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<br />Review: "Ironclad Mill Tailings; Results of Cyanide Detox" <br />Memo to B. Keffelew, June 27, 1994 <br />Page 3 <br />3. The MSDS for Ca-hypochlorite recommends evacuation within a 5000 foot radius if <br />uncontrollable fire results. If Ca-hypochlorite is to be used on site, its handling, storage <br />and emergency contingencies need to be incorporated by the Environmental Protection <br />Plan. <br />4. Even though there seems to be less cyanide in the upper parts of the pile than deeper, <br />and even though the plan is to remove material preferentially from the upper parts of the <br />tailings pile, there appears to be no relationship between original cyanide concentration <br />(in mg/kg) and the amount remaining after treatment (in mg/L). Thus, is it really useful <br />to concentrate on the upper part of the pile? <br />5. WAD data for BGA-ICA-7, samples 5-10 and S-11 are not included. Why? <br />6. Well numbers BGA-ICA 1 through 5 were drilled prior to the Division's review of <br />Amendment #6 and prior to the generation of the Commitments that resulted from the <br />Divison's approval of the Amendment. Understandably, the data generated for that <br />submittal do not meet many of the criteria needed for the present submittal. 'However, <br />given the necessity of obtaining statistically significant information from wells BGA-ICA <br />6 and 7, which were drilled and tested specifically for the present submittal, there are <br />several curious data gaps. In particular, many of the samples were not analyzed for <br />cyanide under the MWMP testing program. It would be appropriate to explain why all <br />of the samples were not analyzed for WAD and Total cyanide during the MWMP testing. <br />7. In section 5, page 12-I5, is a generous discussion demonstrating that cyanide <br />concentrations are lower in the upper part of the tailings than the lower. The section <br />pays a particular amount of attention to the cyanide concentrations in the tailings above <br />24 ft depth. In Section 6, it is stated that only the upper part of the Ironclad tailings will <br />be put to use, and that the concentration of cyanide in the useable portion will be less <br />than 2.0 mg/L WAD cyanide. <br />The average depth of drill holes in the Ironclad tailings is about 80 feet, plus or minus <br />a few feet; presumably, 80 ft is about the average thickness of the Ironclad tailings. The <br />volume of Iron Clad tailings is about 576,000 yd3. The amount needed for liner material <br />is 69 % of that, or 396,000 yd'. If 396,000 yd' of tailings is needed from a 576,000 yd', <br />80 ft thick, vertical-walled pile of tailings (i.e. 69%), then the pile would need to be <br />excavated to a depth of 55 ft. Provided the pile has sloping sides, which it does, the <br />depth of excavation would be deeper. Therefore, it is without merit to state that the <br />concentration of cyanide in the useable portion of the tailings will be lower than 2 mg/L <br />WAD cyanide. <br />