources, especially in gold. Unfortunately the accident at Baia Mare in 2000 brought home to Romanians the dangers of cyanide leaching due to the use of this chemical for gold mining. As a consequence waste material derived from mining operations had to be capped to avoid water to move easily through this material.

Traditionally a capping construction involves large quantities of natural materials such as clay (waterproofing), gravel (drainage) and sand (filter and separation). These materials are scarce in the environment and are difficult, expensive and slow to place, especially on slopes. In the capping of Rosia Montana’s gold mine, discussed in this case study, the final capping design was based on the placement of a drainage geosynthetic for rainwater drainage and a high density polyethylene geomembrane for waterproofing.

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GOLD MINE CASE STUDY