Global Economics, Local EffectsGlobal Economics, Global … · 2016. 9. 29. · 2 2016 SME MN CONFERENCE . GLOBAL ECONOMICS, LOCAL EFFECTS . ... 2016 SME MN Conference is your opportunity

2016 SME MN ConferenceDULUTH ENTERTAINMENT CONVENTION CENTER

April 11–13, 2016

The #1 regional minerals conference in the Midwest!

www.smemnconference.com

Global Economics, Local EffectsGlobal Economics, Global Economics, Local EffectsGlobal Economics, Local Effects

2016 SME MN CONFERENCE . GLOBAL ECONOMICS, LOCAL EFFECTS . DULUTH ENTERTAINMENT CONVENTION CENTER2

Calendar of Events Monday, April 11, 2016

Registration 7:00 am – 5:00 pm Short Courses: Mining Hidden Losses: The 8:00 am – Noon

Key to “Free” Optimization and Sustainable Profit Maximization

Direct Reduced Iron and 8:00 am – 4:00 pm Metallurgical Iron

Testing Your Mettle: 1:00 pm – 4:30 pm Environmental Review and Permitting for Modern Mining Projects

Vendor Move-In 1:00 pm – 5:00 pmWelcome Reception 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm

Tuesday, April 12, 2016 Registration 7:00 am – 5:00 pmStudent Breakfast 7:00 am – 8:30 am Vendor Move-In 7:00 am – 9:00 am Welcome and Plenary 8:30 am – 10:00 amExhibit Hall Open 9:00 am – 6:30 pmBreak (Exhibit Hall) 10:00 am – 10:45 amTechnical Sessions 10:45 am – 12:15 pmLunch 12:15 pm – 1:45 pmTechnical Sessions 1:45 pm – 2:45 pmBreak (Exhibit Hall) 2:45 pm – 3:30 pmTechnical Sessions 3:30 pm – 4:30 pmReception (Exhibit Hall) 4:30 pm – 6:30 pm

Wednesday, April 13, 2016Registration 7:00 am – NoonBreakfast 7:00 am – 8:30 amTrade Show Opens 7:00 am Ethics Course 8:00 am – 9:00 amTechnical Sessions 9:00 am – 10:00 am Break (Exhibit Hall) 10:00 am – 10:45 amClosing Plenary 10:45 am – NoonTrade Show Closes 11:00 amProfessional Networking Lunch Noon – 1:30 pmAnnual Business Meeting 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm

2016 SME MN Conference

Global Economics, Local Effects

332016 SME MN CONFERENCE . GLOBAL ECONOMICS, LOCAL EFFECTS . DULUTH ENTERTAINMENT CONVENTION CENTER

About the ConferenceThe 89th Annual Meeting of the Minnesota Section of SME is the premier regional minerals conference in the Midwest featuring a wide range of session topics addressing pressing industry issues, emerging industry trends and latest industry technology developments. The conference is hosted annually in Duluth, Minnesota and has a long history of being one of the top performing regional conferences in the iron ore industry.

Today, our industry is affected by changes across town as well as those from around the world. The 2016 SME MN Conference is your opportunity to learn more on the current economic trends in our mining region and how it is impacted by global economics.

Testimonials

“The SME Minnesota Conference provides a great opportunity to network with my

industry colleagues and the short courses are a great way to gain in-depth knowledge

from industry experts.”– Julie Marinucci, Sr. Project Engineer for SEH

“The SME MN Conference is a breath of fresh air every Spring! After being cooped up all winter in a work, home, work, home cycle, the April Conference provides the opportunity

to get out and to network and learn about success stories, breakthroughs,

and happenings in our industry.”– Mike Perala, Director – Strategic Accounts,

Minnesota Power

Exhibit Information – Booth sales are now open! Your booth includes: Space Cost:

· One 8-foot skirted table · Wireless Internet service · $700 – 1st 10’ x 10’ booth

· Two chairs · Four booth staff registrations · $600 – 2nd 10’ x 10’ booth· One 7” x 44” company ID sign

with company name and booth number

To purchase your booth, please visit the conference website www.smemnconference.com or contact the Exhibits Department at [email protected]!

Housing InformationA block of rooms has been reserved for meeting participants at the following hotels from April 11– 13, 2016. The rates are subject to a 12.88% Duluth hotel tax. Make your reservations early! Room blocks are released on March 9, 2016.

Holiday Inn Hotel and Suites200 West First Street, Duluth, MN 55802Phone: 218-722-1202 or 800-477-7089Rates: $99 (single/double) Please call for reservations, reference Society for Mining,Metallurgy & Exploration group rate.

The Suites Hotel at Waterfront Plaza325 Lake Avenue South, Duluth, MN 55802Phone: 218-727-4663 or 800-794-1716Rates: $89 double, studio or pool view king suites$95 one bedroom king suite$124 one bedroom with whirlpool suite$124 two bedroom king suitePlease call for reservations, reference SME 2016 group rate.

Sheraton Hotel-Duluth301 East Superior Street, Duluth, MN 55802Phone: 218-336-2701 or 888-627-8122Rates: $109Please call for reservations, reference Society for Mining, Metallurgy & Exploration group rate.

The Inn on Lake Superior350 Canal Park Drive, Duluth, MN 55802Phone: 218-726-1111 or 888-668-4352Rates: $94.99Please call for reservations, reference Society for Mining, Metallurgy & Exploration group rate.

For online reservations, please visit www.theinnonlakesuperior.com, select Reser-vations, select Sign In, select Attending a Group Function, and enter the Group ID and Password:Group ID: 6653 Password: 37000033

2016 SME MN CONFERENCE . GLOBAL ECONOMICS, LOCAL EFFECTS . DULUTH ENTERTAINMENT CONVENTION CENTER4

2016 SME MN Conference

Global Economics, Local Effects

Sponsorship OpportunitiesGold Level Co-Host Sponsorships – $400

Onsite Promotions:· 4 Tickets to the Tuesday Vendors’ Reception· Recognition as sponsor of all exhibit hall functions · Recognition on general sponsor signs· Company description and contact information in onsite program

Silver Level Co-Host Sponsorships – $300Onsite Promotions:· 2 Tickets to the Tuesday Vendors’ Reception· Recognition on general sponsor signs· Company contact information in onsite program

Student Breakfast Table Sponsor – $500Onsite Promotions:· Recognition as official sponsor of Student Breakfast· Students would be invited to sit at your table to network with

representatives from each company· Recognition on general sponsor signs · Invitation for a representative to sit on the panel during the breakfast

Welcome Reception Sponsor – $250Onsite Promotions:· Recognition as official sponsor of Welcome Reception· Recognition on general sponsor signs

Wine Sponsor at Welcome Reception – $1,000Onsite Promotions:· Recognition as official sponsor of the Welcome Reception· Recognition on general sponsor signsAdded Benefit:· You will be allowed to bring promotional material to be set by the

beverage area

Beer Sponsor at Welcome Reception – $1,000Onsite Promotions:· Recognition as official sponsor of the Welcome Reception· Recognition on general sponsor signsAdded Benefit:· You will be allowed to bring promotional material to be set by the

beverage area

Breakfast Sponsor – $250Onsite Promotions:· Recognition as official sponsor of Wednesday Breakfast· Recognition on general sponsor signs

Breakfast Champagne Sponsor – $1,000Onsite Promotions:· Recognition as official sponsor of the Wednesday breakfast · Recognition on general sponsor signsAdded Benefit:· You will be allowed to bring promotional material to be set by the

beverage area

Professional Networking Luncheon – $250Onsite Promotions:· Recognition as official sponsor of Professional Networking Luncheon· Recognition on general sponsor signs

Before the conference each sponsor will receive:

· Your logo will be included on promotional material for the conference

· Your logo and link to your website are included on the conference website

· Recognition on all print advertising

· Logo on all printed promotional material

Thank you to our 2016 Conference Sponsors:

As of 1/15/16


Minnesota Short CoursesMonday, April 11, 2016All courses are held at the Duluth Entertainment and Convention Center (DECC)

Direct Reduced Iron (DRI) and Metallurgical Iron 8:00 am – 4:00 pm Cost: $125 per person

This one-day course includes a combination of theoretical and practical content, providing attend-ees with valuable training related to the production, utilization, and economic market comparisons of blast furnace, direct reduced iron (DRI), and metallurgical iron grade concentrate. The course will start with a discussion of mineral process flowsheet circuit designs that may be used to eco-nomically produce direct reduced iron and metallurgical iron grade iron concentrates as compared to blast furnace grade concentrate. The course will then focus on the industrial application and utilization of DRI and metallurgical grade concentrate products including desired quality character-istics, potential markets, and methods of steel making. The course will conclude with an economic comparison of the production costs and final product steel making costs.

Speakers: Sarat Panigrahy, Joe Poveromo, Renard Chaigneau, Peter JongewaardJoseph J. Poveromo received his Ph.D. degree in Chemical Engineering in 1974 at the Center for Process Met-allurgy, State University of New York at Buffalo (SUNYAB). He then joined Bethlehem Steel’s Homer Research Lab-oratories where he advanced to the position of Research Consultant. In 1993 he established his consultancy, Raw Materials & Ironmaking Global Consulting. From 1993 through 2008 his principal client was the Quebec Cartier Mining Company. Currently, he consults for steel, natural resource, technology provider, financial and consultancy companies on a global basis. Dr. Poveromo is a Distinguished Member of the Iron and Steel Society (now AIST) of AIME. He has received a number of Iron & Steel Society Awards including the T. L. Joseph Award in 1998 for his long-standing contributions to ironmaking technology. He is also a Special Member of the IIMA (International Iron Metallics Association).

Rénard Chaigneau, Manager Technical Marketing – Atlantic for Rio Tinto Iron Ore. Rénard Chaigneau has over 13 years experience in the iron and steel industry and 9 years with Rio Tinto. With the steel industry he had various functions in the R&D department of former Hoogovens, Corus and nowadays Tata in IJmuiden. This included the execution of projects on their pellet plant and subsequent quality and use of those pellets in the blast furnace. He currently leads within Rio Tinto product development initiatives and provides technical support to concentrate and pellet customers of IOC, the Canadian mining operations of Rio Tinto and to strategic development within the broader Rio Tinto Iron Ore Group. He holds a Ph.D in Raw Materials Processing and has a Master in Mining Engineering at Delft University of Technology where he currently also provides guest lectures. Rénard has published a number of papers on pelletizing, sintering and burden behaviour in the blast furnace and direct reduction process, and has co-authored the book Modern Blast Furnace Ironmaking (2015).

Dr. Sarat Panigrahy has a Bachelor’s degree in Metallurgy from the Indian Institute of Science, a Masters in Mate-rial Science and Engineering from the University of California, Berkeley, and a doctorate in Metallurgical Engineering from the State University of Ghent in Belgium. He has held multiple positions thru the years including manager of Indian Iron and Steel Company LTD, Senior Research Scientist at the University of Montreal, President of Advanced Materials Engineering Inc., Managing Director of Inno-Tech Powders Limited, and Taconite Industry Minerals Re-search Endowed Chair at the University of Minnesota’s Natural Resources Research Institute.

Peter Jongewaard, CPG, is a consulting geologist with a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree of Science in Geology from the University of Minnesota – Duluth. Peter’s experience includes time spent as a Project Geologist for Noranda Exploration, Mine Geologist at United Taconite (EVTAC), and Senior Staff Geologist with Cliffs Natural Resources. He has worked on various regional and international mining projects.

6 2016 SME MN CONFERENCE . GLOBAL ECONOMICS, LOCAL EFFECTS . DULUTH ENTERTAINMENT CONVENTION CENTER6

Minnesota Short Courses Continued

Mining Hidden Losses: The Key to “Free” Optimization and Sustainable Profit Maximization

8:00 am – NoonCost: $75 per person

When prices are low, focusing on cost will not deliver the kind of profit increase that companies need and hope for… but understanding and reducing hidden losses will! These losses exist regardless of price and are rooted in organizational weaknesses, not equipment.

When companies seek to optimize performance, they often depend on equipment and systems for the solution, not recognizing that the organization must be “upgraded” as well. When this step in optimization is omitted, millions of dollars of potential profit are at risk.

It is time to get a handle on the losses caused by organizational weaknesses. For the past 100 years, these losses have been subtracted from reported profit without management’s knowledge. This short course will offer new perspectives about management’s “cash cow” and how to “mine” it for little or no cost.

Speaker: Kay SeverKay Sever is an industry leader in profit maximization, performance optimization and culture transformation. She has 35 years of mining experience, including 19 years with Cyprus Amax Minerals.

Kay is a Certified Management Consultant, Change Management Coach, Author, and Speaker. She graduated from Purdue University’s Krannert School of Management and is President of OptimiZ Consulting LLC in Gilbert, AZ, USA. Her books and 60+ articles offer new perspectives on management’s challenges with change.

Kay’s 3-year study of the links between profit, culture, change, and the management system revealed hidden orga-nizational barriers that “trap” profit, shape culture and prevent change. To maximize profit and change the culture, these barriers must be removed and these linkages must be actively “managed”. To assist management teams with this work, Kay created 3RD Stage Management, the world’s first management team training and tactics program for maximizing profit and changing culture through barrier removal.

2016 SME MN ConferenceGlobal Economics, Local Effects

The #1 regional minerals conference in the Midwest!


Testing Your Mettle: Environmental Review and Permitting for Modern Mining Projects

1:00 pm – 4:30 pmCost: $75 per person

Companies involved in exploring or developing minerals as part of new and expanding mining projects face a daunting and evolving array of federal and state permitting require-ments administered by many different agencies. Accordingly, before embarking on a project, it is increasingly important that industry members (including mining companies, consultants, and attorneys) understand the applicable permitting requirements, the roles of the various agencies, and opportunities for third-parties to influence the process. This course will provide attendees with insight from experienced attorneys on how to navigate some of the most significant aspects of these permitting and environmental review requirements in a manner that achieves desired business outcomes.

Speakers: Aleava Sayre, Greg Fontaine, Dennis Donohue, Dan EttingerAleava Sayre is a Co-Chair of Stinson Leonard Street’s Mining Practice Group and focuses her practice on the areas of mining exploration and development, environmental review, permitting, and litigation. Ms. Sayre advises mining companies regarding a wide array of issues that include accessing federal and state surface lands, securing and preserving mineral tenure, developing and defending environmental review and permitting documents, and ensuring compliance with environmental laws and standards. She also provides guidance regarding project devel-opment initiatives, mine planning, legal risk analysis, and engagement with federal and state land management and environmental agencies to obtain necessary environmental approvals.

Greg Fontaine is a Co-Chair of Stinson Leonard Street’s Mining Practice Group. During his three-decade career in environmental law, Mr. Fontaine has represented clients ranging from Fortune 500 businesses to individuals. He regularly advises clients in a wide range of project-development, land-use, environmental review, permitting and regulatory compliance matters. Before joining the firm, Mr. Fontaine served as General Counsel and later Chief Executive Officer for a group of agribusiness companies after spending 18 years in private practice at one of Min-nesota’s largest law firms.

Dennis Donohue practices at the law firm of Warner Norcross & Judd in the area of environmental law, including mining and resource development. Mr. Donohue has unique experience in applying his expertise in the National Environmental Policy Act, the Clean Water Act, wetlands and mine permitting to help companies obtain the regula-tory and social licenses needed to successfully develop sustainable resource development projects. In addition, Mr. Donohue’s environmental permitting and enforcement experience across a range of regulatory programs, including programs governing remediation of contaminated property and sediments, enables him to assist clients in managing a broad spectrum of environmental risk, transactional due diligence and compliance issues.

Dan Ettinger is a partner at Warner Norcross & Judd LLP in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Mr. Ettinger practices in the areas of mining, natural resource, and renewable/alternative energy development, environmental litigation, NEPA/NHPA compliance, and zoning and administrative law, with a special focus on issues related to Native American tribes and cultural resources. He advises mining and natural resource development clients regarding tribal engagement and consultation, compliance with laws aimed at protecting tribal interests and resources, such as the National Historic Preservation Act, and other cultural resource issues that can arise in the course of permitting a development project. Mr. Ettinger also has extensive experience representing mining and other natural resource development companies in federal and state courts, and before administrative tribunals.


Tuesday, April 12Session Chair Rory Oberhelman

Session Chair Greg Beckstrom

Session Chair Moe Benda

Session Chair Doug Learmont

Session Chair Jon Maki

NRRI Co-Chair Sara Post

Co-Chair Dennis Martin

NRRI Co-Chair TBD

NRRI Co-Chair Sarah Gordee

NRRI Co-Chair Matt Mlinar

Start TimeEnvironment – Technology Industrial Minerals Social License and

Responsibility Mining and Exploration Processing

10:45 am A Comparison of Pyrite Oxidation Processes and Sulfate Generation in Mine Tailings at Four Minnesota Taconite Operations

Travis K. Bavin, Steven R. Koski, Cheyanne S. Jacobs

New Aggregate Resources Web Map and Data from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources DNR

Kevin J. Hanson

Changing the Public’s Perception of Mining with Readily-Available, Accurate Science

Tracy C. Benzel

Understanding the Why of Continuous Improvement in Mining Productivity Environ-ments

Zach Saufley

Evaluation of Amine Type and Effect of Particle Size in the Reverse Flotation of a Liberian Iron Ore

M. Gotelip Barbosa, T. Junqueira Marques, G. Siboni,A. C. Araujo

11:15 am Development of a Reactive-Transport Model to Estimate Long-Term Sulfate Release from a Northeast Minnesota Taconite Tailings Basin

Megan J. Kelly, G.H. Crystal Ng, Patrick O’Hara

The Remote Assessment and Designation of Construction Aggregates Resource Potential on School Trust Lands

Corrie Thomas Floyd

The Game Has Changed – Building a Coalition to Support the Regulatory Process

Jason George, Nancy A. Norr, Kyle Makarios, Dave Lislegard

Driving Productivity Improvements – You Need the Data

David Fisk

Effects of Flotation Reagents on the Zeta Potential of Hematite Ore

Xihui Yin

11:45 am Combining Hydrology Models with Geochem-ical Measurements to Evaluate Sulfate Impacts on Mercury in the St. Louis River

Michael E. Berndt, J. Wes Rutelonis

Taconite-Based Pavement Repair and Preservation Applications

Lawrence Zanko

Implementation of Seed Form Vibration Analysis, Modelling and Electronic Detectors for Blast Vibration Control and Blast Performance

Thomas L. Barkley

Grinding Optimization through Smartmill

Marcelo Perrucci

12:15 – 1:45 LUNCH1:45 pm Application of Thickened

Tailings and Co-disposal Mine Waste Management Strategies

Mitch Vanderydt, John Starke

New Technology Creating Beneficial Products From Mining Related Waste Products Has Positive Economic and Environ-mental Effects

Mel Bollom

Keeping Your Social License to Explore for Metallic Minerals in Minnesota

Glenn D. Melchert

Tele-Remote Drilling: An Innovative Idea for the Iron Range

Benjamin Sutton

Iron Ore Pelletization with Starch and Humic Acid

S. Komar Kawatra

2:15 pm Use of a Dispersed Alkaline Substrate and Limestone Beds to Treat Acid Mine Drainage at Soudan Mine, Minnesota

Kristen Dieterman

Peat Based Sorption Media a New Method for Treating Mine Drainage

Paul Eger

Sustainable Mine Planning — Creating a Positive Legacy

Al Trippel,Erik R. Carlson

UAS: The Future of Aerial Data Collection

Jay R. Haskamp

Sprial Surface Property Investigation

Niel Lourens

2:45 – 3:30 BREAK3:30 pm Stabilization of Iron

Mine Tailing Particles through In-Situ Micro-bially Induced Calcite Precipitation

Bonnie E. Zwissler, Noah D. Buikema, Eric A Seagren, Stanley J. Vitton, Thomas Oommen

How Many Acres of Land Are Tied up in Gravel Mining?

Heather Arends,Kevin Hanson

Waging Peace In The Community And Winning While Avoiding The Seven Deadly Sins That Kill Community Relationships And Projects

James E. Lukaszewski

A Change in Perspective: Using GIS for Confident Decision Making

Melissa Martinie Kyle Heideman

Production of High Quality Pellets for Direct Reduced Iron Production

Basak Anameric

4:00 pm Thermal Remote Sensing for Moisture Content Characterization at Mine Tailings Impoundments: A UAV-based Field Study

Bonnie E. Zwissler, Thomas Oommen, Stanley J. Vitton, Eric A. Seagren

A New Dimension Stone Quarry in Northeastern Minnesota

Jacob BarkleyAdam Brookins

Eagle Mine: Developing an Effective Operating Partnership

Colin Connors,John Larsen

Opportunities and Challenges for North American DRI Projects

Janice D. Bolen

Technical SessionsProgram Chairs: Julie Lucas, HTC and George Hudak, NRRI

992016 SME MN CONFERENCE . GLOBAL ECONOMICS, LOCAL EFFECTS . DULUTH ENTERTAINMENT CONVENTION CENTERAERIAL LIFT BRIDGE AT SUNSET IN DULUTH MINNESOTA, CANAL PARK

Wednesday, April 13Session Chair Steve Koski

Session Chair Greg Beckstrom

Session Chair Julie Lucas

Session Chair Christian Schardt

Session Chair Dan Palo

NRRI Co-Chair TBD

Co-Chair Larry Zanko

NRRI Co-Chair Steve Munson-Geerts

NRRI Co-Chair George Hudak

NRRI Co-Chair Basak Anameric

Start TimeEnvironment – Technology Industrial Minerals Environmental & Policy Mining and Exploration Processing

9:00 am Quantifying the Iron-Based Sulfide Absorption Capacity of Aquatic Sediment and Iron Minerals

Nathan W. Johnson, Nicholas R. Osmundson

Development of Alkali-Activated Concrete Binders in the Upper Midwest

Mary Christianson

Managing Wetlands/Aquatic Resources Permits – What to do with Long-Term, Legacy Mining Projects as Regulations and Personnel Change, but Permit Conditions do Not

Allyz Kramer Bob Whiting

Lithofacies Mapping of Glacigenic Deposits: Managing Engineering and Environmental Risk on the Shield

Phillip Larson

The Roy Hill Iron Mine and Port Laboratories: Aligning with the Corporate Mandate for Next-Gen Integration Technology and Processes

Brad McBain

9:30 am Preliminary Evaluation of Leachate Concentration Limits from two Duluth Complex Rock Types

Zach Wenz

Considerations in the Recovery/Removal of Stamp Sands

Thomas J. Logue

Water Quality Regulatory Challenges for Closed Mines in Non-Compliance

Erik Carlson

Gold-in-Till Anomalies in an Archean Granite Greenstone Terrane, Northern St. Louis County, Minnesota

Don Elsenheimer

10:00 – 10:45 BREAK


Tuesday, April 12, 2016 Environment – TechnologyChairs:

Rory Oberhelman, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Sara Post, Natural Resources Research Institute

10:45 am: A Comparison of Pyrite Oxidation Processes and Sulfate Generation in Mine Tailings at Four Minnesota Taconite Operations

Travis Bavin, Steven Koski and Cheyenne Jacobs, Minnesota Department of Natural ResourcesThe Minnesota DNR collected coarse and fine tailings cores of known provenance from four taconite opera-tions in 2015 as part of a larger study to investigate sulfate release and fate at tailings basins. Sulfur concentrations, pore water chemistry, and tailings physical properties were measured at multiple depths in each core. Tailings samples were also examined using reflected light microscopy to better understand the size and distribution of pyrite in the samples and the degree of oxidation on the individual grains. The petrologic results will be combined with the sulfur concentration, pore water chemistry, and physical measurements to infer sulfide oxidation and sulfate release rates and controls on sulfate release for dif-ferent tailings sizes in each basin.

11:15 am: Development of a Reactive-transport Model to Estimate Long-term Sulfate Release from a Northeast Minnesota Taconite Tailings Basin

Megan Kelly, MN DNR, G.H. Crystal Ng and Patrick O’Hara, University of Minnesota The Department of Natural Resources recently com-pleted a two-year intensive sampling effort at taconite tailings basins across the iron range of northeastern Minnesota. Water and tailings samples were analyzed for a suite of chemical (including sulfate, chloride, water and sulfate isotopes) and physical parame-ters to characterize existing conditions and develop Geochemical Tracer-Based (GTB) water and sulfate balance models for each basin. In coordination with the University of Minnesota, an additional pilot GTB modeling study was initiated at U.S. Steel’s Minntac tailings basin. Six two-dimensional cross-sectional transport and reaction models will be constructed that incorporate information on sulfide oxidation and sulfate reduction along the flow path. The goal of the modeling effort is to estimate sulfate release from the basin to nearby surface and groundwater.

11:45 am: Combining Hydrology Models with Geochemical Measurements to Evaluate Sulfate Impacts on Mercury in the St. Louis River

Michael Berndt, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources J. Wes Rutelonis, University of Minnesota, Depart-ment of Earth Sciences An HSPF (Hydrologic Simulation Program Fortran) model for the St. Louis River Watershed is being used to provide contextual information for 33 water sam-ples collected systematically from the St. Louis River in 2012. Dissolved methylmercury (MeHg) correlated with dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentrations and reached similar peak concentrations upstream and downstream from the mining region during an extended period of short residence times and high groundwater recharge. Mine water became a vanish-ingly small component of the flow during this period, but became important as residence times increased and MeHg levels fell. Future plans are to use the Riparian Profile Flow-Concentration Integration Model (RIM), which was developed in Sweden, to model Hg and MeHg concentrations in this watershed.

1:45 pm: Application of Thickened Tailings and Co-disposal Mine Waste Management Strategies

Mitch Vanderydt, Foth Canada Corporation John Starke, Foth Infrastructure Environment, LLCIn response to increased environmental regulatory oversight, the mining industry has employed innova-tive technologies that can effectively store and man-age mine waste while reducing the environmental impact from mine development through to closure. These technologies include tailings dewatering and tailings co-disposal with waste rock. Benefits asso-ciated with these two emerging mine waste manage-ment strategies include reducing project footprints, minimizing dam construction costs, and reducing the long term liabilities associated with mine waste stor-age facilities by limiting the environmental risk. This presentation focuses on the benefits and challenges associated with employing these strategies in highly regulated water source rich environments.

Technical Program Abstracts


2:15 pm: Use of a Dispersed Alkaline Substrate and Limestone Beds to Treat Acid Mine Drainage at Soudan Mine, Minnesota

Kristen Dieterman, Winona State UniversityAlthough the Soudan Mine treats their entire discharge with a conventional ion exchange system, two smaller flows within the mine contribute 80 – 90% of the over-all metals. If these waters could be treated individually, expensive surface treatment might be avoided. A lime-stone dispersed alkaline substrate (DAS) followed by a limestone bed was successful in increasing pH from 2.5 to around 7 and removing over 99% of the iron, aluminum and copper. The bed operated successfully for about a year without plugging. Unfortunately, the limestone beds were not effective in removing either manganese or cobalt.

3:30 pm: Stabilization of Iron Mine Tailing Particles through In-Situ Microbially Induced Calcite Precipitation

Bonnie Zwissler, Noah Buikema, Eric Seagren, Stanley Vitton and Thomas Oommen, Michigan Technological UniversityMine tailings impoundments are subject to seasonal temperature/moisture fluctuations that can destabilize the impoundment’s surface particles. Wind-induced shear stresses on the destabilized particles can create large-scale dust storms. One novel method for con-trolling dust emissions is biomodification of tailings to form a crust. For example, S. pasteurii can promote bio-cementation of surface particles via ureolysis. However, application of this method to fined-grained mine tailings is challenging due to the small pore size. The goal of this work was to perform a proof-of-concept demon-stration of biocementation applied to iron ore tailings, and examine the associated strength increase at the soil surface.

4:00 pm: Thermal Remote Sensing for Moisture Content Characterization at Mine Tailings Impoundments: A UAV-based Field Study

Bonnie Zwissler, Thomas Oommen, Stanley Vitton and Eric Seagren, Michigan Technological UniversityAn important and heavily regulated environmental hazard associated with mine tailings impoundments is tailings dust emissions. In addition to dust emissions, trafficability can be a concern to impoundment manag-ers trying to monitor/prevent dust emissions. Moisture content is a controlling factor for tailings dust suscep-tibility and trafficability, so understanding spatial/tem-poral variations in moisture content for surface tailings is critical for characterizing these issues. A field study was conducted at a North American iron mine tailings impoundment where UAV-based thermal imaging was used to show that changes in moisture content can be detected at the tailings impoundment scale with ther-mal remote sensing.

Industrial MineralsChairs:

Greg Beckstrom Dennis Martin, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources

10:45 am: New Aggregate Resources Web Map and Data from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources DNR

Kevin Hanson, Minnesota Department of Natural ResourcesThe Minnesota DNR recently published a new web map application that greatly facilitates public access to DNR’s Aggregate Resource Mapping Program’s (ARMP) maps and data. Twenty-seven county aggre-gate resource mapping projects were compiled into a single ArcGIS File Geodatabase and shared in a web map application. This web map allows a user to overlay aggregate resource potential data, aggregate mines, and field observations over several base maps. The new web map and data release utilizes the latest GIS technologies to further ARMP’s mission to identify and classify aggregate resources to assist local units of gov-ernment and others in making comprehensive land-use and zoning plans.

11:15 am: The Remote Assessment and Designation of Construction Aggregates Resource Potential on School Trust Lands

Corrie Thomas Floyd, Minnesota Department of Natural ResourcesThe Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is assessing construction aggregates resource poten-tial on nearly 52,000 School Trust parcels (1.9 million acres) not yet covered by county-focused mapping programs. Our desktop investigation utilizes readily available geospatial data to identify conditions favor-able for aggregate deposits. Parcels that may contain aggregate resources are designated in the land records and this information is available for monetizing School Trust Land mineral assets. The importance of locating aggregate resources can be underscored by a pipeline crossing in 2010 that resulted in more than $800,000 paid to the School Trust Fund because an aggregate encumbrance was identified.

11:45 am: Taconite-Based Pavement Repair and Preservation Applications

Lawrence Zanko, NRRI, University of Minnesota DuluthFindings are presented of a recently-completed MnD-OT-supported project, during which NRRI evaluated two taconite-related approaches to pavement repair and preservation. The first approach uses a rigid pavement/pothole repair compound formulation developed and patented by NRRI that is fast-setting, taconite byprod-uct and co-product based, and contains no petroleum or portland cement. The second approach employs a high-power, truck-mounted microwave system for


in-place pothole or pavement repair, in which magnetite and/or magnetite-containing aggregate (taconite rock) can enhance the system’s microwave absorption. Field performance suggests both alternatives have long-term potential for more widespread use, and therefore merit further development and consideration.

1:45 pm: New Technology Creating Beneficial Products from Mining Related Waste Products Has Positive Economic and Environmental Effects

Mel BollomNorthwoods Research and Testing Laboratory LLC, in cooperation with Sand Depot LLC, Wisconsin Lim-ited Liability Companies, are proposing to develop an industry that uses waste products to produce/man-ufacture beneficial products. These products exceed current competitive product quality characteristics, have significant environmental advantages and pro-vide cost savings for the buyer. The plan is to utilize: 1. Power Plant waste materials that cannot be used as a concrete additive to manufacturing lightweight aggregates; 2. Class F fly ash and paper plant waste products for erosion control spray applications and soil enrichment mulch; 3. Encapsulated unusable sulfur content taconite tailings for use as aggregate for pre-stress and high-strength/high performance concrete; and 4. Extra fine silica sand not usable as frac sand. New, unique and proprietary technology, developed in Australia and given international recognition/award, meeting all EPA and State environmental permitting specifications, is used in manufacturing the above described products. This multiple phased project clearly relates to supporting the growth and future of mining in a data driven world. All of the technology advancements of this project facilitate economic and market changes and are available for all associated mining industries.

2:15 pm: Peat Based Sorption Media a New Method for Treating Mine Drainage

Paul Eger, Global Minerals EngineeringMine water often contains trace metals that must be removed prior to discharge. Conventional treatment technologies are labor intensive and expensive. Peat-based sorption material can be a less expensive alter-native and is easily deployed in either “semi-active” or passive treatment designs. The media is a hardened granular material produced from reed sedge peat, with a hydraulic conductivity of around 1 cm/sec and metal removal capacities ranging from 1–15% dry weight. The media has been used successfully to remove cop-per, aluminum, lead, zinc and cadmium. Treatment effi-ciencies range from 75% for fine particulate metal to over 90% for dissolved metals.

3:30 pm: How Many Acres of Land Are Tied up in Gravel Mining?

Heather Arends and Kevin Hanson, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Gravel mining is conducted in all 87 counties of Min-nesota. The Aggregate Resource Mapping Program (ARMP) of the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources calculated the land use impact within a portion of the state. Using two data sources, ARMP county gravel pit surveys and Land Use Satellite Im-agery (LANDSAT), the number and size of pits were estimated. Analysis derived from both data sets yield-ed similar results. Percent land used for aggregate mining equaled 0.075% (ARMP) and 0.19% (LAND-SAT). Even though gravel mining is required for private and public construction, the land use impact of gravel mining is low.

4:00 pm: A New Dimension Stone Quarry in Northeastern Minnesota

Jacob Barkley and Adam Brookins, Kasota Stone FabricatorsThe focus of this presentation will be on the recent development of a new granite quarry near Ely, MN and how Kasota Stone Fabricators intends to produce viable stone with nearly no waste by�product. Through the use of video and pictures, you will gain an understanding of the process Kasota Stone Fabricators uses to extract, fabricate and prepare dimensional stone for distribution.

Social License and ResponsibilityChair:

Moe Benda, University of Minnesota Duluth

10:45 am: Changing the Public’s Perception of Mining with Readily-Available, Accurate Science

Tracy Benzel, Benzel Soil Services, LLCRecent mining and exploration proposals in Wiscon-sin have produced an opposition blitz of misleading and emotion-evoking information in the media and on the web – the main sources of citizen information. The lack of unbiased, science-based, accurate, and well-referenced information in layperson terms makes it impossible for information with these qualities to be “readily-available” to citizens and public officials. Pro-viding an alternative to the typical anti-mining literature that dominates the first couple pages of an internet search will start to increase the public’s general knowl-edge of mining, environmental science, and regulatory science and reduce institutionalized opposition.


11:15 am: The Game Has Changed – Building a Coalition to Support the Regulatory Process

Jason George, International Union of Operating Engineers, Nancy Norr, Minnesota Power, an ALLETE Company, Kyle Makarios, North Central States Regional Council of Carpenters and Dave Lislegard, City of AuroraIt’s no longer enough to provide facts and comply with the environmental review process. Resource devel-opment projects such as pipelines and mines have become magnets for media coverage and high-profile opposition by environmental groups. Building social capital and public support is critical to securing the social license to move forward. We’ll discuss how to build coalitions utilizing partners such as local elected leaders, suppliers and unions, who are able to make the case for a project based on its importance to jobs and local economies and to refute the false choice between jobs and the environment. We will share the experience of the Jobs for Minnesotans coalition that is supporting the Polymet and Twin Metals projects.

1:45 pm: Keeping Your Social License to Explore for Metallic Minerals in Minnesota

Glenn Melchert, Minnesota Department of Natural ResourcesEnvironmental advocates monitor exploration activi-ties more than ever and demand greater governmen-tal scrutiny and transparency of exploration activities. Companies or explorers that explore for metallic min-erals have increased incentives to ensure their actions do not compromise their social license to operate. This is especially important if a project advances to the environmental review phase for a mining proposal. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources strives to communicate regulatory, legal and other expectations to explorers to achieve compliance. Some requirements include registrations, licensing, and a legal authority to the land. Approval from federal, state, or local govern-ment units may be needed before work can be done. This presentation describes the laws, rules and protocol for a successful exploration program in Minnesota.

2:15 pm: Sustainable Mine Planning – Creating a Positive Legacy

Al Trippel and Erik Carlson, ERMMine life cycles start with exploration, resource estimation, engineering, and economic analyses – without those fun-damentals, no mine could be justified. However, ERM’s experience and research shows that viable large capital projects are often delayed by undermanaged environ-mental and social risk issues. Proactively addressing such issues early in the mine planning process is the best assurance a project will be approved, operate, and close with a sustainable positive legacy. Sustainable mine planning (SMP) methods are key to assessing and resolving economic, engineering, environmental, and social risk issues while significantly decreasing development timelines and permitting delays. This pre-

sentation will highlight successful mining projects that employ SMP approaches which have resulted in posi-tive legacies for communities, the environment and the mining industry.

3:30 pm: Waging Peace in the Community and Winning While Avoiding the Seven Deadly Sins That Kill Community Relationships and Projects

James Lukaszewski, TLGRisdallProjects have a home base usually over, under, next to, nearby, or through someone else’s backyard, sacred forest, waterway, well system, aquifer, fault line, native burial ground, pristine view. Perceived impact on health and safety, the environment, property values, peace of mind, local culture disruption; make people crazy. STOP repeating common mistakes. Learn to win. Wage peace first- constantly. Wage war first, the war will last longer than you will. Critics and enemies created have eternal life and will dog your project forever. Respect com-munity core values to build enough neutrality to start. Answer every question and only the unconvinceables keep asking. Winning means getting less than you pro-posed but more than enough to get a project underway.

Mining and ExplorationChairs:

Doug Learmont, Solutions Strategies Group, LLC Sarah Gordee, Precambrian Research Center

10:45 am: Understanding the Why of Continuous Improvement in Mining Productivity Environments

Zach Saufley, Joy GlobalIn a tough global mining economy, Continuous Improve-ment projects begin to become high priority for many mine operators. The standard CI projects focus on the ‘what’ of the improvement, but what about the ‘why’? Information is in over-abundance on many surface operations – you can get overwhelmed by the ‘what’ of production goals and metrics. Getting back to the basics of operating can be a huge, yet simple, CI effort. Identifying the ‘what’ of loading area bottlenecks from metrics like truck exchange time, spot time, truck wait time, and cycle time can help with the ‘why’ of it for help in operator best practices, supervisor training, and managerial goals.

11:15 am: Driving Productivity Improvements – You Need the Data

David Fisk, 3D-P Inc. Increasing use of productivity and safety systems on board our mobile production equipment has increased our reliance on our wireless networks for real time con-nectivity and data collection. Yet, the networks in many mines do not perform anywhere near optimum. In this paper we look at advances in networking technologies and some of the practices to help optimize performance in our networks.


11:45 am: Implementation of Seed Form Vibration Analysis, Modeling and Electronic Detectors for Blast Vibration Control and Blast Performance

Thomas Barkley, Barkley D B ConsultingIn early 2015, the Seed Waveform method was used to measure the Geologic response of the Mesabi Iron Formation to explosives energy input. This single charge wave form was then used to design a critical first blast at a newly developed Taconite mine. This initial blast had several irregular restrictions on design and performance. It had a very unusual “Frying Pan” shape, the regulatory agency required that no fly-rock land in State owned waters less than 200 feet away, there was no open face to blast to, design criteria included the need to detonate the blast with two sinking cuts, and have the sinking cuts meet through a narrow neck between the cuts. All these had to be met using a 16 inch diameter hole. Blast modeling with the Seed Waveform recommended a counter intuitive design of 100 ms between rows and 25 ms between holes in a row. This design guaranteed multiple holes per delay. The use of electronic detonators insured exact duplication of the modeled time. Vibration results were significantly lower than generally accepted historic research would predict. The vibration result was also much less than well correlated local historic data predicted. Blast performance proved the ability to greatly reduce the expected results. All vibration, fly-rock, air blast and fragmentation results were much better than expected by the customer and conventional expectations.

1:45 pm: Tele-Remote Drilling: An Innovative Idea for the Iron Range

Benjamin Sutton, United States SteelInnovation is the name of the game, do we spend money now in hopes of creating savings later or do we save money now and pray it doesn’t cost us more down the road. On the Iron Range there has been one area that has seen lit-tle innovation for the past several decades: drilling. United States Steel partnered with Joy Global and Atlas Copco to see if that could be changed. Tele-remote drilling could cut costs by operating multiple drills at a time, create jobs for additional surveyors and engineers, and enhance safety by removing the operator from the rig. One question still remains, can it work on the Iron Range?

2:15 pm: UAS: The Future of Aerial Data CollectionJay Haskamp, Frontier Precision, Inc.It is no secret, UAS (Unmanned Aerial Systems) is the latest buzz in many industries. In this session we will show you how we can take something as simple as a high resolution aerial image, and turn it into a 3D map. Attendees will learn what is required to safely and legally operate UAS in the United States. We will also discuss the benefits of UAS as it relates to mapping, inspection, volumes and most importantly safety. Both fixed wing and rotor solutions will be shown and the differences between them discussed. The future of aerial data col-lection is here.

3:30 pm: A Change in Perspective: Using GIS for Confident Decision Making

Melissa Martinie and Kyle Heideman, Krech Ojard & Associates, Inc.Businesses make numerous locally and globally signifi-cant decisions each day. Making confident decisions is possible when data is available to a broad audience and that audience has the tools to ask questions of the data. A variety of industries, including mining, are leveraging GIS platforms to integrate information and understand it within a geographic context. A modern GIS platform is used for more than making maps, it includes solutions and processes that promote confident decision making anytime and anywhere. In this presentation we’ll exam-ine how a GIS platform can be leveraged throughout the decision making process in a mining environment.

4:00 pm: Eagle Mine: Developing an Effective Operating Partnership

Colin Connors, Lundin Mining – Eagle Mine John Larsen, Cementation USAThe Eagle Mine was purchased by Lundin Mining in the summer of 2013 and was brought into production in the Fall of 2014. In late 2013, Cementation (USA) was selected as the mining contractor to perform all underground operations and underground maintenance functions. The presentation will discuss the concept of a “One Eagle” team, the development of this operating strategy and the learnings that have occurred by both organizations in effectively building the operating teams and structure.

ProcessingChairs:

Jon Maki, Kemira Chemicals, Inc. Matt Mlinar, Coleraine Minerals Research Laboratory

10:45 am: Evaluation of Amine Type and Effect of Particle Size in the Reverse Flotation of a Liberian Iron Ore

M. Gotelip Barbosa, T. Junqueira Marques, G. Siboni and A. C. Araujo, Arcelor Mittal Mining and Mineral Processing Research CenterCationic reverse flotation of quartz is largely applied in iron ore in order to concentrate the iron bearing parti-cles. Amine and starch are the most common reagents used as collector and depressant respectively and the selection of those reagents is very important to the definition of the beneficiation route. An iron ore from Liberia, which is composed by three iron bearing min-erals - goethite, hematite and magnetite – and mainly quartz as gangue mineral, was submitted to reverse flo-tation using different types of amines as collectors and starches as depressant. The tests were also performed with different size fractions aiming to evaluate the impact of the particle size in the process. The results of this study are presented and discussed to show the effect of chemical reagent selection and its effect on flotation of three different size fractions tested.


11:15 am: Effects of Flotation Reagents on the Zeta Potential of Hematite Ore

Xihui Yin, Kemira ChemicalsFlotation is an important separation technique in iron ore beneficiation. In this process, the separation efficiency is highly dependent on the surface chemistry of iron minerals and gangue minerals, which are basically con-trolled by surface nature of different minerals, flotation reagents, as well as water quality. Depressants, such as starch and dextrin, are commonly used to selectively adsorb on iron minerals and render them hydrophilic, while ether amine is used as collector for silica. These flotation reagents react with different mineral surfaces through different mechanisms. For example, starch is normally considered to adsorb on iron oxide through chemical complexation, while amine reacts with silica via physical adsorption, driven by charge difference. Since depressant is normally added before the addition of amine, how the depressant influences the surface charge and adsorption of amine is an important issue. In this research, the zeta potential of hematite and silica will be studied by electrophoresis technique at varying dosages of depressant and collector. The effects of iron depressants, including corn starch and a novel depres-sant from Kemira, will be discussed.

11:45 am: Grinding Optimization through SmartmillMarcelo Perrucci, ABB Switzerland In today’s difficult market, it’s critical to maximize asset’s efficiency. For an effective grinding, the oper-ator must achieve high throughputs, without too much recirculation, while adjusting mill feed according the mill load. While doing this, he must remember that push-ing the mills too much will increase wear. To overcome these challenges, ABB has developed an embedded control for variable-speed drives – called SmartMill™

– that utilizes online data for continuous, standalone control of mills. This paper describes the advantages of SmartMill™, the tests results and a return of investment analysis of an existing fixed-speed grinding mill to be upgraded to SmartMill™.

1:45 am: Iron Ore Pelletization with Starch and Humic Acid

S. Komar Kawatra, Joseph Halt and Youlian Zhou Barkley, Michigan Technological University, Depart-ment of Chemical Engineering, Houghton, MIStarch (produced from corn and wheat) and modified humic acid (called MHA, extracted from lignite coal) have been proposed as iron ore pellet binders instead of bentonite clay. Starch and MHA are more desirable than bentonite for high-purity pellets, such as pellets for direct reduction (DR) processes. Starch and MHA were evaluated on two iron ore concentrates: a fluxed hematite with an 80% passing size of 35 µm and an unfluxed magnetite with an 80% passing size of 38 µm. The dosages required to make pellets with good wet drop (>5 drops), dry compression strength (>5 lbf), and fired compression strength (>400 lbf) results were

0.05-0.1 % starch, and 0.5-0.8 % MHA. However, in laboratory scale abrasion tests, mass losses with starch binder were high relative to the MHA and ben-tonite binders. To increase the abrasion resistance of the pellets, small quantities of dispersants or bentonite clay were used with the starch binders – this signifi-cantly increased pellet preheat compression strengths (1100 °C) and abrasion resistances (1100 and 1250 °C). These laboratory results suggest that MHA and mixtures of starch, bentonite and dispersants are good candidates for pellet binders, and should be further evaluated by pot-grate testing.

2:15 pm: Spiral Surface Property InvestigationNiel Lourens, Multotec CanadaAn uncertainty in the industry is when to change spi-rals out. In other words, how does spiral performance deteriorate over time and a decrease in recovery is noted? An investigation was launched to research the common belief that spirals experience a decrease in efficiency and therefore recovery, after a certain period of operation. The investigation looked at the change in the surface properties of the Polyurea at different oper-ating times. Surface characteristics were studied under a microscope and surface roughness measurements were taken. Metallurgical test work was conducted to compare the grade, mass yield and recovery of the different spirals under the same conditions. The paper sets out to present the results from the investigation and test work findings.

3:30 pm: Production of High Quality Pellets for Direct Reduced Iron Production

Basak Anameric, University of Minnesota DuluthThe blast furnace technology is still the predominant method of iron making at North America. However over the recent years, interests towards the direct reduction (DR) technologies have increased, due to abundance of shale natural gas resources. The continued interest and growth of DR technologies will depend on an adequate supply of high quality pellets along with natural gas. Thus, considerable amount of research and develop-ment activities has been undertaken for production of high quality DR pellets from iron ore processing plants located at Northern Minnesota. The objectives of this study were to support these activities by investigat-ing the optimum fluxing conditions and pellet basic to acid ratios. Throughout the study, (i) low silica iron ore concentrate was produced in the pilot plant, (ii) green-balls were produced in the pilot agglomeration disk, (iii) greenballs produced were indurated in the pot grate furnace, (iv) a suitable induration cycle was identified, (v) fluxing condition and fluxes (limestone and dolomite) used were varied, and (vi) pellets produced were evalu-ated for their physical and metallurgical properties.


4:00 pm: Opportunities and Challenges for North American DRI Projects

Janice Bolen, HatchNorth American DRI projects are facing business case and pricing challenges. This presentation will review potential North American DRI projects and outline the future market for DR grade iron ore pellets around the Great Lakes region. DRI opportunities for merchant producers will be reviewed with a focus on how likely the import alternative iron unit and scrap displacement case is. Opportunities for EAF and integrated steelmak-ers to use DRI will be outlined using operating cost com-parisons for various process routes.

Wednesday, April 13, 2016Environment – TechnologyChair:

Steve Koski, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources

9:00 am: Quantifying the Iron-Based Sulfide Absorption Capacity of Aquatic Sediment and Iron Minerals

Nathan Johnson and Nicholas Osmundson, University of Minnesota DuluthIn some cases, sulfide accumulation in porewaters of freshwater sediment depends on the quantity of iron present in sediments. We tested the capacity of aquatic sediments and an iron carbonate mineral (siderite) to sequester added sulfide and remove it from the aque-ous phase in batch and column laboratory experiments. When sulfide was added incrementally to sediment, little sulfide was present in porewater until solid phase sulfide exceeded solid phase iron stoichiometrically. In batch experiments, both iron-containing aquatic sedi-ment and siderite removed sulfide produced via biologi-cal sulfate reduction. In laboratory-scale columns (6 day residence time) fed lactate-amended water containing >600 mg/L sulfate, the rate of iron release and overall sulfide absorption capacity from siderite was related to surface area and mass of the iron amendment.

9:30 am: Preliminary Evaluation of Leachate Concentration Limits from Two Duluth Complex Rock Types

Zach Wenz, Minnesota Department of Natural ResourcesIn 2015, the MN DNR initiated six laboratory rock weath-ering tests to evaluate leachate concentration limits for two Duluth Complex rock types. The two rocks under test are from the NorthMet and Mesaba projects and have respective sulfurwt% values of 0.06 and 1.24. Preliminary results indicate substantially different solute concentration limits for the two rock types. No consis-tent correlation between leachate metal concentrations and rock sulfur concentration has been exhibited. This lack of correlation demonstrates that concentration limit parameters for water quality prediction models should

be based on the specific rock type being evaluated. A comparison of the solute release rates between the two ASTM standard humidity cells and four specialized cells will also be presented.

Industrial MineralsChairs:

Greg Beckstrom Lawrence Zanko, NRRI, University of Minnesota Duluth

9:00 am: Development of Alkali-Activated Concrete Binders in the Upper Midwest

Mary Christiansen, University of Minnesota DuluthThe production of portland cement for use in concrete is responsible for 5-8% of global anthropogenic CO2 emissions and as a result the investigation of alternative cementitious binders has increased dramatically in the last several decades. Of particular interest is the devel-opment of alkali-activated binders, which are produced from the alkali activation of a powdered aluminosilicate source by an alkaline solution. The resulting binder is a dense three-dimensional matrix of tetrahedrally linked aluminosilicates. Also referred to as geopolymers, these binders have shown great potential as a building construction material, offering similar mechanical and durability properties to ordinary portland cement con-crete. This paper investigates the development potential of these binders based on the quality and availability of materials in the upper Midwest.

9:30 am: Considerations in the Recovery/Removal of Stamp Sands

Thomas Logue, Torch Lake Industries, Inc.100 years ago, the Keweenaw Peninsula was the largest producer of copper in the world. Leftover mine tailings, or stamp sand, are a visible reminder of those days. Numerous government agencies including the EPA as well as the local state university have studied these massive deposits of post industrial waste, but widespread remediation plans have proven elusive. Torch Lake Industries, Inc. was formed in 2013 to per-mit, process and transport stamp sand product to newly created markets. This presentation chronicles the mar-ket considerations, logistic challenges, governmental requirements and environmental concerns navigated in this complicated process.

Environmental & PolicyChairs:

Julie Lucas, Hibbing Taconite Company Steve Munson-Geerts, University of Minnesota

9:00 am: Managing Wetlands/Aquatic Resources Permits – What to Do with Long-term, Legacy Mining Projects as Regulations and Personnel Change, but Permit Conditions Do Not

Allyz Kramer and Bob Whiting, Short Elliott Hendrickson (SEH)U.S. mining projects undergo comprehensive environ-mental review and mitigation planning for wetlands/


aquatic resources permits to be authorized. Complex mine plans of operation often dictate when, where, and how wetlands/aquatic resources will be impacted, typ-ically leading to required mitigation. Such permits may be authorized for different timeframes depending on the agency or the mine plan. With mining operations driven by current and projected economic conditions, which can alter, temporarily idle, or even close a mine indefi-nitely, how are existing permits affected when operations change? Can permit conditions and expiration dates be amended? Who’s responsible for maintaining valid per-mits? When regulations change, what happens to older, legacy permits still having valid, enforceable conditions? What steps should mine managers and personnel take to ensure that permits do not expire, that conditions are adhered to, and that legacy decision-making is accurately documented? This paper will provide recommendations for maintaining permits, understanding the legalities of permit decisions and enforceable conditions, and the importance of accurate record-keeping.

9:30 am: Water Quality Regulatory Challenges for Closed Mines in Non-Compliance

Erik Carlson, ERM Responsible management of closed mine sites is nec-essary to leaving a positive legacy for the mining indus-try. One particular aspect of responsible mine closure is long-term management of water resources. The Clean Water Act, however, did not anticipate such a long-term water management scenario, especially in resolv-ing existing non-compliance. Regulatory compliance within the legal confines of the Clean Water Act can be confounding. Consideration of variances, compli-ance schedules, water quantity requirements, and the determination if a discharge is from a point or non-point source can paralyze mine owners and regulators alike as they try to find a path to a permit.

Mining and ExplorationChairs:

George Hudak, NRRI, University of Minnesota, Duluth Christian Schardt, University of Minnesota, Duluth

9:00 am: Lithofacies Mapping of Glacigenic Deposits: Managing Engineering and Environ-mental Risk on the Shield

Phillip Larson, Vesterheim Geoscience PLCCharacterization of glacigenic sediment (GS) physical and chemical properties and distribution is critically important to environmental assessment and engi-neering design in glaciated shield terranes, including northeastern Minnesota. Here, the vast majority of groundwater flow occurs in GS, while engineering design must account for widely varying geotechnical properties in GS overlying hard bedrock. Shield GS deposits (till, glaciofluvial sand and gravel, and glaci-olacustrine silt and clay) are commonly draped over irregular bedrock topography, resulting in lateral com-positional and thickness variability on the scale of 100s of meters, not coincidentally the size of the subsurface

glaciolacustrine unit responsible for the Mount Polley TSF Breach. Extreme spatial variability in shield area GS composition is poorly captured by lithostratigraphic classification and mapping schemes, and NRCS soil mapping similarly fails to characterize vertical variabil-ity. Site-specific GS lithofacies mapping, coupled to predictive depositional models, provides the framework to guide subsequent geotechnical and hydrogeological investigations.

9:30 am: Gold-in-Till Anomalies in an Archean Granite Greenstone Terrane, Northern St. Louis County, Minnesota

Don Elsenheimer, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources A gold-in-till survey of nearly 200 near-surface glacial sediment samples has identified areas of high mineral potential within the Cook Area, a 200 square mile sec-tion of Archean granite greenstone terrane south of Lake Vermilion, between Cook and Tower. Three areas of state-owned/managed mineral rights with clusters of high gold grain counts and/or pristine gold grains have not previ-ously been explored for gold. Local bedrock sources are suggested by gold grain counts, geochemical analysis of associated -0.063mm fractions and HMC, and historical exploration records. This project supports the manage-ment of State-owned/managed mineral rights and adds value to Minnesota’s mineral estate.

ProcessingChairs:

Dan Palo, Barr Engineering Basak Anameric, University of Minnesota Duluth

9:00 am: The Roy Hill Iron Mine and Port Labora-tories: Aligning with the Corporate Mandate for Next-Gen Integration Technology and Processes

Brad McBain, IMP Automation Canada Ltd Ryan Wilson, IMP Group Pty Ltd.The Roy Hill Project is an iron ore mining, rail and port project based in the Western Pilbara region of Australia. Projected to produce its first ore by the end of 2015, this project has been designed to maximize returns on every tonne of ore produced. The corporate mandate is a focus on consistent grade and quality of ore that is produced using consistent, low-cost production tech-niques. The IMP Group has designed, constructed and commissioned labs for both the mine and the port in Port Hedland, featuring state-of-the-art automation systems and process control parameters. This pre-sentation will highlight IMP’s laboratory and sampling systems, with examples of the deliverables that align with the Roy Hill mandate.


Special EventsMonday, April 11, 2016 Welcome Reception

$15/person advanced registration required6:00 pm – 8:00 pm Location: Greysolon Ballroom by Black Woods

Celebrate the beginning of the 89th Annual Meeting of the Minnesota Section of SME with this evening social held in the Greysolon Moorish Room. This reception is the perfect opportunity to make new connections with other confer-ence attendees and our conference exhibitors.

Tuesday, April 12, 2016 Student Breakfast

7:00 am – 8:30 am Location: Gooseberry Falls 1

This casual networking breakfast provides students the opportunity to meet industry representatives, learn about internships, co-ops, employment opportunities and SME student chapters and related activities. (open to registered students only)

Trade Show And Vendors’ Reception4:30 pm – 6:30 pm Location: Pioneer HallFood and beverages provided, name badges required for admission.

Sponsored by the 2016 SME Trade Show exhibitors and co-hosts from the mining industry, the Vendors’ Reception is open to conference attendees, vendors, co-hosts, mining representatives and guests.

Wednesday, April 13, 2016 SME-MN Section Annual Business Meeting

2:00 pm – 3:00 pm Location: Board Room, Level 2

The agenda for the annual SME-Minnesota Section Business Meeting will include the announcement of the annual election results for the 2016-2017 officers, the annual treasurer’s report, reports from the Twin Cities and Northern Minnesota subsections, as well as various Minnesota Section committee reports. In addition, the floor will be open to other new business items from the membership.

Professional Networking Luncheon$35/person advanced registration requiredNoon – 1:30 pm Location: Gooseberry Falls 3Play All the Cards in your Hand – It’s the Gender Energy Leadership AdvantageBetty-Ann Heggie

Wise leaders choose the best option for every situation, venue and audience. They play their trump cards. In our hands, each of us hold the naturally collaborative, feminine energy Queen of Hearts along with the masculine energy King of Spades, which is not afraid to take a risk. By playing these cards strategically, you’ll not only create more innovation, employee engagement, customer satisfaction, and community support, you’ll be considered a wise leader. Betty-Ann Heggie, a retired SR VP with PotashCorp, the world’s largest fertilizer company, a member of Canada’s Top 100 Most Powerful Women Hall of Fame, the Canadian Women in Mining 2015 Trailblazer and one of the 100 Global Inspirational Women in Mining as named by WIM (UK), will use university research and personal stories to reinforce these principles providing lots of laughs along the way. Attendees will leave inspired to use the wider range of leadership actions available to them by using both gender energies.

89TH ANNUAL MEETINGMINNESOTA SECTION OF SME

77TH ANNUAL UNIVERSITY OFMINNESOTA MINING SYMPOSIUM

APRIL 11-13, 2016

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MONDAY, APRIL 11: Direct Reduced Iron and SC1 $125 $_______ Metallurgical IronMining Hidden Losses SC2 $75 $_______Testing Your Mettle SC3 $75 $_______

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SEND FORM AND PAYMENT VIA ONE OF THE FOLLOWING:MAIL: Meetings Dept. Society for Mining, Metallurgy & Exploration, Inc. 12999 E. Adam Aircraft Circle, Englewood, CO 80112 FAX: 303-979-3461 ONLINE: www.smemnconference.com

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