Jumma

Mine Name: Jumma [formerly All Nations]

State: Queenland

Status: Historic

Mineral: Tin

Brief description of impact/history:
The former Jumna (All Nations) tin mine is located just west of Cairns, northern Queensland. The project operated from 1972 to 1989 – in the ‘modern’ era of environmental regulation. Although only a moderate mine in scale, it’s severe acid mine drainage (AMD) lives on as an ongoing environmental pollution legacy.

The water in the (poorly rehabilitated) tailings dam had a strongly acidic pH of 2.9, while another adjacent pond had pH 2.7.

References:
Bernd G. Lottermoser, Paul M. Ashley, 2010, Trace element uptake by Eleocharis equisetina (spike rush) in an abandoned acid mine tailings pond, northeastern Australia: Implications for land and water reclamation in tropical regions Original Research Article. Environmental Pollution, Volume 159, Issue 10, October 2011, pages 3028-3035. Bernd G. Lottermoser, Paul M. Ashley, 2006, Mobility and retention of trace elements in hardpan-cemented cassiterite tailings, north Queensland, Australia. Environmental Geology, Volume 50, pages 835-846.