MPMC Weekly Testing Nov 17th 2016
This weeks report has created a number of important questions for our group.
MPMC has reported a discharge rate of 0.292m3/second, at a volume of 176311 m3 of discharge this week. Looking at previous weeks' reports, MPMC has maintained approximately 0.29m3/second as the discharge rate, but the volumes have varied from 150,000m3 to 200,00m3 of volume. It made me wonder why?
Could it be that the treatment plant is operating for less hours per day or that in order to maintain that rate per second that the flow volume has to be less and why would that be the case?
I therefore looked back and tried to compare the discharge characteristics, starting at the Springer Pit, then observing the water test results at the end of the pipe (HAD03) after the water treatment plant and then observed the 4 MPMC test results performed so far in 2016 at Mitchell Bay.
The results were very interesting, see below for an extract of the weekly report
November 8th 2016- Examples of some parameters
Springer Pit HAD03 Mitchell Bay
Nitrates mg/L 8.74 8.94 No Results
Sulphates mg/L 544 557
Molybdenum mg/L 0.182 0.179
October 24th 2016- Examples of some parameters
Springer Pit HAD03 Mitchell Bay
Nitrates mg/L 8.65 8.82 None Detected
Sulphates mg/L 537 548 6.56
Molybdenum mg/L 0.177 0.174 0.000365
As you can see from this small sample above, the mine effluent coming out of the water treatment plant can show an increase in characteristics, compared to what is being found in the Springer Pit.
I have no explanation for this.
I will point out that the characteristics are within the permitted limit, but it does beg the question, what is happening here.
CCQL will ask the MOE for a response to this information and report back on the blog
