Short Courses
Short Courses
Icard short courses offer participants to enhance their knowledge, learn new skills and better understand current standards and techniques through interactive instruction. These engaging courses provide a dynamic learning environment, fostering not only theoretical understanding but also practical application, ensuring a comprehensive and enriching educational experience for all attendees.
- The short courses are available on a first-come, first-served basis.
- A certificate of participation with PD hours will be granted following the completion of the courses.
- The organizer reserves the right to cancel a short course if the number of participants does not meet the minimum number required.
Full day short course
Price includes two coffee breaks, lunch, and course notes
Regular registration: $425
Student registration: $125
Half day short course
Price includes one coffee break and course notes
Regular registration: $225
Student registration: $75
Christian Wolkersdorfer, Tshwane University of Technology
Tracer tests are a means of investigating the flow and hydrodynamic properties of groundwater or surface water. They have been an established technique in hydrological and hydrogeological investigations for over a century and are an important tool in water-related investigations. There are two general types of tracer tests commonly used today: natural tracer tests and artificial tracer tests.
In the first case, substances already present in the water are analysed and the results are interpreted. In the second case, a substance is injected into the water and its concentration development over time is used to characterise the water flow. This course will focus on both general aspects of tracer tests and the specific requirements for mine water tracer tests.Course content:
- The first part of the course is an introduction to tracer tests. This introduction provides an overview of the use of tracers and the questions that can be answered by tracer tests. The introduction also covers the differences between natural and artificial tracer tests and which substances can be used in each case. Most of the tracers used as natural or artificial tracers will be introduced and their advantages and disadvantages as well as the requirements for their use will be discussed. In addition, the course will outline which analytical techniques should be used to identify these tracers.
- Planning and preparation: The key to a successful tracer test is thorough planning and preparation of the test. Therefore, the course will introduce the necessities for a successful tracer test, such as selection of the appropriate tracer, calculation of the amount of tracer to be used, accurate selection of sampling sites and general requirements. A brief introduction to the legal requirements for conducting a tracer test will also be given. After a successful tracer test, evaluation of the data is essential, therefore the course will examine different techniques for evaluating tracer test results and breakthrough curves. The different techniques will be discussed and the advantages and disadvantages of these methods will be outlined.
- Case studies: Several case studies are presented at the end of the course. The case studies will cover the three typical situations for tracer tests: surface water, river and mine water tracer tests.
Short Course Objectives:
Delve into the intricacies of hydrogeological and mine water tracer tests to equip participants with comprehensive knowledge. By the conclusion of this learning experience, participants will have a profound understanding of tracer tests, including their fundamental concept, the diverse array of tracers available for application, the meticulous planning and execution of these tests, and the astute evaluation of resulting data.Target Audience:
Colleagues from all mining relevant areas, including researchers, consultants or legislators, interested in mine water tracer tests or seeking to understand their conduct and principles.About the instructor:
Professor Christian Wolkersdorfer is a mining hydrogeologist with 34 years of experience in mine water geochemistry, hydrodynamics, geothermal applications and tracer tests. In 2014, he was provided the South African Research Chair for Acid Mine Water Treatment at Tshwane University of Technology and he held the world’s first Industrial Research Chair for Mine Water Remediation & Management at Cape Breton University, Nova Scotia, Canada. He is also a “Finish Distinguished Professor for Mine Water Management” at Lappeenranta University of Technology in Mikkeli, Finland. He has been teaching hydrogeology, mining hydrology and tracer hydrology at Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München und Bergakademie Freiberg, Germany and within the AEG master course of Tübingen University.He received his PhD from Clausthal University, Germany and habilitated at Bergakademie Freiberg, Germany. He is the President of the International Mine Water Association and the Technical Editor of the SCI listed journal “Mine Water and the Environment”.He has published more than 170 papers, books and book chapters in various journals and proceedings about hydrogeology, archaeology and mining related topics.Lindsay Robertson (Elemental Geoscience Inc.), Brent Usher (Klohn Crippen Berger) and Sarah Barabash (Ecometrix)
As an industry we talk a lot about geochemistry for project development, what you need for characterization, and honing your predictions for what water quality might look like for operations. But what about operations that are already under way? What if actual conditions are different from what is predicted at the project development stage? This course is dedicated to the space in-between prediction and closure, where geochemical concepts are applied to site operational management. The mine operational stage is often evolving based on changes in mining, extraction, or processing methods, the actual conditions encountered within an ore body, or the expansion of the mine as additional resources are discovered. Managers and operators at the mine face unique geochemical and water quality challenges that often need to be addressed clearly and quickly, often without dedicated on-site geochemists.
Join site superintendents and managers, water quality management professionals, and geochemists as we explore critical geochemical aspects for mine operations through a series of case studies and open discussion. Case studies currently being finalized but tentatively include:- Base metal mine in the USA
- Precious metal mine in Canada
- Base metal mine in Peru
- Base metal mine in Australia
- Adaptive management based on evolving site conditions.
- Differences between project predictions and site conditions.
- Unexpected operational challenges.
- Evolving regulatory and governance landscapes.
- Internal drivers to improve performance.
Short Course Objectives:
The objective of the short course is to share, through case studies, the key areas of geochemical support required to inform critical operational decisions and changes at an active mine site. A key takeaway for participants will be lessons learned from each case study and the critical components for project success.Target Audience:
This course is targeted to early and mid-career geochemical professionals, mine operations staff, and regulators.About the instructor(s):
This short course will be co-hosted by Lindsay Robertson, Brent Usher, and Sarah Barabash. Case studies will be provided by 1-2 mine operations team members with direct experience for the project or program they are presenting.Lindsay Robertson, M.Sc., P.Geo. is the founder and Principal Environmental Geochemist at Elemental Geoscience. She has 20 years’ experience in the characterization, management, and closure of mine wastes. Throughout her consulting career, she has worked on projects from concept to closure, across base metals, gold, and industrial minerals (iron and coal). Her experience spans Canada, the US, Australia, Papua New Guinea, Europe, Africa, and South America in mountainous, tropical, coastal, and desert regions. Her broad experience helps bring teams together to solve challenging problems, develop strategies, and add value to project execution.Brent Usher, PhD, RPGeo. is the Manager Geoscience, and Principal at Klohn Crippen Berger. Brent has more than 25 years of experience in acid mine drainage, aqueous geochemistry, mine closure and hydrogeology from his work on over 150 mine sites worldwide, with most of his experience from projects across Australia, Canada South Africa, Papua New Guinea and Peru but with projects across five continents. He has co‐authored 17 peer reviewed scientific papers in journals and books, co‐edited a book collection of peer‐reviewed papers and produced more than 45 conference outputs at international conferences. Brent was also the technical lead for KCB’s Consult Australia Water Gold Award 2010.Dr. Sarah Barabash is a Senior Environmental Scientist with Ecometrix with over 15 years of combined experience in research and consulting related to geochemistry, hydrogeology, mine waste management, water quality and environmental assessments. Since completing her Ph.D., she has worked as a consultant and research scientist and has been a principal investigator for a wide variety of environmental investigations, including mine waste and water quality assessments for proposed mine projects, detailed studies at operating and closed mines, and modelling of contaminant migration in surface and groundwaters. Sarah’s particular expertise is the planning and implementation of waste management programs, geochemical assessment and environmental monitoring studies. Mine representative information will be available closer to the date once presentations are approved.Mike Milczarek & Nathan Hawes, GeoSystems Analysis Inc.
Failure to reduce surface water contact and net infiltration into mine waste can result in excessive drainage of mine impacted water that will require water treatment. This workshop is designed to provide an integrated assessment of the factors affecting mine waste drainage across a variety of climatic environments and present standard and cutting-edge methods for controlling acid rock drainage. Participants will be introduced to characterization, modeling and monitoring tools to predict and monitor mine waste drainage as well as state-of-the art methods in mitigating mine waste affected drainage via cover systems and water treatment. Closure case studies from different climatic environments will be presented.
Short Course Objectives:
Introduce the participant to key closure system concepts on controlling net percolation and ingress of oxygen through the use of cover systems, and erosion and drainage control.Target Audience:
Engineers, scientists and managers responsible for closure planning and implementationAbout the instructor(s):
Mike Milczarek, President, GeoSystems Analysis, Inc. Mr. Milczarek has over 30 years of experience in developing, implementing, and managing vadose zone, hydrogeologic and geochemical studies. He has managed or participated in over 30 mine closure studies at sites ranging from the semi-arid southwestern and Great Basin deserts in the USA and Mexico to high precipitation sites in the Rocky Mountains and South American Andes. He has authored or co-authored over 50 publications and conference proceedings on mine reclamation, habitat restoration, heap leaching and groundwater recharge.Nathan Hawes, PhD, PE, Principal Engineer, GeoSystems Analysis, Inc. Mr. Haws is a registered professional civil engineer with 20 years of engineering experience focused on surface and near surface water management. He has served as project technical lead of the analysis and design of surface mine reclamation; mine heap leach facilities; river stabilization; and surface water risk mitigation in diverse regulatory and climatic environments. Nathan has authored or co-authored several peer reviewed publications and conference papers related to water and solute transport, surface water erosion protection, and heap leach design.Vikram Khera (Hatch), Hugh Davies, Jacob Croall, Wilder Sanchez (Newmont Corporation) and Gurprit Chahal (Teck)
Once a need for water treatment arises for a mining project. There are many decisions, options, and studies that needs to be explored and executed in a timely manner to successfully deliver a water treatment project.
This course will explain in-depth the steps, options, and decisions required for to execute a water treatment project. This course will discuss the following:- Importance of water treatment system/plant within the Mining Industry
- Outline examples of approach for assessment of Mine Water – Risk Ranking/Costs/Closure Planning
- Getting Started/Information Gathering/Decision Making
- Identify and discuss importance of information required for design basis development:
- Geochemistry
- Hydrology/Hydrogeology/Climate Change
- Environmental Studies/Discharge Requirements
- Existing / Future treatment technologies
- Permitting/Discharge Requirements
- Other factors
- Discuss selection/engagement criteria and scope for Consultants for various studies and designs.
- Discuss/show techniques how to verify data and gain confidence in data/approach (use of effective Dashboards)
- Integration of water management/treatment with the Closure Plant
- Execution Approaches
- Water standards to meet
- Discuss different execution approaches (Vendors vs. Consultants) and discuss pros/cons for each option.
- Show disadvantages/advantages of mobile vs. non-mobile treatment plants
- Discuss activities, interdependencies, and schedule for each Execution phase:
- Process Development – discuss need for testwork requirements and other process verification.
- Feasibility Studies – define answers required for water treatment project at Feasibility Studies, not necessarily the same requirements a full mining projects.
- Detailed Engineering Requirements
- Procurement – discuss/show actual equipment delivery timelines.
- Start up and Commissioning.
- Discuss options to reduce schedule/costs for project execution.
- Closure
- Discuss main water management/treatment challenges facing the Mining Industry
Short Course Objectives:
Explain the steps, approach, and options to develop a water treatment plant, starting from first identifying the need for water treatment all the way to building a water treatment plant/system.Target Audience:
Anyone interested or involved in water treatment/management for a mine site.About the instructor(s): Coming soon
Michael O’Kane, Rachel Sawyer (Okane Consultants) and Justin Straker (IEG)
In the mining industry today, planning for closure is an expected part of the mine lifecycle, but the number of sites that have achieved relinquishment to a productive post-mining land use are few. In too many instances, decisions made early in the mine lifecycle result in unplanned liabilities with environmental, social and financial costs that extend well beyond the operating life of mine. The objective of integrated closure planning is to combine reclamation expertise with strategic mine planning to prevent poor identified and underfunded closure outcomes.
This short course will provide an introduction to the evolving field of integrated closure planning, and landform design for progressive reclamation to support future land use. Participants will be introduced to an intermediate level of technical, social and environmental disciplines needed to form an effective closure planning team, and some tools to build collaborative, interdisciplinary teams. Instructors will also introduce some recent developments in integrated closure planning like achieving source control into landform design, and mine landform cover systems that integrate the performance of the soil cover and vegetative cover with the landform design.An Outline:
- Introduction to landform design principles and integrated mine closure planning
- Engagement with stakeholders, Indigenous rightsholders and developing a closure vision
- Reclamation landform and cover design, design for source control and a changing climate
- Designing for soils, vegetation and ecology
- Establishing a design basis memorandum, setting up an interdisciplinary team, and integrated closure planning project stage gating
Short Course Objectives:
The objectives of this short course will be introduction the fundamentals of integrated closure planning, highlight the impact of landform design on closure outcomes, and explain where landform design principles fit in the evolving space of environment, social governance (ESG).Target Audience:
Mine Planners and Closure Planning Practitioners looking for an introduction to Integrated Closure Planning and Landform Design.About the instructor(s):
Mike O’Kane – Founder of Okane Consultants, Mike works with the company as a senior technical advisor applying technical expertise and knowledge on risk management best practices as tools for development and communication. He provides peer review for numerous government and private agencies while also being a member of multiple advisory panels. Mike is an expert in application of unsaturated zone hydrology, mine closure, and cover systems / landforms; he serves as a director of the Landform Design Institute and chair of its Technical Advisory Panel.Justin Straker – Is a soil scientist, forest ecologist, and Chief Technical Officer at IEG, which he co-founded in 2010. Justin has over 25 years of experience in applied terrestrial ecology, and primarily focuses his practice on two fields: reclamation of terrestrial mining disturbances, including design, implementation, and assessment of reclamation and reclamation-research programs; and assessment of and planning related to the cumulative effects of industrial activities on ecosystems and people. Justin has worked throughout Canada, and in Alaska, South America, South Asia, and Australia. Justin is also a member of the BC Technical and Research Committee on Reclamation, and a member of closure review boards and advisory panels for the mining industry.Rachel Sawyer – A Senior Mine & Geotechnical Engineer with Okane Consultants with 24 years of experience in the mine and tailings industry. Her background spans from concept through design on of project objectives and designs. She has led construction and operations of complex mine & tailings earthwork structures within Canada’s largest mining companies. She has managed large field teams responsible for execution and reporting of field investigations and operations support for active tailings facilities including the collection and analyses of survey, construction quality control, instrumentation, and environmental monitoring data. She has managed mine and tailings planning groups responsible for the tactical haulage and construction plans through to the strategic mid to long range plans. She has extensive experience working with both internal and external stakeholders including technical review boards, regulators, community members and senior management to develop awareness and technical understanding.HC Liang & David Kratochvil (BQE Water), Alan Martin, Justin Stockwell (Lorax Environmental Services) and Mario Bianchin (AtkinsRealis)
Increasingly stringent selenium regulations and water quality guidelines in North America have posed challenges for the mining industry. Addressing selenium holistically, and in an environmentally and socially responsible manner, requires an understanding of the complexities of selenium biogeochemistry, biology and ecotoxicology, in addition to how all of these aspects relate to selenium regulations and guidelines, water management and treatment.
The course will discuss selenium geochemical release mechanisms and its various biogeochemical transformations in the aquatic environment that can potentially influence selenium bioaccumulation, ecotoxicity, water management and treatment. The biogeochemistry, biology, and ecotoxicology of selenium will be explained and discussed, in the context of managing ecological risk downstream of mine discharges. Regulatory considerations will also be discussed, including relevant regulations (both aqueous and tissue-based) and guidelines in North America.
Water management and selenium water treatment will also be addressed. This section will present best management practices for selenium source control, the impact of selenium speciation on water treatment, along with the advantages and disadvantages of various active, passive and semi-passive processes. Considerations for the holistic evaluation of water management and treatment will be discussed, using illustrative case examples.
Short Course Objectives:
- This course will provide wide-ranging information for participants to learn about the potential impacts and mitigation and management strategies for selenium in mine settings.
- Participants will learn first principles relating to selenium biogeochemistry, biology and ecotoxicology, and how these properties are shaping modern regulations.
- The course will focus on environmentally- and socially responsible water management and treatment in the mining industry.
Target Audience:
This course is suitable for mine operators, engineers, regulators, academics, and environmental consultants who wish to broaden their knowledge on selenium and its impacts.
About the instructor(s):
The course instructors are HC Liang, Alan Martin, Justin Stockwell, Mario Bianchin, and David Kratochvil. Guy Gilron and Adrian de Bruyn are contributors to the course.
HC Liang is the Director of Water Studies at BQE Water. He is a registered professional chemist in British Columbia and earned an MS in environmental engineering from Johns Hopkins University and a PhD in inorganic chemistry from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Alan Martin is a registered professional geologist in British Columbia and Ontario as well as a professional biologist in British Columbia. He earned a BS in biology/oceanography from the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, B.C. and an MS in geochemistry from the University of British Columbia.
Justin Stockwell is a Senior Hydrogeochemist and Environmental Geochemist at Lorax Environmental and is a registered professional geologist in British Columbia. He earned a BS in geology/hydrogeology from the University of Colorado, Boulder and an MS in hydrogeology and geochemistry from the University of British Columbia, Vancouver.
Mario Bianchin, Ph.D., P.Geo., is a Principal Hydrogeochemist as well as the Director of Mine Water Resources with AtkinsRéalis, Minerals & Metals, Sustainable Mine Development Group. He is a principal consulting hydrogeochemist with advanced degrees in hydrogeology and over 35 years of environmental engineering experience.
David Kratochvil is the President and CEO of BQE Water. He earned a PhD in chemical engineering from McGill University in Montreal and is a registered professional engineer in British Columbia.
Shannon Peel (MarketAPeel)
To attract the best talent, motivate others, and foster empathy, leaders need to tell the right kind of stories. Learn how to change your narrative, motivate team members, and attract the right people to apply to work at your organization by using storytelling techniques. Attendees will leave with tools to foster a deeper understanding their team members and what they want from the experience to craft engaging stories that elicit buy-in.
- How to tell stories to attract the right talent to your organization
- How to draw stories out of others to understand who they are by asking probing questions
- How to tell stories to foster buy-in and empathy in team members
Short Course Objectives:
- How to tell stories to attract the right talent to your organization
- How to draw stories out of others to understand who they are by asking probing questions
- How to tell stories to foster buy-in and empathy in team members
Target Audience:
Leadership teams, team leaders, and HR professionalsAbout the instructor(s):
Shannon Peel is passionate about stories and how they connect people. People describe her as intelligent, quick-witted, and creative, all things she takes pride in as she values intelligent thought and solution-based productivity. Shannon engages audiences by showing them stories that tap into their experiences and asking them to peel back the layers to find the core of their values-based brand story.She challenges people to look at telling their stories from different points of view to foster empathy and build trusting connections with others. Shannon has over 30 years experience in marketing, sales, advertising, and storytelling.Alan Martin, Justin Stockwell & John Dockrey (Lorax Environmental Services Ltd
Tailings storage facilities (TSFs) represent integral components of the water and waste management systems at mining operations, serving as a repository for tailings storage, a source of reclaim water for ore processing, and a potential environmental liability associated with water releases to surface and groundwater systems. In this regard, the successful management of TSFs requires a robust understanding of the various factors that can affect water quality during operations and closure. This understanding of water quality has relevance to predicting impacts to surface and groundwater receptors, site-wide water management, the design of mitigation measures, and closure planning. In this short course, factors relevant to the evolution and management of TSF water quality are discussed, including consideration to the regulatory environment, ore processing, metal leaching and acid rock drainage (ML/ARD), and opportunities for water management solutions. Implications for prediction and modelling are also discussed. Specific topics to be addressed include:
- Regulatory context
- Relevance to Towards Sustainable Mining (TSM) and Global Industry Standard on Tailings Management (GISTM)
- Types of tailings management facilities
- Tailings geochemical/physical properties
- Influence of ore processing, mill reagents, and effluent treatment on water quality
- Tailings ML/ARD
- Slurry versus filtered tailings
- Tailings pond biogeochemical processes
- Contaminant transport and attenuation
- Climate change risks and carbon capture opportunities
- Management & mitigation strategies to optimize water quality
Short Course Objectives:
- Outline the key factors relevant to the prediction and management of water quality at tailings storage facilities.
- Describe management/mitigation strategies to optimize water quality.
- Highlight opportunities and risks from case studies.
Target Audience:
Mining operators, consultants, regulators, students, communities
About the instructor(s):
Alan Martin is senior geochemist with over 30 years of experience in tailings-related studies in North America, Africa, Europe, South America, and southeast Asia. Having a strong background in geochemistry, mine waste management, and water quality, Alan’s work has focused most heavily on the characterization and management of mine-influenced systems. This broad environmental expertise has been utilized by mining companies, governments, and international organizations (World Bank), for work relating to aquatic resources impact assessments, metal leaching and acid rock drainage, water quality management, and closure planning. In his capacity as senior scientist, Alan has served as a senior reviewer on numerous tailings-related projects, has authored over 100 papers on mine-related studies, and currently serves on several Independent Tailings Review Boards for mines in Canada, USA, South America, Europe and Africa. As lead instructor, Alan will be responsible for topics relating to regulatory context, tailings properties, TSF pond biogeochemistry, and climate change.
Justin Stockwell is a senior environmental geoscientist with over 25 years of experience conducting mine-related environmental studies and assessments throughout North America. With academic training in geology, geochemistry and hydrogeology, his work has focused on the environmental management of mine water, mine waste, and mine-influenced systems including surface water and groundwater. Toward this end, he has executed and managed a wide-range of assessments in support of mine permitting, mine operations, environmental management, and mine closure. In his capacity has a senior water scientist, Justin has developed considerable expertise with regards to the geochemistry, hydrology and hydrogeology of tailings management facilities. In his role as an instructor, Justin will be responsible for topics relating to TSF hydrology/hydrogeology, contaminant transport and attenuation, mitigation and opportunities.
John Dockrey is a senior environmental geochemist with over 14 years of professional experience in mine-related assessments, specializing in the geochemical characterization of mine waste and ML/ARD management. Holding a Master’s degree from University of British Columbia, he possesses expertise in mineralogy, solid-phase chemistry, aqueous chemistry, and geochemical modelling. He has extensive professional experience working with tailings facilities at various stages of development, including those relating to gold, base metal and diamond mine operations. In this regard, John is deeply familiar with mill processing, cyanidation and within-mill treatment. Using his expertise in mine waste geochemistry, John has led source term predictions for tailings seepage, runoff, and process water quality at over a dozen mine sites. As part of the short course, John will lead presentations relating to the influence of ore processing on TSF water quality, tailingsML/ARD, and prediction.
Vincent LeBorgne (GKM Consultants)
Deploying a comprehensive monitoring plan is becoming a common requirement for mine operators. They have to show regulatory bodies that they are properly managing ground and surface water, preventing leeching and using state-of-the-art reporting systems. A well-managed monitoring plan is critical to ensure long-term compliance to environmental regulations during operations and post-closure. This short course will provide an overview of each part of a monitoring system, including instruments choice and installation, data collection methods, software technologies and best practices for designing monitoring plans. The first part of the course will focus on piezometers, water quality sondes and other ground and water quality sensors, sharing experience from installations in mines across Canada. The second part will provide hands-on training with hardware to connect instruments to data loggers, collect readings and convert the raw data to engineering units. The third part of the course will focus on designing the monitoring plan and tying up data collection in automated reported software.
Short Course Objectives:
- Overview of the following:
- In-ground instruments such as piezometers, water quality sondes and weir monitors
- Data logger technology
- Best practices in designing monitoring plans
- Software requirements and available software packages used for real-time monitoring
Target Audience:
Engineers and project managers working on tailings storage facilities and environmental management.About the instructor(s):
Vincent Le Borgne works as a Research & Development Manager for GKM Consultants since 2015, and has developed an expertise on vibrating wire geotechnical instruments, noise and vibration monitoring, data visualization platforms, inclinometers, and data logger control and programming. He has worked on the design and implementation of monitoring systems for large mines such as Minerai de Fer Quebec and the Rio Tinto Vaudreuil plant. He has also worked on structural health monitoring projects for existing infrastructure such as the Jacques Cartier Bridge and for major infrastructure construction projects. He has published papers pertaining to instrumentation and has offered training and classes to professionals and university students in Québec and Ontario.For inquiries and assistance, please feel free to contact: