United States Hazardous Waste Engineering

Environmental Protection Research Laboratory

Agency Cincinnati OH 45268
Research and Development EPA/600/S2-88/002 Mar. 1988

SEPA Project Summary

Gold/Silver Heap Leaching and
Management Practices t h a t
Minimize t h e Potential for
Cyanide Releases
Robert L. Hoye

This report presents a description has increased over recent years and this
of the magnitude and distribution of trend is expected to continue. An alkaline
goldlsilver heap leaching, the design cyanide solution is used as the lixiviant at
and operation leaching facilities, the all heap leach operations. Currently,
potential for environmental impact, there are 78 commercially active gold
and management practices that can and silver leaching operations in the
be used to minimize environmental United States. Forty-seven of these
releases. The information contained sites are in Nevada. Additionally, there
in the report was obtained through are numerous inactive and abandoned
searches of p u b l i s h e d and leaching sites.
unpublished literature and through Sections 8002(f) and (p) of the
contact with knowledgeable Resource Conservation and Recovery
individuals involved in t h e heap Act (RCRA) and its amendments require
leaching Industry. Six l e a c h i n g the U.S. Environmental Protection
operations were visited to acquire Agency (EPA) to conduct studies on the
firsthand knowledge and site- "adverse effects on human health and
specific information. the environment of the disposal and
This P r o j e c t S u m m a r y was utilization of solid wastes from the
developed by EPA's Hazardous Waste extraction, beneficiation, and processing
Engineering Research Laboratory, of ores and minerals." The EPA
Cincinnati, OH, to announce key submitted a report to Congress on
findings of the research project that December 31, 1985, that indicated
i s fully documented in a separate concern with the cyanide associated with
report of the same title (see Project heap leaching. The EPA subsequently
Report ordering information at back). issued a regulatory determination on July
3, 1986, that expressed continued
concern about mining wastes containing
Introduction cyanide. Also in this determination, the
EPA indicated that it would develop a
Heap leaching refers to percolation regulatory program for mining wastes
leaching of low grade (approximately under Subtitle D of RCRA and collect
0.05 oz/ton) gold and silver ores that additional information on the nature of
have been stacked on prepared surface mining wastes and management
(pads). These heaps range from less practices and the potential for exposure
than 1 to about 50 acres and 15 to over to these wastes. This report addresses
100 feet in height. The leaching cycle these issues with regard t o the
covers a period from several weeks to development, operation, and closure
over a year. The percentage of gold and activities associated with precious metals
silver produced by leaching operations heap leaching operations.
Industry Characteristics capable of providing structural support environment. Because an alkaline pH is
The application of heap leaching has without suffering damage from deflection maintained in the solution, most of the
increased in recent years because of the due to the weight of the ore or cyanide is present as free cyanide, as
relatively low capital investments and fast equipment traffic. Selection of pad required in the leaching reaction. The
payouts involved. These techniques materials and specifications i s barren solution pond typically holds
allow recovery of low-grade resources determined by site-specific parameters hundreds of thousands of gallons of this
that otherwise could not be profitably such as availability of local materials, solution. The pregnant solution pond
extracted. The mining industry first slope, geotechnical properties of the contains lesser concentrations of free
became interested in the U.S. Bureau of sub-base, temperature variations, and cyanides because of the destruction and
Mines' developments in goldisilver heap operational considerations (i.e., single- complexation that occur in the heap;
leaching technology in the late 1960s, or multiple-use pads). however, a significant concentration of
and the first commercial cyanide heap The pregnant solution flows over the free cyanides may be present. The
leaching process was used at the Carlin pad to a lined collection ditch. The ditch solution in these impoundments
Gold Mine Company in northern Nevada carries the gold-bearing cyanide represents the greatest source of free
on mine cutoff material. Since the early solution to a lined pregnant solution cyanide at a leach operation. Failure of
1970s, interest in heap leaching has pond. Pregnant solution is then pumped the containment system, liner failure, or
continued to grow primarily in response to a recovery plant, where the metal overtopping of the pond would result in
to the high prices of gold and silver. product is removed by carbon adsorption free cyanide in an alkaline solution being
Low-grade (e.g., 0.05 oziton) gold followed by elution and electrowinning or released to the environment.
d e p o s i t s p r e v i o u s l y considered by precipitation with zinc followed by Cyanide in leach residue occurs in
uneconomical to recover are now being filtration (Merrill-Crowe zinc dust combinations of various metallo-cyanide
exploited at a profit. Currently, 78 gold precipitation). The barren solution is then complexes, free cyanides, and cyanates.
and silver heap leaching operations are pumped to a lined holding pond where it Cyanide complexes vary from strongly
active in the Vnited States. The majority is treated with additional NaCN and bound forms to others that dissociate
(47) of these operations are in Nevada. caustic (e.g., lime or caustic soda). more readily. The complexes in a given
Ten of the active heap leaching Sodium cyanide is the only commercially heap are determined by the mineralogy
operations are in California, nine in proven lixiviant. It is added to maintain a on the ore. Essentially no data are
Colorado, two in Idaho, three in Montana, concentration in the barren solution of available on the content and fate of
one in New Mexico, nine in Utah, two in -0.5 Ib/ton of solution (250 ppm CN). cyanides or cyanates in leach residue.
South Carolina, and one in South Dakota. The optimal pH for the gold dissolution is There are no reports of cyanide
In 1984, 525,000 troy ounces of gold was between 10 and 11. From the barren contamination or migration from properly
recovered from 19,860,000 tons of ore pond, the solution is again pumped to constructed and operated heap leach
treated by cyanide heap leaching. The the heap and sprayed over it to complete operations. However, there have been a
application of cyanide heap leaching has the closed-loop cycle. Heap leach few reported incidents involving pond
grown in recent years and this trend is operations are zero discharge facilities. failure or overtopping and contamination
expected to continue. The leaching cycle is relatively short resulting from clandestine operations that
(e.g., 20 to 90 days) but may last a year did not use typical operational practices.
or more. At completion of leaching The principal transport mechanism is
Operating Practices operations, the leach ore is rinsed with reported to be volatilization of HCN to the
Heap leach operations involve the use fresh water to remove residual cyanide. atmosphere. Although the toxicity of HCN
of liners and specially constructed leach With few exceptions, heap leach residue is well documented, no problems with
pads and solution ponds. The basic (the barren ore remaining after precious these atmospheric releases have been
design and operational layout of heap metal values have been extracted) is left documented.
leach projects are very similar at all in place on the pad. At a very few
facilities. Low-grade ore (typically from
a surface mine) is stacked 15 to 50+
operations it is excavated, hauled by Management Practices
truck, and disposed of in an on-site A limited number of alternative
feet high in engineered heaps on sloped disposal area (load-unload operations).
(1 to 6%), relatively impermeable pads, management practices can be applied to
Although the basic process just minimize the potential for cyanide
and a weak alkaline cyanide solution is described is similar at all operations,
sprayed over the ore. The solution contamination from heap l e a c h
each site i s unique, and several operations. These include alternative liner
percolates through the heap and alternative approaches exist. Specific
dissolves finely disseminated free metal construction, oxidation of cyanide during
leaching times, reagent use, flow rates, post-leach flush-out, and use of
particles (gold andlor silver). Care is heap dimensions, pad construction, pond
taken during the construction of heaps to reagents other than cyanide. Most heap
capacities, liner materials, and other leach operations are relatively small, their
ensure that the material is uniformly design and operational parameters vary
permeable. only sources of potential contamination
from site to site, depending on the are the heaps themselves and the two
The design, e n g i n e e r i n g and characteristics and quantity of the ore
construction of liners in this industry process solution ponds. After cessation
and the climate, topography, hydrology, of operations, only the heap leach
have r e a c h e d a h i g h l e v e l of and hydrogeology of the site.
sophistication. Pads, 114 to 50 acres, are residue remains as a potential source of
constructed of native or modified clays, Environmental Concerns contamination, as the ponds must be
synthetic liners (e.g., HDPE, PVC, or emptied during closure. Additionally,
Because cyanide is the lixiviant used most obvious controls, such as pond and
Hypalon). or asphalt. This helps ensure in heap leaching of precious metals,
that product and reagents are not lost leach pad liners, surface water
there is concern over the potential for diversions, and post-leach rinsing, are
through seepage. The pads must be release of toxic cyanides into the

2
already standard practice in the industry. used at commercial heap leach facilities. hydrogeologist could be expected to
Although, the need for controls beyond Because of the toxicity associated with range from $6,000 to $50,000. Analytical
those currently in use has not been cyanide, the question of the availability of costs would amount to $12,000 to
demonstrated, the concerns related to suitable substitutes for cyanide is raised. $1 6,000 annually plus reporting and
potential releases of cyanide may The development of alternative lixiviants recordkeeping. These costs point up the
warrant additional controls or overdesign (e.g., thiosulfate, malononitrile, and great variability due to site-specific
of existing controls. The management thiourea) is still in the laboratory or conditions.
practices that were evaluated are listed pilot-scale testing stage, however. If During post-closure period, the heap
below. alternative lixiviants are developed, the leach residue is the only potential source
Most of the controls listed have been environmental impacts associated with of cyanide contamination. Current
incorporated into the design and their use must be fully evaluated. While practice is to rinse the leach residue with
operation of at least one existing heap thiourea can rapidly leach gold from fresh water for a predetermined time or
leach facility. The feasibility and cost to leach ore, it requires a very acidic until some preset cyanide concentration
use these controls at other locations medium (pH 1) that would be an (e.g., 0.2 mg/liter) or pH (e.g., pH 8) in
would have to be determined on a site- environmental concern. Additionally, the rinse water is achieved. An additional
by-site basis. It would depend on reagent consumption and cost are high control option could be the addition of a
differences in mineralogy, topography, and the toxicity and mobility of its cyanicide, a strong oxidant, to the rinse
geology, hydrogeology, climate, and degradation products have not been water. Alkaline chlorination is a proven
design and operational characteristics. assessed. technology for cyanide destruction and is
The use of double liners in solution The type and sophistication of the most highly developed of the
ponds is both technologically feasible ground-water monitoring systems vary available methods in terms of experience,
and is a demonstrated practice at some considerably in this industry. The simplicity, control, availability of
heap leach sites. A doubleliner system requirements for these systems are equipment, and engineering expertise.
consisting of two layers of 40- mil specified on a site-specific basis by This process destroys most cyanide
HDPE separated tYy a leachate detection State regulatory personnel. The cost for except iron cyanide and the more stable
and collection system was evaluated. installing a detection monitoring system metallo-cyanide complexes. Treatment
The pond was assumed to be 300 ft by will vary greatly from site to site. The of heap leach residue by alkaline
150 ft (approximately 1 acre). For the primary factors that influence costs are chlorination has been carried out at a few
purpose of comparison, the costs the size of the operation and the operations. When this system is used
associated with a single 40-mil HDPE complexity of local hydrology. The during the operational period, the facility
(High Density Polyethylene) liner system, principal factors are the diameter, depth, must incorporate at least one additional
believed to be common in the industry, and components of the wells, the drilling pond, a neutralization pond, in its solution
were also e s t i m a t e d . T h e c o s t specifications, the geologic material, the management system. If it is used only at
comparison indicates the double-liner sampling and analytical requirements, closure, the existing process solution
system increased the cost of the pond and site access. Estimates made for an ponds would be adequate.
by a factor of at least two. The cost of example site indicate that the costs of Application of a clay or synthetic cap
constructing the solution ponds at a site installing a system of 10 to 13 wells to over leach residue could prohibit
can represent a significant percentage of depths of 25 to 300 feet would range infiltration and run-on and thereby
the total capital cost of the operation. between $12,500 and $195,000. preclude formation of leachate. However,
Cyanide is the only lixiviant currently Consultant fees for a q u a l i f i e d it would hinder the natural degradation of

Operational
Management practice
phase

Pre-operation Installation of French drains beneath pads and pond liners

Use of RCRA double-liner systems with leak detection in ponds

Operational Use of alternative lixiviants

More extensive ground-water monitoring

Closure Flush heaps with cyanicide

Recontour and cap heaps

Post-closure Long-term maintenance of heaps and monitoring systems and site security

3
 cyanide by limiting volatilization and
photodecomposition. Forty-seven of the Robert L. Hoye is with PEI Associates, Inc., Cincinnati, OH 45246.
72 heap leach operations are located in S. Jackson Hubbard is the EPA Project Officer (see below).
Nevada in arid climates where capping The complete report, entitled “GoldlSilver Heap Leaching and Management
may provide even fewer marginal Practices That Minimize the Potential for Cyanide Releases,” (Order No. PB
benefits. In order to place a cap, the side 88-154 281IAS; Cost: $19.95, subject to change) will be available only from:
slopes of the heap would have to be National Technical Information Service
reduced to at least 3:l or more from the 5285 Port Royal Road
1 :1 slopes existing duration operations. Springfield, VA 22 1 6 1
Assuming a suitable source of cap Telephone: 703-487-4650
material exists near the site, recontouring The EPA Project Officer can be contacted at:
and capping a 1-acre, 15-foot-high Hazardous Waste Engineering Research Laboratory
heap would cost about $40,000 and a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
50-acre, 100-foot-high heap would Cincinnati, OH 45268
cost about $2 million.
Conclusion
The low production costs, relatively
short startup time, and relative simplicity
of heap leaching have lead to increased
use of this method to recover precious
m e t a l s that are o t h e r w i s e n o t
economical Iy recoverable. Current
state-of-the-art design, construction,
and operation of precious metals heap
leach facilities incorporates obvious
controls including relatively impervious
leach pads, lined collection trenches and
process ponds, and closed loop zero
discharge solution management.
Depending on site-specific
considerations, it may be beneficial to
incorporate redundancies and
overdesigns into these systems.
However, the need for additional controls
i s not currently documented.
Additionally, research to determine the
presence, fate, and toxicity of cyanide
and cyanate in heap leach residue is just
beginning.

United States Center for Environmental Research BULK RATE

Environmental Protection Information POSTAGE & FEES PAID
Agency Cincinnati O H 45268 EPA
PERMIT No. G-35

Official Business
Penalty for Private Use $300

.
*U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE: 19aa-5e-013/870~9