:: Developments in Heap Leaching Liners

The industry has been using geomembrane liners for fill structures and ponds for more than 30 years. Geomembrane liners for heap leach operations were first introduced with gold and silver heap leach pads in western Montana and southern California in 1979.

Geomembrane-lined copper heap leach pads started in Mexico and Arizona as early as 1983. However, the copper heap leach dump operations have gradually changed to membrane-lined foundations and interlift liners within the last five to ten years, as discussed by Allan Breitenbach and Marc Leduc, of Vector Colorado, in the article on leach pad design and construction in the March 2005 issue of Mining Magazine (pps. 26-30).