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Article: Bacteria-powered bioleaching considered for Cobalt: BacTech looking at $20 million pilot plant.(MINING)
- Article from:
- Northern Ontario Business
- Article date:
- December 1, 2008
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2008 Laurentian Business Publishing, Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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The arsenic-laden tailings scattered throughout the Cobalt region may be an environmental quandary, but it might translate into a $20 million facility for one Toronto-based company.
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]
As the owner of a proprietary technology in bioleaching, BacTech Mining Corporation is working with a partner, Gold Bullion Development Corp., to examine the 18 million tonnes of tailings in the area.
Bacteria is used to separate and neutralize the arsenic from the metal. In fact, by neutralizing the arsenic, Orr hopes to be able to classify its work as an environmental clean-up which just so happens to allow for a payday along the way.