Resumen

ZAMORA E, Gerardo; HINOJOSA C, Octavio  y  BLANCO VINO, Walter. Economic benefits of the application of the circular economy in the stage of the environmental closure of mining waste storage sites in open pit operations. REV. MAMYM [online]. 2020, vol.5, n.2, pp.3-10. ISSN 2519-5352.

Abstract Various methods have been developed to stabilize DAR generating mining waste storage sites; the most frequent, resort to the use of geo-membranes that are arranged above the geochemically unstable residues; to later settle the geo-textile, and on it, a layer of quaternary material; to finally place the topsoil on top, and the native plant cover. The costs of applying this closure method in the case of clearings or dumps can be in the order of 0.223 million dollars per hectare; and in the case of the rehabilitation of tailings or tailings storage sites, in the order of 0.57 million dollars per hectare; amounts that may not be available to the mining company or have not been anticipated at the start of operations. In addition, in general, the dewatering material (top soil) obtained in the explo itation of the pit is not enough to comply with the closure described above. In this context, the technical bases are proposed for the implementation of the circular economy that is circumscribed in the desulfurization of the tailings or tailings befo re their final disposal, throughthe use of concentration spirals; but at the same time, the reuse of the non-sulfurized glues obtained, both for use as fine material in dry covers, and in the artificial manufacture of top soil for environmental closure. This closure alternative, which is appropriate for semi-arid climates, has a lower cost of 0.19 million dollars per hectare. Through this research work, it has been possible to demonstrate that the implementation of the circular economy in the management of mining waste inanopenpit mining operation, canallow not only to lower the costs of the environmental closure of its DAR generating waste, up to 77%; if not that also, generate a surplus of artificial top soil; In short, they ensure that the mining operation does not leave waste disposal sites that are hazardous to the environment.

Palabras clave : Circular Economy in Mining; Environmental Closure; Use of waste in dry covers.

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