Pilot bioreactors commission and operation at Minto Mine: 2014 & 2015 preliminary results

Four (4) pilot anaerobic bioreactors were commissioned at the Minto mine site in the summer of 2014 by Amelie Janin, NSERC Industrial Research Chair at Yukon College, and Capstone staff. Installation was completed on August 7th, 2014 and operation started on August 20th, 2014. Bioreactor substrate composition varied among the bioreactors and included mixtures of creek sediments, low-grade or river gravel, wood chips or biochar (a coal made out of wood). During the first year the bioreactors were monitored until September 23rd, 2014, after which they were dismantled and stored for the winter. In the following year, the bioreactors resumed operation on June 2nd and were monitored between June 20th, 2015 and September 26th, 2015.