Tetra Tech provides full lifecycle services for northern mining operations and associated support infrastructure in the world’s circumpolar regions.

In addition to our full-service consulting, engineering, and construction services for the complete mine life cycle, Tetra Tech’s circumpolar team specializes in consulting for mines in extreme northern and arctic conditions. We meet challenges that include remote locations, fragile environments, complex regulatory systems, harsh temperatures, groundwater and surface water management, and addressing the impacts of climate change. Tetra Tech provides specialized design and constructability approaches that are required for permafrost. These require mine structures, plant foundations, and associated facilities such as roads, airstrips, tailings and waste disposal areas, and overall protection of the environment.

Tetra Tech has the experience and expertise to help address the challenges posed by climate change. Through our work at numerous projects in Northern Canada, Alaska, Greenland, and Siberia, Tetra Tech understands how to plan, permit, design, and construct mines in some of the most hostile environments on the planet.

With a 40-year history in the north, Tetra Tech is a leader in providing innovative design and construction expertise to arctic mining projects. We have strong relationships, local presence, and aboriginal partnerships in northern Canada and Alaska.

Exploration and Project Planning

• Circumpolar region exploration support
• Collection, analysis, and reporting of environmental data
• Project scoping, siting, and routing
• Geological evaluation
• Geohazard assessment and permafrost mapping
• Aboriginal relationships and consultation
• Environmental impact assessments and mitigation of impacts by design

Studies, Design, and Permitting

• Design, monitoring, and performance analyses
• Planning and design of support infrastructure such as roads, ports, and airstrips
• Geotechnical engineering in arctic and permafrost regions, including ground support, slope stability, mine design, and blast plans
• Planning, design, and construction for tailings management including frozen core dams
• Mine infrastructure development
• Permitting and consultation
• Operations and environmental management in extreme environments
• Community and regulatory consultations
• Economic assessments, pre-feasibility, and feasibility-stage studies
• Ice road route selection, design, construction, and monitoring
• Ice pad design, construction, and monitoring

Engineering and Construction

• Detailed design for mine infrastructure and supporting elements such as roads, ports, and airstrips
• Environmental management during detailed design and construction
• Procurement management
• Construction administration and management
• Cost and schedule control

Operation, Decommissioning, and Reclamation

• Environmental and cumulative effects monitoring
• Operational management
• Expansion and upgrade planning
• Decommissioning, closure, and reclamation planning