Sumitomo Metal Mining Pogo May 7 reported to Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation that a ruptured line spilled roughly 90,000 gallons of paste backfill at the Pogo gold mine in Interior Alaska. The 8-inch line delivers paste backfill, a mixture of tailings and cement, into the underground mine for disposal. Once underground, the concrete created from the tailings fills mined-out areas, providing support for continued mining. The backfill material is reported to contain 1-3 parts-per-million cyanide but is rendered inert by the high pH of the concrete mixture. Once hardened, the spilled tailings are being removed with heavy equipment and hand tools.

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Shane Lasley, Publisher

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