Information Center


FAQs

Will there be leaching of metals in the waste rock piles into the groundwater?

No, we will have a lined pad for temporary storage of waste rock while we dig the underground tunnel to reach the copper deposit until the double lined cemented tailings facility (CTF) is completed. Once the CTF is completed, all temporarily stored waste rock will be trucked to the facility. Some of it will be ground up finely enough to use as a protection layer to prevent larger rock pieces from puncturing the 100 mil geo-textile liner. During mining, all the waste rock is covered with cemented tailings within the double lined CTF. Finally, Black Butte Copper’s reclamation plans ensure that no waste rock piles will be left on surface when mining is complete. This is a much different outcome than how most historic mines were left, some of which developed metal leaching from acid mine and rock drainage.