CEBU INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

UNIVERSITY

AN UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH STUDY

CARMEN COPPER CORPORATION’S BIGA PIT LIFESPAN

AFTER HEAVY RAINS: A COMPARATIVE STUDY

In partial fulfilment of the requirements

For the degree of Bachelor of Science in Mining Engineering

By:

Cubillan, Princess Mikah R.

Go, Thea Samantha C.

Malto, Ann Raven Nicole D.

Mangyao, Maricor H.

Sunder, Rachell Anne C.

1
 A Comparative Study on Biga Pit Lifespan

After Heavy Rains

______________________________

A Thesis

Presented to the Department of Mining Engineering

Cebu Institute of Technology University

Cebu City, Philippines

____________________

In Partial Fulfillment

of the Requirements for the Degree

Bachelor of Science in Mining Engineering

____________________

by

Cubillan, Princess Mikah R.

Go, Thea Samantha C.

Malto, Ann Raven Nicole D.

Mangyao, Maricor H.

Sunder, Rachell Anne C.

October 2018

2
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
We would like to acknowledge the following people for their contribution to

our study:

Engr. Libby R. Ricafort, AVP-Mill of Carmen Copper Corporation for

giving us a portion of his precious time to tour us around the Biga Pit tailings facility

personally and impart some of his opinions to the development of our study;

Ms. Mary Grace Caballes, Executive Assistant of Carmen Copper

Corporation, for her extensive help in accommodating us to conduct our study and

collect our data in Carmen Copper Corporation;

Engr. Christopher John Salcedo, Environment Head of Carmen Copper

Corporation, for imparting with us his suggestions and knowledge to further improve

our study;

Engr. Avel Jacob T. Gilos, our thesis adviser, for approving our study and

helping us with revisions for us to achieve a higher quality output;

Carmen Copper Corporation for allowing us to conduct our study;

Our beloved family and friends for their undying love and support, both

moral and financial, in our educational pursuits;

Our Almighty Father for His never-ending love and guidance; and to those

people who are not mentioned here but helped to improve and finish our study.

1
 DEDICATION

We would like to dedicate this study to our beloved family and friends who

have been there since day one to support us with our decision to take and finish our

course.

The hard work and dedication that we put into this study is all for you. This

is for all the future mining engineers! Laban lang!

2
 ABSTRACT

The researchers wanted to know how seasonal rains and tropical cyclones

affect the lifespan of Carmen Copper Corporation’s Biga Pit tailings pond in order to

anticipate the effects of heavy rains and to manage and lessen the risk of overflow.

This timely study is also in response to the number of mine-related incidents caused

by the typhoon season in the Philippines.

This study was conducted by gathering seasonal rainfall data of the past

decade from PAG-ASA and forecasting the increasing volume of rain for the next

decade, and computing if the Biga Pit is capable of withstanding seasonal rains and an

extreme weather event such as Category 5 Typhoon Yolanda (international name

Haiyan).

Our results were compared with Biga Pit’s computed life span of 9.87 years

where the researchers discovered that increasingly heavy seasonal rains for the next

decade lowered the pit’s lifespan to 6.53 years, while extreme rains such as a

Yolanda-level event with rains as much as 30mm/hr can bring down the pit’s lifespan

by 0.18 years or 2.21 months per event.

3
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ........................................................................................ 1

DEDICATION.............................................................................................................. 2

ABSTRACT .................................................................................................................. 3

CHAPTER 1 ................................................................................................................. 7

INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................................... 7

1.1. RATIONALE .................................................................................................. 7

1.2. THEORETICAL BACKGROUND ................................................................ 8

1.3. REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE ..................................................... 10

1.4. STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM ............................................................ 14

1.5. SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY .............................................................. 14

1.6. SCOPE AND LIMITATIONS ...................................................................... 15

1.7. OBJECTIVES ................................................................................................ 16

1.8. DEFINITION OF TERMS ............................................................................ 16

CHAPTER 2 ............................................................................................................... 17

RESEARCH DESIGN ............................................................................................. 17

2.1. APPROACH .................................................................................................. 17

2.2. METHODS OF GATHERING DATA ......................................................... 17

2.3. METHODOLOGY FLOWCHART .............................................................. 19

2.4. INTERPRETATION OF DATA ................................................................... 21

CHAPTER 3 ............................................................................................................... 25

4
 DATA AND RESULTS ........................................................................................... 25

3.1. RESULTS .................................................................................................. 25

3.2. CONCLUSION ......................................................................................... 25

3.3. RECOMMENDATIONS........................................................................... 26

APPENDIX A ............................................................................................................. 27

CURRICULUM VITAE .......................................................................................... 27

THEA SAMANTHA C. GO ................................................................................ 27

ANN RAVEN NICOLE D. MALTO ................................................................... 28

PRINCESS MIKAH R. CUBILLAN ................................................................... 29

RACHELL ANNE C. SUNDER .......................................................................... 30

MARICOR H. MANGYAO ................................................................................. 31

APPENDIX B ............................................................................................................. 32

GANTT CHART ...................................................................................................... 32

APPENDIX C ............................................................................................................. 33

BIBLIOGRAPHY .................................................................................................... 33

APPENDIX D ............................................................................................................. 36

DOCUMENTATION ............................................................................................... 36

5
 TABLE OF FIGURES

Figure 1: Mountain Rains ....................................................................................... 9

Figure 2: Biga Pit (source: atlasmining.com.ph) .................................................. 11

Figure 3: Forecasting function in Microsoft Excel ............................................... 17

Figure 4: Biga Pit as seen on Google Earth Pro ................................................... 18

Figure 5: Biga Pit's elevation data and profile (cross-section) ............................. 18

Figure 6: Conversion factors used ........................................................................ 21

Figure 7: Given PAG-ASA and forecasted data ................................................... 23

Figure 8: Sample results sheet .............................................................................. 23

Figure 10: Side profile of Biga Pit........................................................................ 24

Figure 11: Life of tailings after heavy rainfall ..................................................... 25

Figure 12: Life of tailings after extreme rainfall .................................................. 25

6
 CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION

1.1. RATIONALE

Filipinos are not new to typhoons and natural disasters. In fact, such events

allow the world to see us as resilient due to our attitude to life post-disaster. We have

risen through calamities with wills of steel as strong as Typhoon Haiyan, but it is not

only people that are affected by the magnitude of these calamities, buildings and

structures do as well. Engineered structures such as tailings dams are not new to

natural disasters. Every year, these giant storms cause damage and destruction across

Southeast Asia. Now, a new study suggests that even under a moderate temperature

rise, warming oceans could fuel more intense typhoons in the future (Study:

Typhoons that slam Asia getting much stronger, 2016).

History has a couple recorded incidents of tailings dam failures due to heavy

rains. PAGASA and other international climate agencies tell us of the trend of Pacific

typhoons growing more numerous and growing stronger every year by a margin of

14% (McSweeney, 2015). The Philex PADCAL disaster of 2012 in Benguet which is

the biggest mining disaster in the Philippines (Dinglasan, 2012) and the Lafayette

tailings spill of 2007 in Rapu-Rapu Island, Albay where twin incidents of toxic

spillage on October 11 and 31 of 2007 due to torrential rainfall resulted to massive

seashells and fish kills, as well as the devastation of coral reefs in Binosawan and

nearby waters affecting thousands of fishermen in Albay and Sorsogon provinces

(Barcia, 2018) are some incidents cited in our study as references to our hypothesis.

7
 The data collected in our study will not only tell the Filipinos to brace

themselves for harsher weather conditions but for an increased number of extreme

weather events as well, with the underlying warning that structures, especially in

open-pit mines, need to adapt to this increasingly harsh climate (PAGASA, Climate

Projections for Provinces). Our study aims to adapt mine structures such as the Biga

Pit tailings dam in Carmen Copper Corporation (CCC) in Toledo City, Cebu to

extreme and seasonal rainfall as predicted by PAGASA for the next decade and to

determine whether the pit can accommodate both events until the end of its life.

1.2. THEORETICAL BACKGROUND

Climate Change and Hurricanes

Hurricanes are driven by the transfer of heat from the sea to the air through

evaporation. A storm’s maximum possible wind speed or its potential intensity,

depends on how warm the ocean is. Data from National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration (NOAA) in 2016 shows that the average global sea surface

temperature is increasing leading us to the conclusion that intense tropical cyclones

are becoming more frequent as we continue to warm the planet.

Climate models from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change

(IPCC) shows that while the total number of tropical cyclones will decrease globally,

the number of Category 4 and 5 tropical cyclones will increase drastically within the

century. Category 4 and 5 cyclones have the most potential for damage and loss of life

with over 200+kph sustained wind speeds. Rains will also be heavier and wetter, as

warmer air can hold more water molecules in them and volume of rainfall could

double as it precipitates.

8
Rains in higher elevations

Rains are heavier in elevated places such as mountainous areas because the air

contains moisture and in order for that moisture to condense into droplets and fall as

rain or snow, the moisture must be chilled for it to condense into larger droplets.

Cooling the air down is the way to condense the air and cause the moisture within it to

form into tiny ice crystals that melt and coalesce into raindrops, and the simplest way

to cool air is to have it rise higher up into the atmosphere - and the simplest way to

'raise' the air is to block its movement with a mountain.

Moving air carries moisture from its passage over the sea or large lakes then

moves upward when it runs into a mountain or mountain range, which then cools the

air and allows the moisture within it to condense and begin to form rain and snow so

mountains on the face toward the moisture catch a lot of rain or snow, while the other

side of the mountains in the rain shadow side are much drier. (Zohar, 2015)

Figure 1: Mountain Rains

9
1.3. REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

Carmen Copper Corporation (CCC) is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Atlas

Consolidated Mining and Development Corporation (“Atlas Mining”). Carmen

Copper has an operating agreement with Atlas Mining and it has exclusive operating

rights over the in situ mineral resources and ore reserves of Carmen, Lutopan and

Biga mineral deposits, collectively known as Toledo copper mine covering 1,674

hectares. This is part of the Atlas mineral property covering 5,218 hectares, consisting

of 3,284 hectares Atlas-owned mining claims and 1,934 hectares of mining claims

belonging to claim-owners who have valid operating agreements with Atlas. Carmen

Copper resumed the Toledo mining operation in September 2007.

Tailings Disposal Operations

The mill tailings are deposited into the Biga Pit Tailings Storage Facility

(TSF), which continues to prove as a strong, safe and secure facility for the mine. Any

overflow of excess water due to build-up of tailings mass is being channelled through

a decant tower and passes through a series of sedimentation ponds before it flows to a

combination of subterranean and above-ground pipelines towards the Sigpit Creek.

The water discharge permit was issued by the Department of Environment and

Natural Resources in 2012. The water at Biga Pit has a PH level of 7.5 to 8 with fish

species like tilapia thriving in it. No storage leaks or containment breached were

reported at the Biga Pit tailings storage facility in 2014.

10
 Figure 2: Biga Pit (source: atlasmining.com.ph)

The Biga Pit Tailings Pond had an ECC, but was later amended when a

PEPRMP was submitted that covers both the Biga Pit and Sigpit Creek Interim

Tailings Disposal facility. The interim tailings disposal facility that will utilize the

stream channel of Sigpit Creek, between the Malubog Reservoir and the old Sigpit

Dam, as the containment pond for the tailings produced from the Carcon concentrator

should the mine resume full operation. The pond will initially, for two years, take the

place of the original land-based system that designated Biga Pit as the storage site.

The principal motive for seeking an interim site is the economic potential of

mining the remaining ore reserve at Biga Pit which the company is seriously

considering given the current attractive price of copper in the work market. This

valuable reserve cannot be economically extracted and will lose forever once the pit is

covered by tailings under the originally approved Biga Pit disposal facility. After

exhausting the recoverable ore, Atlas will revert to the original site in encapsulating

its tailings.

The plan to mine the remaining ore reserve at Biga Pit did not materialize,

however, as such Biga Pit is continuously utilized as the only tailings disposal facility

– with the plan interim Sigpit Creek facility put on-shelved as is not being push
11
through. The Biga Pit Tailings Pond, with its mixture of tailings and run-off from the

surrounding areas, will overflow in the near future as water re-use and recycling could

not accommodate the entire volume of water within the pond, thus, the need to

discharge the excess volume to outside water-body. The excess water will be piped

and discharged to Sigpit Creek, which will then lead to Sapangdaku River.

History of tailings dam incidents and heavy rain

Lafayette Tailings disaster in Rapu-Rapu Island, Albay

A poly-metallic project in Albay operated by Lafayette, an Australian

company, was also not spared from typhoons thus causing one of the biggest mining

disasters in the Philippines. A resident belonging to one of the direct impact areas of

the mine said that the Filipino mining engineers recommended the construction of

stronger tailings dam before mining operation could start due to the site’s

geographical location which is within the route or corridor of strong typhoons but the

Australian bosses would not relent and thus prevailed upon, ignoring the warnings

posed by the Filipino engineers. (Regis, 2007)

In less than a year of operation, Lafayette committed two consecutive mine

tailing incidents in 2005. The events pond of the gold plant overflowed, releasing

cyanide into the stream and the coast of Barangay Binosawan in October 11, 2005.

Subsequently, on October 31, 2005, the second salvo of cyanide and heavy metal-

laden tailings from the tailings dam were released into the Maypajo Creek and the

coast of Barangay Binosawan.

The twin incidents of toxic spillage due to torrential rainfall resulted to

massive seashells and fish kills, as well as the devastation of coral reefs and nearby

waters affecting thousands of fishermen in Albay and Sorsogon provinces. Following

the toxic spillage incidents, Albayanos and the Diocese of Legazpi launched a
12
massive protest against the management of LPI. The move was supported by the

Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines who appealed before then President

Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to order the shutting down of the mines and repeal, as well,

the Mining Act of 1995.

PHILEX PadCal No. 2 Tailings failure in Benguet

On August 1, 2012, a massive mining spill causing the release of 20.6 million

tons of toxic tailings into water bodies, occurred at the Philex Padcal mine, located in

Benguet province. In terms of volume, the spill was ten times larger than the

unprecedented 1996 Marcopper mine disaster. It was not the first time that incidents

were recorded for the Padcal mine: also in the 1980s and 1990s, two tailings storage

ponds collapsed, and another small spill occurred in one of the ponds few years before

the 2012 disaster.

The company insisted that the massive 2012 spill occurred due to unusual

rains caused by the Typhon Gener (internationally known as Saola). However, an

analysis of precipitation tables has shown that the likelihood of a similar rainfall to be

repeated in the rainy season is up to 30%. Hence such known weather conditions

needed to be included in any responsible planning.

The tailings storage facility was also already past its designed lifetime and was

to be decommissioned during 2010-2012; but the company had decided to continue

using it. Hence there is large evidence that the spill was produced due to irresponsible

planning and mining, rather than by Force Majeure. (Atlas, 2015)

13
1.4. STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

Mine tailings storage facilities are mandatory in large-scale mining

especially in the metals industry where mineral processing utilizes dangerous

chemicals to extract the metals with. The waste produced from metal processing often

includes traces of heavy metals and chemicals that can alter the composition of the

soil it is enclosed in and polluting nearby water bodies in contact with it.

Tailings dams are one of the biggest engineered structures in the world and

require a high level of maintenance to prevent environmental disasters in the event of

a dam break or spill. The researchers aim to compare the current life of tails of Biga

Pit tailings storage facility against the computed life of tails in the event of extreme

rainfall as a result of climate change by answering the following questions:

1. Can the expected ~10-year lifespan of Biga Pit accommodate the increasingly

heavy seasonal rains predicted by PAGASA for Region 7 for the next decade?

2. Can the expected ~10-year lifespan of Biga Pit accommodate an extreme

weather event such as a Category 5 typhoon like Yolanda?

1.5. SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

The researchers hope to use the results as a basis for large-scale mining

companies that want their tailings storage facilities to function as typhoon-ready

structures that can withstand extreme rains to minimize the risks of any accidents or

incidents from events such as tails overflow and adapt their existing mine structures to

accommodate the increasingly harsh weather for the next decade as predicted by

PAGASA. The researchers aim to make CCC more aware of the risks involved in

heavy rains on tailings operations.

14
 The Biga Pit's calculated life expectancy based on the current tails discharge is

limited to 9.87 years starting from early 2018, when the expansion of the pit began to

prolong its current lifespan and prevent the tails from filling up before the end of the

mine's life; however under extreme weather conditions such as heavy rain, the Biga

Pit tends to overflow with rainwater often spilling murky water into the nearby water

body which is the Malubog lake. The researchers want to know if the pit is capable of

accommodating seasonal rains and extreme weather events until the end of its life.

1.6. SCOPE AND LIMITATIONS

Our research is limited to the Biga Pit tailings storage facility of Carmen

Copper Corporation (CCC) in Toledo City, Cebu. The parameters of our study include

weather data from PAG-ASA such as the highest amount of rainfall per year for the

past 10 years in Region 7; and tailings information from CCC at their current

elevation of 333.27MSL as of February 2018.

Data Parameters:

1. Biga Pit’s current lifespan is 9.87 years

2. Tails depth is 175m

3. Area of tailings pond is 918,561.00 sqm

4. Tails discharge rate is 6,815.49 cum/day

5. Clear water discharge rate is 30% of tails inflow rate

15
1.7. OBJECTIVES

The researchers have identified the following objectives:

1. For Carmen Copper Corporation (CCC) to anticipate overflow of tails in the

event of increasingly heavy seasonal rains for the next decade.

2. To make a comparative analysis whether the computed life of tails of CCC's

Biga Pit can be fulfilled against increasing seasonal rains by PAGASA in

Region 7 for the next decade (10 years).

3. To make a comparative analysis whether the computed life of tails of CCC's

Biga Pit can be fulfilled against an extreme weather event such as a

Category 5 typhoon like Typhoon Yolanda.

1.8. DEFINITION OF TERMS

1. Tailings - also referred to as tails or mine waste in our study, is the final

product of mineral processing and are unwanted, valueless, waste products of

mining.

2. Tailings dam - also referred to as tailings storage facility, tailings pond or

tailings pit in our study.

3. Life of tails - computed lifespan of a tailings dam.

4. Overflow - also known as spillage or spill in our study.

5. CCC – the acronym for Carmen Copper Corporation

6. Seasonal rains – average amount of rain to fall in a year.

7. Extreme rain – Category 4 and 5 tropical cyclones with rains ranging from

150-300mm per hour.

16
 CHAPTER 2

RESEARCH DESIGN

2.1. APPROACH

Our research study is quantitative and emphasizes objective measurements and

the statistical, mathematical, or numerical analysis of data collected by manipulating

pre-existing data using computational techniques.

2.2. METHODS OF GATHERING DATA

Forecasting

The researchers used a mathematical function called forecasting in Microsoft

Excel which uses existing data and finds the equation of its trendline, linear or

exponential, and finds future values based on that equation. The researchers

forecasted rainfall data from 2018-2028 to get the volume of seasonal rain to fall from

2018-2028.

Figure 3: Forecasting function in Microsoft Excel

17
Geographical Data

The researchers used Google Earth Pro in extracting the elevation data of Biga

Pit to get the pit’s depth, area and elevation profile. The researchers were then able to

compute for the volume of the tailings pit using said data.

Figure 4: Biga Pit as seen on Google Earth Pro

Figure 5: Biga Pit's elevation data and profile (cross-section)

18
2.3. METHODOLOGY FLOWCHART

CONCEPTUALIZATION

SELECTION OF TOPIC

REVIEW OF RELATED
LITERATURE

COLLECTION OF DATA

ANALYSIS OF DATA

CONCLUSION AND
RECOMMENDATIONS

19
Conceptualization

The researchers wanted to select a topic that is both relevant to current events

and has an impact how mining operations and maintenance can be made more

responsible and safe. The researchers were assigned the research topic Tailings

Management and immediately thought of Biga Pit, as it is the only tailings storage

facility in Cebu.

Selection of topic

The researchers selected a topic which was very relevant to current events

such with the most recent typhoon Ompong that did substantial damage to mines in

Luzon and Visayas due to heavy rains. The researchers also wanted to know the

effects of seasonal and extreme rainfall on the life span of the pit.

Collection of data

The researchers visited and collected the primary data from Carmen Copper

Corporation in Don Andres Soriano, Toledo City, Cebu. The researchers gathered

data on the current life span and elevation of the Biga Pit and the rate of production of

the mine. The researchers also visited the regional PAG-ASA office which is located

at Airport Rd, MEPZ 1, Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu to collect the secondary data about the

annual rainfall data in the province of Cebu.

Review of Related Literature

The researchers looked for information on tailings dam failures due to

weather-related causes through published articles on the internet. The researchers also

acquired a master list on the history of every tailings dam failure recorded in history

and picked out the ones that have occurred in the Philippines relating to spillage or

overflow and referenced these events relevant to the research topic.

20
Collection of Data

The researchers paid a visit to Carmen Copper Corporation in Toledo City to

extract as much technical data as they can about the Biga Pit from the mill and mine

office, and then visited the PAG-ASA Region 7 office in Lapu-Lapu City a week after

to collect rainfall data for the past decade.

Analysis of Data

The researchers used the data gathered and manipulated them using

mathematical functions to arrive at a conclusion. The researchers made use of the

forecasting function available in Microsoft Excel to predict the volume of rain to fall

on a target period and used basic arithmetic to solve for the lifespan of the tailings

pond.

Conclusion and Recommendations

After the analysis of data, the researchers were able to conclude their study

and offer recommendations to further improve the study and the research topic on

Tailings Management. The recommendations included ways on how to improve the

study and for CCC to adapt to extreme weather conditions.

2.4. INTERPRETATION OF DATA

PARAMETERS
RAINFALL
Conversion Table
1 gallon 4.00 liters
1 sq.m. 10.76 sq.ft.
1000 sqf 625 gal/inch

Figure 6: Conversion factors used

21
 The table above (Figure 6) shows the conversion factors to get the volume of

rain. Rain as collected by PAG-ASA is measured in mm/day and the researchers

wanted to show results in volume of cubic meters per year (cu.m./yr) and per mm/ of

rain is converted to 625gal/inch.

Seasonal rainfall data

This is done by manipulating the numbers through computational methods

using the factors above. Rainfall data from 2008-2017 was given and were used as

basis for forecasting values from 2018-2028. The forecasted data is then converted to

cu.m./yr then summed up and added to the current tailings volume of 160,748,175.00

cu.m., it yielded a sum of 32,869,436.72 cu.m. and a difference of -8,316,309.19

cu.m. This means that the pit cannot hold this volume of rain since the remaining

capacity up to its pit limit of 360MSL is only 24,553,135.53 cum.

Extreme rainfall data

The same was done for the extreme rainfall data but the volume of rainfall was

derived from 30mm/hr rate of rain in Category 5 typhoons which yielded a total

volume of 457,200.00 cum. This was added to the remaining capacity of the tailings

pit and its result was divided by the volume intake rate of 6,815.49 cu.m/day, which

resulted to 3,535.47days or 9.69 years, which means that there is a factor of 0.18 years

that can be subtracted from its lifespan whenever a Category 5 typhoon event

happens.

22
 AVERAGE CLEAR WATER OUT
2008 0.23 inch/day 53,251.25 cum./yr 15,975.38 cum./yr
2009 0.15 inch/day 34,174.83 cum./yr 10,252.45 cum./yr
2010 0.20 inch/day 46,018.48 cum./yr 13,805.55 cum./yr
2011 0.28 inch/day 64,914.09 cum./yr 19,474.23 cum./yr
2012 0.28 inch/day 63,196.31 cum./yr 18,958.89 cum./yr
2013 0.21 inch/day 48,278.72 cum./yr 14,483.62 cum./yr
2014 6.51 inch/day 1,494,289.8 cum./yr 448,286.94 cum./yr
2015 4.35 inch/day 998,664.4 cum./yr 299,599.32 cum./yr
2016 6.44 inch/day 1,479,191.4 cum./yr 443,757.42 cum./yr
2017 12.98 inch/day 2,979,629.06 cum./yr 893,888.72 cum./yr
2018 9.77 inch/day 2,242,459.35 cum./yr 672,737.8 cum./yr
2019 11.62 inch/day 2,669,536.2 cum./yr 800,860.86 cum./yr
2020 13.57 inch/day 3,116,409.53 cum./yr 934,922.86 cum./yr
2021 15.54 inch/day 3,569,499.76 cum./yr 1,070,849.93 cum./yr
2022 17.44 inch/day 4,004,172.16 cum./yr 1,201,251.65 cum./yr
2023 19.07 inch/day 4,378,616.4 cum./yr 1,313,584.92 cum./yr
2024 20.19 inch/day 4,636,128.6 cum./yr 1,390,838.58 cum./yr
2025 22.18 inch/day 5,093,559.45 cum./yr 1,528,067.83 cum./yr
2026 23.48 inch/day 5,392,339.94 cum./yr 1,617,701.98 cum./yr
2027 24.67 inch/day 5,665,780.17 cum./yr 1,699,734.05 cum./yr
2028 26.95 inch/day 6,187,836.62 cum./yr 1,856,350.99 cum./yr
sum(2018-2028) 46,956,338.18 cum./yr 14,086,901.45 cu.m.
Remaining Tailings Volume 24,553,135.53 cum. 32,869,436.72 cu.m.

Figure 7: Given PAG-ASA and forecasted data

Life of tailings after the heavy rainfall

Current Capacity 160,748,175.00 cum.
Average rainfall volume from 2019-2028
Tailings Remaining Capacity 24,553,135.53 cum.
Tailings after rainfall
Volume intake/day 6,815.49 cu.m/day
Life of tailings
0.00yrs

Figure 8: Sample results sheet

23
DATA FROM CCC

Figure 9: Side profile of Biga Pit

24
 CHAPTER 3

DATA AND RESULTS

3.1. RESULTS

Life of tailings after seasonal rainfall 2018-2028

Current Capacity 160,748,175.00 cum.
Sum volume rainfall 2018-2028 32,869,436.72 cum.
Tailings Remaining Capacity 24,553,135.53 cum.
Tailings after rainfall -8,316,301.19 cum.
Volume intake/day 6,815.49 cu.m/day
Life of tailings -1,220.21days
-3.34yrs
Actual life of tails 6.53yrs

Figure 10: Life of tailings after heavy rainfall

Life of tailings after an extreme rainfall event

Current Capacity 160,748,175.00 cum.
Yolanda level event* 457,200.00 cum.
Tailings Remaining Capacity 24,553,135.53 cum.
Tailings after rainfall 24,095,935.53 cu.m.
Volume intake/day 6,815.49 cu.m/day
Life of tailings 3,535.47days
Actual life of tails 9.69yrs

Figure 11: Life of tailings after extreme rainfall

3.2. CONCLUSION

The Biga Pit cannot accommodate seasonal rains because its actual lifespan is

now 6.53 years when volume from seasonal rains from 2019 to 2028 is factored in,

compared to CCC’s computed lifespan of 9.87 years while Biga Pit can also

accommodate an extreme weather event, however its lifespan is diminished by 0.18

years or 2.21 months per Yolanda-level event (Category 5 typhoon).

25
 3.3. RECOMMENDATIONS

Concluding the results of our data, we can say that CCC is right to expand the

limit of Biga Pit from 360MSL to beyond that, lengthening its lifespan. While their

original motive to expand their tailings dam was to accommodate increasing waste

from the mill and preventing overflow, they can also use this expansion project for

typhoon-readiness reasons. CCC could also use the new life of tails as a deadline for

them when to open the second tailings pit, the Sig Pit.

Since the Biga Pit is not capable of accommodating heavy seasonal raining

until the end of its life as predicted by CCC, the company can provide counter-

measures to anticipate the effects of heavy rains and/or tropical cyclones on the pit,

especially that 0.18 years or 2.21 months per Category 5 typhoon is already a big

factor affecting its lifespan since category 4 and 5 typhoons are becoming more

frequent due to climate change. CCC can implement anti-typhoon devices or protocol

such as a rain collector or advise nearby communities ahead that an overflow might be

in place due to the rain.

To future researchers, the following data may serve as a guideline to pursue an

more in-depth study about the topic now that the mining industry is pushed into the

spotlight with mine disasters happening one after the other because of the typhoon

season. CCC was not able to give us all the details about their tailings as it is

confidential, such as the inflow rate from the mill to the pond. As for the results of the

extreme event, the researchers only factored in a one-day event, while the actual

duration of a Category 5 typhoon is more than 24 hours, sometimes reaching up to 36

hours in one area which means that the volume of rain dropped might actually be

higher as reflected in this study.

26
 APPENDIX A

CURRICULUM VITAE

THEA SAMANTHA C. GO

Kasambagan, Mabolo, Cebu City

(+63) 917-319-0069

gotheasam@gmail.com

PERSONAL DATA

Age: 19 years old

Birth date: December 26, 1998

Birth place: Lapu-lapu City

Citizenship: Filipino

Gender: Female

EDUCATION

2015 – Present Cebu Institute of Technology – University

Bachelor of Science in Mining Engineering

N. Bacalso Avenue, Cebu City, Cebu

2010 – 2014 St. Alphonsus Catholic School

Poblacion, Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu

2004 – 2010 Mandaue Christian School

P. Burgos St., Mandaue City, Cebu

27
ANN RAVEN NICOLE D. MALTO

Tres de Abril St, Labangon, Cebu City

(+63) 915-165-5660

arndm12@gmail.com

PERSONAL DATA

Age: 21 years old

Birth date: December 12, 1996

Birth place: Claver, Surigao del Norte

Citizenship: Filipino

Gender: Female

EDUCATION

2013 – Present Cebu Institute of Technology – University

Bachelor of Science in Mining Engineering

N. Bacalso Avenue, Cebu City, Cebu

2009 – 2013 Claver National High School

Claver, Surigao del Norte

2003 – 2009 Claver Central Elementary School

Claver, Surigao del Norte

28
PRINCESS MIKAH R. CUBILLAN

Tres de Abril St, Labangon, Cebu City

(+63) 948-321-5307

princessmikah05@gmail.com

PERSONAL DATA

Age: 20 years old

Birth date: October 5, 1997

Birth place: Cantilan, Surigao del Sur

Citizenship: Filipino

Gender: Female

EDUCATION

2014 – Present Cebu Institute of Technology – University

Bachelor of Science in Mining Engineering

N. Bacalso Avenue, Cebu City, Cebu

2010 – 2014 St. Michael College

Cantilan, Surigao del Sur

2004 – 2010 Cantilan Pilot School

Cantilan, Surigao del Sur

29
RACHELL ANNE C. SUNDER

Tungkop, Minglanilla, Cebu

(+63) 942-567-1583

racsunder@gmail.com

PERSONAL DATA

Age: 22 years old

Birth date: October 18, 1995

Birth place: Cebu City

Citizenship: Filipino

Gender: Female

EDUCATION

2013 – Present Cebu Institute of Technology – University

Bachelor of Science in Mining Engineering

N. Bacalso Avenue, Cebu City, Cebu

2009 – 2013 Holy Rosary School of Pardo

Pardo, Cebu City

2003 - 2009 Pardo Elementary School

Pardo, Cebu City

30
MARICOR H. MANGYAO

Duljo-Fatima, Cebu City

(+63) 995-952-4571

maricormangyao26@gmail.com

PERSONAL DATA

Age: 20 years old

Birth date: October 1, 1997

Birth place: Lutopan, Toledo City

Citizenship: Filipino

Gender: Female

EDUCATION

2014 – Present Cebu Institute of Technology – University

Bachelor of Science in Mining Engineering

N. Bacalso Avenue, Cebu City, Cebu

2010 – 2014 Don Andres Soriano Memorial High School

Lutopan, Toledo City

2004 – 2010 Don Andres Soriano Memorial Elementary School

Lutopan, Toledo City

31
APPENDIX B
GANTT CHART

32
 APPENDIX C

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Mines and Communities. (2013, February 19). Philippines: one mine disaster after

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Sullivan, Z. (2017, December 17). Mine tailings dam failures major cause of

environmental disasters: report. Retrieved August 23, 2018, from Mongabay:

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Villamor-Ilano, M. (2017, June 30). Cebu firm transforms mining pit into an

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into-an-attraction

34
Wikipedia. (n.d.). Tailings Dam. Retrieved August 23, 2018, from Wikipedia:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tailings_dam

Zohar, P. B. (2015, December 15). Why do mountains get more rain than plains?

(Quora, Interviewer)

35
 APPENDIX D

DOCUMENTATION

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