The University of British Columbia

Holly is currently researching the physical and geochemical characteristics of neutral rock drainage (NRD) from mine waste dumps at the Antamina copper/zinc/moybdenum mine in Ancash, Peru.  The Antamina project spans several scales - from the laboratory to 200+ meter high waste dumps at the mine - and Holly's research focuses on five large experimental waste piles, each containing approximately 30,000 tons of waste rock.  Each pile represents either a single waste rock type with low, medium, or high potential for sulfide oxidation and metal leaching, or mixtures of waste rock found in the actual dumps.  Her research objectives include the characterization of physical flow and geochemistry in various types of waste rock and the factors controlling the quality of effluent waters in neutral drainage systems.