Today’s mining pollution treatment measure

Today’s mining pollution treatment measures （former Matsuo Mine）

Iwate Prefecture used a subsidy from the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry to commission JOGMEC to run and maintain a new neutralization treatment facility, which began full operations in 1982. Since that point, 18m3 of strongly acidic wastewater （pH2） have been neutralized every minute at the facility, separating contaminants and sending the remaining supernatant water into the Aka River.

Thanks to this project, the Kitakami River once more runs clear with pristine waters, and the salmon are again able to swim up their “mother river” to spawn.

In addition to wastewater treatment, work has been done at the source of the pollution to reduce water collecting and seeping into the mine shaft. This prevents the breakdown of and discharge of mine slag deposits as well as protects against the permeation and influx of rain water from the mine shaft or rain water carrying mine sediments. Work to cover the open-cast mine sites with soil and vegetation started in 1972, and construction to cover the mine slag deposits with vegetation and create water channels on the mountainside continued until 2002.

Operations to Prevent Pollution at the Source