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impacts to surface water and groundwater in the mine area. However, mobilization of the <br />chemical species due to potential leachability of the tailings is a key issue. Sintte the generation <br />of acid, due to oxidation of sulfides in the tailings, can influence leachability and mobility, the <br />potential for acid generation also requires assessment. <br />It is worth noting that the geochemical test program assumes that sufficient water is moving <br />through the system to allow the leaching to occur, and mobilization and transport leached <br />constituents. Other sections of this document evaluate the presence and mo~!ement of water <br />through the tailings material upon consolidation and final reclamation. <br />The test program consisted of three standard and widely accepted geocherrt~cal tests: acid <br />generating potential/acid neutralizing potential (AGPlANP); leachability using th$ Environmental <br />Protection Agency's (EPA's) Method 1312 leachability tests; and humidity ckll tests, where <br />appropriate. The test program is the same program performed on tailings material generated in <br />the laboratory for the initial permit application to allow for comparisons betwken the original <br />• assumptions and the most recent data. In addition, the results were also c$mpazed to the <br />quarterly tailings humidity cell data collected since the start of operations. <br />Each of the geochemical tests is described in the following sections. <br />2.3.2.1 Acid GeneratinY Potential/Acid Neutralizing Potential <br />Tailings materials have a potential to generate acid if they contain sulfide minerals which are <br />chemically reactive and oxidizable under atmospheric conditions, and do not contain sufficient <br />acid "neutralizing" materials (such as carbonates, clay minerals or aluminosilic~ates) to inhibit <br />the sulfide oxidation process or neutralize the products of oxidation. <br />The potential for acid generation of the tailings material to occur is assessed ~n a two phase <br />process consisting of static and kinetic testing. First, the maximum AGP is determined based <br />• on total sulfur analysis of the tailings and these data aze compazed with the ANP determined for <br />~'_ <br />