153 KEYWORDS Mineral stabilization, mine tailings, reclamation, encapsulation, circular mining, geotechnical engineering 1. CONTEXT AND PROBLEM STATEMENT The mining sector faces a dual challenge: delivering essential minerals for global decarbonization while mitigating long-term environmental liabilities associated with extraction. Tailings storage facilities (TSFs) remain among the most critical risk areas in mining infrastructure. Recent studies estimate over 3,500 active TSFs globally, with cumulative volumes exceeding 200 billion tonnes (UNEP, 2022). Conventional remediation approaches rely heavily on: • Surface capping • Containment embankments • Excavation and landfill disposal • Hydraulic management systems While effective in short-term risk reduction, these methods often: • Require perpetual monitoring • Generate high Scope 1 and Scope 3 emissions • Do not convert waste into productive assets • Fail to integrate reclamation into broader circular economy models A shift is required from passive containment toward engineered transformation. 2. OBJECTIVES AND SCOPE The World Mining Congress theme of delivering minerals “faster, smarter and more responsibly” is addressed by presenting: • A mineral stabilization framework for post-mining reclamation • Laboratory-validated contaminant immobilization results • Mechanical performance evaluation • Field implementation case evidence • Transferability to tailings and brownfield reclamation The objective is to demonstrate that engineered mineral matrices can: 1. Immobilize contaminants geochemically 2. Improve mechanical performance of soils and tailings 3. Enable beneficial reuse in infrastructure 4. Reduce lifecycle carbon footprint 3. METHODOLOGY AND APPROACH 3.1 Laboratory Program Testing was conducted in collaboration with the University of Calgary and independent certified laboratories (SGS North America, SGS Peru).
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