Come along with Dave, Jacklyn, and Mykayla as they spend the afternoon sampling water quality at the Humboldt Tailings Disposal Facility, or HTDF. After nickel and copper are recovered from the ore at the Humboldt Mill, what remains is called tailings. The tailings are stored within the engineered HTDF and kept beneath a water cover, which limits their exposure to oxygen and reduces the potential for metals to be released. Water from the HTDF is decanted from the surface and pumped back to the Humboldt Mill for reuse as process water. Excess water is treated at the Humboldt Mill Water Treatment Plant before being discharged in accordance with permit requirements. Our water, environmental, and operations teams work together to manage the HTDF and ensure our water treatment and tailings management plans meet permit standards. This requires regular monitoring and sampling to help us understand water conditions and confirm the facility is operating as designed. Each summer, the environmental team spends several weeks planning and preparing for its annual sampling event. During last July’s sampling, Dave, Jacklyn, and Mykayla took the time to explain the process, what they are monitoring, and why this work is an important part of managing water responsibly at Eagle Mine and the Humboldt Mill.