Environmental Considerations

Learning Outcomes

Environmental considerations are important in the exploration, extraction and processing of non-renewable resources, and the decommissioning of resource sites.
Extraction of mineral and energy resources influences interactions between the abiotic and biotic components of ecosystems, including hydrologic systems.
Decision about whether to and how to extract a resource depend on the value, location and volume of the resources. Consultation and negotiation with local and indigenous communities are required to further assess the impacts on the costs to the environment and community of removing the resource.

Success Criteria

The Precautionary Principle.
Assessment and Permitting.
Rehabilitation (including - acid mine drainage, cyanide leakage).
Economics - values, location and volume (tonnage).
Social - indigenous communities, costs to the environment and community.
Economics of mining - evaluating a deposit.
Mining and the law - access to the land, native title, the environment (including monitoring), sustainable development.

Digital Copy of Environmental Considerations Student Worksheet

ANY MINING/EXPLORATION MUST NOT IMPACT FUTURE GENERATIONS OF THE ECOSYSTEMS - THAT INCLUDES US AS WELL.

ECOLOGICAL IMPACTS OF ORE MINING

When a mine is established in Australia, a number of local, state and federal laws need to be complied with. These laws mainly have to do with provision of infrastructure, environmental protection, royalties paid to the government, access to land and native title. Approvals must be obtained from the any affect parities like pastoralists, native title holders and the department of Parks and Wildlife (DPaW), and a program of Work (POW) submitted for approval. The POW of work usually includes specific rehabilitation conditions e.g. drill holes must be capped below the surface to stop erosion and any fauna from falling into holes. All personnel must stick to all drill lines and they must be broken up at the end of the program to promote vegetation regrowth. Sump holes and trenches are backed filled.

Access to the Land

Exploration and mining must protect farming areas where ever possible. Before exploration work commences, the prospector and the property owner must enter into an access arrangement, covering the terms under which access is agreed. If the government grants the company rights to mine the landowner must be compensated and twice the value of the land where the loss of income is compensated or the farmer can re-establish into other areas.

Native Title

Is describes the rights and interest of the traditional owners of the land, our nations first people. The native title depends of the family group of the area and their own traditional laws and customs of these peoples.

Native title cannot take away anyone else's rights, including home owners, land owners or businesses, holding a pastoral lease or having a mining lease. Nor can it affect schools, hospitals or other public amenities.

Native title may exist in the following areas;

Vacant land (or unallocated) Crown land (owned by the federal government).
Forest and beaches.
National parks and public reserves.
Some types of pastoral leases.
Land held for Aboriginal communities.
Any other public or Crown lands - oceans, seas, reefs, lakes, rivers, creeks, swamps and other bodies or water not privately owned.

NATIVE TITLE COMMENCED ON THE 1ST JANUARY 1994

MINING AND THE ENVIRONMENT

In the 1980s the mining industry become increasingly influenced by pubic concern for the quality of the environment. With the rising awareness that the preservation of natural features such as scenery and plant and animal habitats, had a value to society, governments increased the controls regulating the discharge of potentially polluting emissions, like water-containing sediments or chemicals and noxious gases.

Laws Governing the Environment

State and local governments have responded by enacting a number of laws governing mining. Each state has developed a series of guidelines that these industries have to abide by. Companies must lodge a financial bond with state governments to cover the cost of rehabilitating the land in the even that the company goes broke. They must fulfill the following;

Environmental management during the life of the mine.
The planning for rehabilitation as an integral part of the exploration and mining processes.
Concerns and interest of both the community and occupiers or owners of land potentially affected by exploration or mining and must be an integral part of the planning.

Exploration and mining are expected to adapt a planning approach, where it actively consults with the community and various government agencies to identify environmental issues during the early stages of mine project development, these include;

- - Minimise land contamination.
  - Minimise impacts on local and distant ecosystems.
  - Minimise the effect on scenic and other amenities.
  - Comply with all requirements of the state's environmental, pollution control, Aboriginal, threatened species and heritage legislation.

THE EXPLORATION AND MINING INDUSTRY MUST REHABILITATE ALL DISTURNED LAND BY RETURNING IT TO THE CONDTION THAT IS;

Is stable and permanent.
Is suitable for agreed subsequent land use that is compatible as far as possible with land use requirements and the surrounding environment.
Has landforms, soils, water flow and ecosystems whose maintenance needs are no greater than those of the surrounding lands.
Has no adverse environmental effects outside the disturbed area.

ALL THESE ISSUES ARE COVERED BY THE ENVRIONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT (EIS) PREPARED BY THE MINING COMPANY. THIS STATEMENT ALLOWS THE COMMUNITY AND GOVERNMENT TO EVALUATE THE PROPOSAL WHEN BEING PLANNED AND TO MONITOR THE PROJECT DURING THE MINING PROCESS.

The environmental impact statement will devote considerable effect into determining whether the effect of the proposal mining has on biodiversity. At some mine sites, unique and endangered species present in the area are provided with special care e.g. make informed decisions how to best protect these areas. They will do things like;

Locate facilities in areas that minimising the impacts on biodiversity.
Habitat restoration e.g. planting native vegetation, creating wetlands or restoring streams and rivers, native seed collection, top soil stockpile (generally is used as bung wall around the waste dump and pit, which further stopes animals and the public from entering the mining area).
Wildlife management e.g. fencing to prevent wildlife from entering the mining areas. Reduce the risk the of collision between vehicles and animals.
Signage of hazardous areas that could effect fauna but also people.
Water management by reduce water use, minimise water pollution and or restore degraded aquatic habitats.
Reclamation where after mining companies will restore the land to a state that supports biodiversity e.g. create habitats for wildlife.
One of the main areas of concern is the tailing damn where the waste material from the mill is sent. These dams must be lined to stop any leakage contamination. Even in refuelling areas there will be bung walls constructed.

DECISIONS BY GOVERNMENTS REGARDING WHETHER OR NOT TO ALLOW ACTIVITIES OR CONSTRUCTIONS TO GO AHEAD CANNOT BE MADE WITHOUT HARD SCIENTIFIC DATA. THE ENVIRONEMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENTS NEEDS TO BE CONDUCTED BY ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENTISTS SO THAT THEY CAN PRODUCE AN ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT.

The Precautionary Principle

The concept of the precautionary principle is to allow appropriate action to be taken to avoid lasting or irreversible environmental damage in a situation where scientific evidence is either absent or incomplete.
Morally unacceptable harm refers to harm to humans or the environment that is;
- - Threatening to human life or health, or
  - Serious and effectively irreversible or
  - Inequitable to present or future.
  - Imposed without adequate consideration.

Mining Approval

After exploration and development further approval must be obtained.
Approval from any affected parties
Health and safety issues like noise, vibrations, air blast, dust suppression and restricting access to hazardous areas.
Preparations for;
- - Native seed collection.
  - Vegetation clearing.
  - Topsoil stockpile.
  - Pit dewatering.
  - Saline groundwater containment.
  - Waste management.
Processing plant preparations;
- - Water supply.
  - Tailings dam constructions.
  - Chemical spillage and management.
  - air pollution.
Mine staff accommodation preparations;
- - Appropriate approvals need to be obtained

Environmental Monitoring

To ensure that mining and exploration companies and mining companies are maintaining the set standards of the EIS, they must involve the use of instruments that continuously monitor their environmental performance. They will measure or make observations on dust, water quality, and noise etc. They are continuedly comparing the ongoing measurements back to the original standards set by the statement. This makes it is possible to determine whether the mine is impacting the surrounding environment.

Sustainable Development

This refers to or is defined as ' development that meets the needs to the present without compromising the ability of the future generations to meet their own needs'. Sustainability involves integrating economic, environmental and social objectives.

Rehabilitation

What at minimum occurs at the end of mining;

Waste dumps are contoured to a more natural slop which provides extra stability for vegetation regrowth. Many of the slopes are covered in clay to create a trap to stop sulphides containing the soils. Sulphides are dangerous especially when they come in contact with water because it can start of the process of turning the sulphate into sulfuric acid (acid mine drainage). It is easy to pick out as their will be yellowing staining within the soil.
The bung wall containing the top soil is then put over the waste dump but unfortunately there isn't normally enough.
Rehabilitated dumps are usually fenced off to prevent livestock denuding them of vegetation.
Even though the books says that mining companies backfill open-cut mines this doesn't tend to happen because of the cost plus realistically the cost and of course there would never be enough to completely back fill. Underground if we can leave the waste behind or back fill the stope we will because it means less contamination of the ore.
There are some situations where 'paste fill' is used. They take the tailings dam material which is called the cake and they mix it with cement and back fill into areas where the ore has been removed.
- - Backfilling the voids ensures regional stability, minimises ore dilution, provides a working floor, controls subsidence and facilitates subsequent excavation and ore removal nearby.
  - In addition, there are environmental regulations requiring that the mine site is left in good condition on the completion of mining operation, with all underground voids backfilled, all waste materials disposed in a responsible manner, and the flora and fauna in the region are protected.

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