Silt Boom: The DEPENDABLE Silt Trap

Containing silt plume migration along the coastline is one of the challenges faced by mining companies, especially during loading activities. This is where silt booms or silt curtains come in: act as filtration device to prevent the murky runoff from joining the coastal waters.

Highlighting the company’s innovative thinking, the first silt booms that Marcventures Mining and Development Corporation used were manufactured by residents of the company’s host communities in Surigao del Sur using recyclable materials.

“We fabricated the silt booms using empty plastic soda bottles as floaters/buoy, wrapped in ‘katsa’ cloth. The silt boom was installed at the entire length of the deck of the causeway to trap sediments,” says Alexandrie Amadeo, Vice President for Operations, who designed the locally made silt booms.

Marcventures has successfully deployed these floating curtains during hauling activities. The trapped sediments would then be pumped out of the enclosure to be isolated in the tailings storage facilities.

The company has now replaced the ‘katsa’ with geo-textile, a sturdier material that lasts longer and provide a more effective barrier.

(Photos show how sediments are affectively trapped around the silt boom, preventing them from heading seaward)