Environmental Aspects of Phosphate and Potash Mining

Environmental Aspects ofPhosphate and Potash MiningUnited Nations Environment ProgrammeInternational Fertilizer Industry Association

Environmental Aspects ofPhosphate and Potash MiningUnited Nations Environment ProgrammeInternational Fertilizer Industry AssociationUnited Nations Environment ProgrammeDivision of Technology, Industry and Economics39-43, Quai André Citroën75739 Paris Cedex 15 - FranceTel: +33 1 44 37 14 50Fax: +33 1 44 37 14 74E-mail: unep.tie@unep.frWeb: www.uneptie.orgInternational Fertilizer Industry Association28, rue Marbeuf75008 Paris - FranceTel: +33 1 53 93 05 00Fax: +33 1 53 93 05 45 / 47E-mail: ifa@fertilizer.orgWeb: www.fertilizer.org

AcknowledgementsA number of people provided comments and corrections. Particularly substantial inputs were made by:Mr Jon Higgins, researcher, is largely responsible for writing the present documentThe IFA member companies that voluntarily participated in the site visitsMr Keith Isherwood, former Head of IFA’s Information Service, for his sustained supportUNEP staff involved in the production of the publication were:Mrs Jacqueline Aloisi de Larderel, Assistant Director GeneralMs Wanda M.A. Hoskin, Senior Programme Officer, MiningMs Wei Zhao, Production and Consumption Programme OfficerCo-ordination: Mr Michel Prud’homme and Ms Kristen Sukalac, IFALayout: Ms Claudine Aholou-Pütz, IFAGraphics: Ms Hélène Ginet, IFAEnvironmental Aspects of Phosphate and Potash Mining.First edition. Printed by UNEP and IFA, Paris, December 2001.Copyright 2001 UNEP.This publication may be reproduced in whole or in part and in any form for educational or non-profit purposes withoutspecial permission from this copyright holder, provided acknowledgement of the source is made. UNEP would appreciatereceiving a copy of any publication that uses this publication as a source.No use of this publication may be made for resale or any other commercial purpose whatsover without prior permissionin writing from UNEP.The designation employed and the presentation of the material in this publication do not imply the expression whatsoeveron the part of the United Nations Environment Programme concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city orarea or its authorities, or concerning delimitation of its frontiers and boundaries. Moreover, the views expressed do notnecessarily represent the decision or the stated policy of the United Nations Environment Programme, nor does citing oftrade names or commercial processes constitute endorsement.UNITED NATIONS PUBLICATIONISBN: 92-807-2052-XThe text of this publication can be downloaded from IFA ‘s web site.Copies can be obtained from:IFA28, rue Marbeuf75008 Paris, FranceTel: +33 1 53 93 05 00Fax: +33 1 53 93 05 45 / 47E-mail: publications@fertilizer.orgWeb: www.fertilizer.org

Contents1. Introduction 11.1 The Mining of Phosphate Rock and Potash and the Environment 11.2 The Global Environment Agenda and the Mining Industry 21.3 The Life Cycle of the Phosphate Rock and Potash Mining Industry 42. Overview of Phosphate Rock and Potash Mining and Beneficiation 62.1 Phosphate Rock and Potash 62.2 Phosphate Rock Mining and Beneficiation 62.3 Potash Mining and Beneficiation 103. The Environmental Approach of the Phosphate Rock and Potash Mining Industry 143.1 The Environmental Challenges 143.2 Mine Development: Exploration, Planning, Approval and Construction 153.3 Extraction 173.4 Handling 223.5 Beneficiation and Concentration 243.6 Waste Management and Disposal 273.7 Mine Closure 363.8 Rehabilitation 363.9 Environmental Management 434. Emerging Environmental Issues and Trends 49Appendices 50Appendix A. Selected References and Reading Resources 50Appendix B. Illustrated Examples Contact Information 52Appendix C. Australian Mining Industry Code for Environmental Management 54Appendix D. Glossary of Fertilizer and Mining Technical Terms 56Appendix E. Acronyms 58Appendix F. Selected Organizations 59

PrefaceThis report on the environmental aspects of phosphateand potash mining is the fifth in a seriespublished jointly by the International FertilizerIndustry Association (IFA) and the United NationsEnvironment Programme (UNEP). Previous studiesincluded : The Fertilizer Industry, World Food Supplies andthe Environment; Mineral Fertilizer Production and the Environment; Mineral Fertilizer Distribution and the Environment,and Mineral Fertilizer Use and the Environment.As such, this publication completes a series that looksat environmental aspects of the fertilizer industrythroughout the life-cycle of mineral fertilizer products.In this volume, the holistic way of looking at anissue is applied to the activities of the fertilizer rawmaterials sector, incorporating the concept of thewhole-of-mine-life thinking and planning.Chapter 1 is an introduction to environmental issuesassociated with mining phosphate and potash ores.Chapter 2 gives an overview of the processes involvedin extracting these minerals and preparing them forfertilizer production. Chapter 3, the focus of the document,looks at some of the industry's responses toassociated environmental challenges. Finally, Chapter4 considers how the mining sector might best contributeto the sustainability of the overall fertilizerindustry in years to come.The study reinforces the fact that the environmentalperformance of the fertilizer raw materials industryhas improved over recent decades, although challengesremain. This publication therefore, explores the varietyof approaches and techniques which are beingused in different parts of the world to address environmentalconcerns.It is our sincere hope that, not only will this reportprove useful, but that companies will continue tostrive to achieve ever cleaner and safer production aspart of their ongoing efforts to contribute to sustainabledevelopment.Luc M. MaeneDirector GeneralInternational Fertilizer Industry Association (IFA)Jacqueline Aloisi de LarderelAssistant Executive DirectorUNEP Divisions of Technology, Industry andEconomics

Environmental Aspects of Phosphate and Potash Mining1. Introduction1.1 The Mining of Phosphate Rockand Potash and the EnvironmentFigure 1.1World mineral fertilizer productionFertilizers are a key factor in sustaining the world'sagricultural output. They supply nutrients that areneeded by all plants for normal growth, developmentand health. Maintaining an adequate supply of foodfor human consumption requires: A supplementary source of plant nutrients if thenatural supply is insufficient. Replacement of the many possible nutrient losses.AmmoniaPhosphaterockPotashMillion tonnes nutrients12010080604020These replacement and/or supplementary suppliescan be provided through organic manures and/ormineral fertilizers.1990 to 20000This publication concerns the provision of raw materialsfor two important mineral fertilizers, phosphateand potash.Three major nutrients are required in large quantitiesfor plant growth, nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium.Three secondary nutrients are required in smallerquantities on some soils; sulfur, calcium and magnesium.Seven micronutrients may be required in smallamounts where deficient. Each nutrient has a specificbiological function and, while there may be synergiesbetween the nutrients, none has a substitute.By far the most important for the present publication,in terms of the quantity mined and potential impacton the environment, are phosphate and potash.The production of phosphorous and potassium mineralfertilizers relies essentially on the mining ofmineral concentrations, in the form of ore depositsfrom the earth's crust. Nitrogen mineral fertilizers, onthe other hand, are almost entirely based on ammoniamanufactured from the abundant source of atmosphericnitrogen, water and energy.The production of nitrogen fertilizers has been discussedextensively in the earlier publication byUNEP/UNIDO/IFA on ‘Mineral Fertilizer Productionand the Environment: Part 1 - The Fertilizer Industry'sManufacturing Processes and Environmental Issues’and will not be covered further here.World production of phosphorous and potassiummineral fertilizers in 1998/99 was 34 Mt P 2 O 5 (1) and25.5 Mt K 2 O respectively. This required the extractionof 144 Mt of phosphate rock and more than 45 Mt ofpotash ore (2). Table 1.1 indicates the scale of the mineralfertilizer raw material mining industry incomparison to the mining of other bulk mineral andenergy commodities.Table 1.1.Comparison of the World Production of SomeBulk Minerals in 1998/99ProductTonnageCoal 4,655,000,000Iron Ore 1,020,000,000Salt 186,000,000Phosphate Rock 144,000,000Bauxite 126,000,000Gypsum 107,000,000Potash Ore (2) 45,000,000(1) Phosphate and potash may be expressed as their elementalforms P and K, or as oxide forms P 2 O 5 and K 2 O. In thispublication the oxide form is used.Mt = million tonnes(3) In KCl equivalent (sylvinite). Actual tonnages are larger,including kieiserite, langbeinite and carnallite ore.

Introduction2During recent decades, attention and concern hasbeen focused increasingly on the environmentalimpacts of human activities, especially industrialactivities such as mining. The public perception of themining industry has been tainted by a legacy of environmentaldamage from past practices combined witha number of highly publicized failures of metal miningtailings dams. As the scale of operations and thearea disturbed by the mining industry continue togrow, so too has the public's concern over the industry'scapacity to manage and mitigate environmentalimpacts. In response, most governments haveimposed stricter legislative and regulatory requirementson the mining industry in order to protect theecosystem, to maintain a safe and secure environmentand to protect people living in the vicinity of themine-site.Leading mining companies have taken up the challengeand are pushing beyond minimum legalrequirements through voluntary initiatives, to ensuretheir continued “license-to-operate” from the communityas well as increasing their competitiveadvantage through continuous, voluntary improvementsin environmental performance.As with all mining activities, the extraction and beneficiationof phosphate rock and potash to producemineral fertilizer raw material has the potential tocause environmental impacts. These impacts can takethe form of changes to the landscape, water contamination,excessive water consumption and airpollution.The landscape may be disturbed through the removalof topsoil and vegetation, excavation and depositionof overburden, disposal of processing wastes andunderground mining induced surface subsidence.The quality of surface and groundwater may beadversely affected by the release of processing waterand the erosion of sediments and leaching of toxicminerals from overburden and processing wastes.Water resources may be affected by dewatering operationsor beneficiation processes.The quality of the air can be affected by the release ofemissions such as dust and exhaust gases.The fertilizer raw material mining industry, as a subsectorof the larger global mining industry, is notexempt from the prevailing social and political climate.This publication demonstrates how thephosphate rock and potash mining industry hasresponded to the challenges presented by the changingenvironmental, political and cultural values of society,through an overview of the industry's environmentalperformance worldwide. Information on companyenvironmental practices has been gathered from anextensive series of site visits to fertilizer raw materialmining, beneficiation, and processing operations, inaddition to a review of available literature. The companiesand organizations involved in the project arelisted in Appendix B. While this does not provide acomplete picture of the current state of the industry, itdoes demonstrate the direction of development, andthe range of systems, practices and technologiesemployed.The publication focuses on the environmental aspectsassociated with the mining of raw materials for themanufacture of phosphorous and potassium mineralfertilizers. Earlier joint publications by UNEP, UNIDOand IFA have covered the environmental issues associatedwith the downstream processing, distributionand use of mineral fertilizers (3).1.2 The Global Environment Agendaand the Mining IndustryEnvironmental impact is an increasingly importantissue against which human activities must be weighed.A key factor is the scale of natural resource consumption,such as that of minerals, agricultural land, woodand fisheries.The issue of resource consumption requires that thecausal factors be addressed, such as: The continued world population growth; The material consumption patterns of the developedworld, which are increasingly being adoptedby the developing world; The imbalance in development, opportunities andresource allocation between the developed anddeveloping world; The correct pricing of the resource to account forscarcity and the environmental and social costs ofproduction; and The efficiency of resource use by industry throughthe implementation of best available techniques.(3) The earlier UNEP, UNIDO and IFA publications are listedin Appendix A. These can be obtained from either IFA orUNEP.

Environmental Aspects of Phosphate and Potash MiningThese are complex, interlinked issues. “Sustainabledevelopment” has been proposed as a holisticapproach for dealing with these complexities.Sustainable development integrates economic, environmentaland social considerations in order toimprove the lives of the current generation and ensurethat future generations will have adequate resourcesand opportunities.Over recent decades, public awareness and concernhas grown, as has knowledge of the effects of ouractivities on the environment. The 1992 UnitedNations Conference on Environment andDevelopment (UNCED) held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazilresulted in Agenda 21, an action plan for the implementationof sustainable development throughout alllevels of society. Agenda 21 identified the global economic,environmental, and social issues to beaddressed and provided a detailed framework formoving society towards sustainable development.In the case of phosphorus and potassium, althoughthe best quality and most easily accessible deposits aremined first, the total available resources are sufficientfor hundreds or thousands of years. But no mineralresource is infinite and the efficient extraction and useof phosphate and potash are an important contributionto a certain degree of sustainability.The mining industry has an important role to play inthis respect: Rehabilitation allows the land disturbed by theextraction of the mineral resource to be returnedto the pool of land available for other uses; Optimization of the recovery of the resource maybe encouraged through the use of the most efficienttechniques and technologies available; Any unrecovered resources can be left in a conditionsuch that possible future improvements intechnological capability and economics will beable to access and recover the resource; and The development of more efficient mining andprocessing methods and techniques can extendcurrent resource life, and help to recover, recycleand reuse minerals.These principles have application across all sections ofthe mining industry, including that of the phosphaterock and potash mining industry. The mining industryhas responded to the sustainability issues that arechallenging it on a number of fronts. Several of themare discussed in this report.Mining Members of the World Business Council onSustainable Development (WBCSD) established theGlobal Mining Initiative (GMI) in 1998. The GMI,representing some of the worlds leading mineral andmining companies, was established to provide leadershipand direction for the future development of themining industry in a sustainable manner. To this end,the GMI approached the International Institute ofEnvironment and Development to commission theMining, Minerals and Sustainable Development(MMSD) project, to determine how mining can mosteffectively contribute to sustainable development.Regional groups have been established, stakeholdersengaged and consulted, issues identified, and researchcommissioned to determine how the services of themining industry can be orientated to sustainabledevelopment and develop an action plan to guide theindustry in coming decades. This action plan is to beimplemented by the new International Council onMining and Metals (formally The InternationalCouncil on Metals and the Environment).National mining associations have developed and disseminatingcharters or voluntary codes of practice toimprove the level of environmental management. Anexample of this is the Australian Mining IndustryCode for Environmental Management developed bythe Minerals Council of Australia (see Appendix C).This voluntary code has been widely adopted by miningcompanies within Australia. These are required topublish public environmental reports to demonstrateprogress on the implementation of the code's principles.The World Bank has been actively developing miningsector capacity in developing countries. Programshave focused on drafting mining legislation, buildingup environmental management capabilities and creatingincentives for private investment.NGO co-operation with the mining industry hasincreased at local and global levels in recent years. TheWorld Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) has been activein developing relationships with the mining industryto foster improved performance. The WWF has beenleading the development of an independent miningcertification system in partnership with Placer Dome(Australia). This system is based on the ForestStewardship Council (FSC) model that has beeneffective in fostering improvement of the environmentalperformance of the forestry industry.

Introduction4Figure1.2The mineral fertilizer life cycleThe flow of the macro-nutrients phosphorous and potassiumSource : Concept for the schematic is drawn from the Natural ResoucesCanada report "Sustainable Development and Minerals and Metals"Figure1.3The mining life cycleto concentrate oreplanningSource : Concept for the schematic is drawn from the Natural ResoucesCanada report "Sustainable Development and Minerals and Metals"1.3 The Life Cycle of the PhosphateRock and Potash Mining IndustryThe industry approach to environmental issues hasmoved from ‘end-of-pipe’ solutions, towards a pollutionprevention strategy. This strategy requires anintegrated, holistic view of activities. Tools have beendeveloped to assist management, including cleanerproduction, life cycle assessment and industrial ecology.Each of these looks at the life cycle of the productor service, to identify where the major environmentalissues or problems may arise and where the most costeffectivesolutions can be developed. Planning for thelife of the mine, including closure and site rehabilitation,permits a more efficient and environmentallyeffective outcome. It identifies and creates opportunitiesfor improving the economic and environmentalperformance of the operation. Previously unrecoveredresources may be retrieved and former wastes convertedinto useful products.A schematic view of the mining life cycle is depicted inFigure 1.3. This highlights the sequential nature of theactivities of the phosphate rock and potash miningindustry. Emphasis is placed on closing the circle, orlife cycle, with the rehabilitation of the site, and on theimportance of planning for this from the outset.Activities of the mining life cycle may include: Prospecting and exploration to identify potentialeconomic mineral deposits; Assessment of the mineral deposit to determinewhether it can be economically extracted andprocessed under current and predicted futuremarket conditions; Design, planning and construction of the mine,handling, processing plant and associated infrastructuresuch as roads, power generation andports; Removal of the overburden or mining of theunderground declines, shafts and tunnels to accessthe ore; Extraction of the ore; Handling of the ore from the mine to the beneficiationplant; Beneficiation and primary processing of the ore toproduce a concentrated product (phosphate rockand potash); Treatment and disposal of solid and liquid wastes; Closure of the mining operation after exhaustionof the economic ore reserve and completion ofrehabilitation; and

Environmental Aspects of Phosphate and Potash MiningSubsequent handing over of the site to the pool ofavailable land.Planning, environmental management and rehabilitationare conducted throughout the mining life cycle,encompassing all other activities.By examining each stage of the life cycle, the potentialenvironmental effects can be identified and actionstaken to mitigate or prevent them. Synergies can bedeveloped, and opportunities identified, avoidingadditional costs and potentially creating new streamsof revenue, resulting in an improved of the performanceboth environmentally and economically.Companies are beginning to adopt life-cycle thinking.This is evidenced through the environmental reportingexample presented in Figure 1.4. The diagram issupported by figures on the input and output flows,including emissions, wastes and net land disturbanceto provide a measure of environmental performance.Figure 1.4:WMC Community and Environment

Overview of Phosphate Rock and Potash Mining and Beneficiation2. Overview of Phosphate Rock and Potash Mining andBeneficiation2.1 Phosphate Rock and PotashAlthough phosphate rock and potash are used as rawmaterials for a wide range of applications, the mostimportant use by far is the manufacture of mineralfertilizers.The primary source of these minerals is geological oredeposits formed through past sedimentary or igneousactivities. In the case of potash, concentrated brinesare also a significant source.This chapter provides a brief overview of the majoractivities involved in the mining, handling and beneficiationof phosphate rock and potash ore.downstream concentrated fertilizer products. Theeconomies of scale of the complex in turn influencethe scale of the mining operation.The land area affected by the surface operations mayvary widely, depend on the orebody geometry andthickness and the ore extraction rate. At similarextraction rates, mining of flat-lying thin orebodies asfound in Florida (USA) will affect a far wider area ofland than the mining of thicker, or steeply dippingorebodies as found in Brazil and Idaho (USA). Thedepth of excavations may range from a few metres tomore than 100 metres.2.2 Phosphate Rock Mining andBeneficiation6Phosphate Rock MiningAt present, most phosphate rock is mined using largescalesurface methods. In the past, undergroundmining methods played a greater role, but their contributionto world production has declined. Majormining and beneficiation techniques and processesemployed by the industry are listed in Figure 2.1.Surface phosphate rock mining operations can varygreatly in size. Extraction may range from severalthousand to more than 10 million tonnes of ore peryear. In many cases, operations supply feed to a nearbyfertilizer processing complex for the production ofSurface mining of phosphate rock with dragline, Florida -Cargill Fertilizers Inc., USACurrently, most phosphate rock production worldwideis extracted using opencast dragline or open-pitshovel/excavator mining methods. This method isemployed widely in parts of the United States ofAmerica, Morocco and Russia.Underground mining methods are currently used inTunisia, Morocco, Mexico and India. The area of theland surface affected by these operations is generallysmall and limited to the area immediately adjacent tothe access decline or shaft.The following discussion will focus on surface methodsdue to their significance.Surface mining of phosphate rock, with bucketwheel - OfficeTogolais des Phosphates (OTP), Togo

Environmental Aspects of Phosphate and Potash MiningFigure 2.1Common phosphate rock mining processesand equipmentExtractionSurfaceUndergroundDraglineBucketwheel excavatorShovelFront-end-loader (FEL)ExcavatorContinuous mining machineLongwallShaft / DeclinePhosphate Rock BeneficiationBeneficiation (or concentration) processes are generallyused to upgrade the phosphate content byremoving contaminants and barren material prior tofurther processing. A few ores are of sufficiently highquality to require no further concentration. The naturallyoccurring impurities contained in phosphaterock ore depend heavily on the type of deposit (sedimentaryor igneous), associated minerals, and theextent of weathering. Major impurities can includeorganic matter, clay and other fines, siliceous material,carbonates, and iron bearing minerals. These characteristicsinfluence the beneficiation processesemployed.HandlingSurfaceUndergroundSlurry pipelineRoad or haul trucksConveyorsStockpile and reclaimerConveyorsFeed binsShaft or decline haulageThe removal of fines such as clays and fine-grainedaluminium and iron phosphates is usually conductedthrough a combination of crushing/grinding, scrubbing,water washing, screening, and/or hydrocyclones.The fines are disposed of either to rivers, mined outareas, or specially engineered storage impoundments.Siliceous material, sand, may require an additionalfroth flotation stage for separation. This is typicallypumped to storage impoundments or mined-outareas for disposal.Beneficiation / concentrationSize reductionCrushingGrindingScreeningHydrocyclonesConcentrationWashingFlotationCarbonate reductionCalcinationFlotationMagnetic separationHeavy-media separationAcid washingDry screening - Copebras SA, BrazilIron mineral removalMagnetic separationDewateringDryingCentrifugesBelt filtersRotary ovensFluidised bed dryersStorageConveyorsShedsTanksCone crusher - Fosfertil, Brazil

Overview of Phosphate Rock and Potash Mining and BeneficiationFollowing beneficiation, the concentrated phosphaterock is stockpiled prior to transport to downstreamprocessing plants for the manufacture of phosphatemineral fertilizers. In some instances, phosphate rockwith suitable properties may be directly applied tocrops as a soil amendment by farmers.Wet screening - IMC Phosphate, Florida, USAPhosphate fertilizer plant, Conda, USA - Agrium Inc., Canada8Grinding mills - Fosfertil, BrazilGenerally, the major waste streams produced duringphosphate rock beneficiation are clay fines, sand tailingsand significant quantities of process water.Magnetite tailings may also be associated with igneousorebodies. These are disposed of by a number ofmeans including discharge to rivers or other waterbodies, and disposal to engineered storage dams, ormined-out areas. The process water may be recoveredand reused.Flotation tanks - IMC Phosphate, FloridaThe presence of carbonates in the form of dolomiteand calcite may cause downstream processing problemsand may reduce the quality of the end product.They are primarily removed through the use of calcinationfollowed by slaking with water to remove theCaO and MgO produced.Iron minerals may be present in the form of magnetite,hematite and goethite. These are typicallyremoved through scrubbing and size classification, ormagnetic separation.Decantation of clarified water - Cargill Fertilizers Inc., USA

Environmental Aspects of Phosphate and Potash MiningClay settling pond - Cargill Fertilizers Inc., USADrying plant - Office Chérifien des Phosphates (OCP),Khouribga, MoroccoSurface Mining and Beneficiation Operations inMoroccoPhosphate rock mining and beneficiation are illustratedby the operations of Office Chérifien desPhosphates (OCP) in Morocco.At the Khouribga and Benguerir opencast draglinemining operations in Morocco, the overburden is initiallydrilled and blasted. Bulldozers prepare thesurface for draglines to remove the broken overburdenand expose the ore. The ore is excavated withoutblasting into trucks using smaller draglines, shovels orfront-end loaders. The trucks transport the ore to ascreening plant for the separation and disposal of theoversize low-grade material followed by stockpiling.The screened ore is reclaimed from the stockpile andtransferred by conveyor to the beneficiation plant.Theore is washed and dried to remove clay fines and insome instances is subjected to calcination, to producea concentrated phosphate rock.The concentrated phosphate rock is transported byrail either to the industrial complexes located at JorfLasfar and Safi for further processing, or directly toport for export.Sizing and stockpile plant - Office Chérifien des Phosphates(OCP), Khouribga, MoroccoConveyor and stacker - Office Chérifien des Phosphates(OCP), Khouribga, MoroccoLoading phosphate rock - Office Chérifien des Phosphates(OCP), Khouribga, Morocco

Overview of Phosphate Rock and Potash Mining and BeneficiationSurface brine deposits are exploited using solar evaporationponds to concentrate and precipitate thepotash. The evaporation ponds are extensive, withsome operations covering in excess of 90 square kilometersof land area to produce around 8 milliontonnes of potash ore per year.Washing plant - Office Chérifien des Phosphates (OCP),Khouribga, MoroccoConventional mechanized underground mining operationsare the most widely used method for theextraction of potash ore. A variety of mining techniquesand equipment may be employed dependingon factors such as: the orebody depth, geometry,thickness and consistency, the geological and geotechnicalconditions of the ore and surrounding rock, andthe presence of overlying aquifers. Methods in widespreaduse include variations of room and pillar,longwall, cut and fill, and open stope techniques.10Port, Jorf Lasfar - Office Chérifien des Phosphates (OCP),Morocco2.3 Potash Mining and BeneficiationPotash is a generic term applied to all potassium saltsthat are used as fertilizers.Potash MiningPotash ore is extracted from two major ore deposittypes, deeply buried marine evaporite deposits thattypically range from 400 metres to greater than 1,000metres below the surface, and surface brine depositsassociated with saline water bodies such as the DeadSea in the Middle East and the Great Salt Lake inNorth America.Most potash is sourced from buried deposits usingconventional mechanized underground mining methods,though solution mining methods also areemployed. Generally these underground operationsproduce between 1 to 10 million tonnes of potash oreper year. The land area affected is typically confined tothe immediate area of the shaft, plant and waste disposalarea but may be up to several square kilometers.After the ore is extracted, it is generally transferred bybridge conveyor, shuttle cars or load-haul-dump unitsto a system of conveyors that carry it to undergroundstorage bins, prior to haulage to the surface through ashaft by automated skips. On rare occasions shallowmines may use a decline and conveyor arrangement.Solution mining is currently used at a number ofoperations in North America. The process relies onthe greater solubility at elevated temperatures in brineof sylvite in comparison to salt (NaCl). Commonly,brine is heated on the surface then injected into theorebody through wells. The heated brine absorbssylvite from the orebody and is then pumped back tothe surface to a series of ponds, where the potash precipitatesas the brine cools. The potash is recoveredfrom the ponds by dredges and pumped to the plantfor processing. The brine is heated again and theprocess repeated. An advantage of the method is thatit allows ore extraction at greater depths than withconventional underground mining methods.Potash mine head and plant - Potash Corporation ofSaskatchewan (PCS), Canada

Environmental Aspects of Phosphate and Potash MiningContinuous mining machine - Potash Corporation ofSaskatchewan (PCS), CanadaLongwall mining - Mines de Potasses d'Alsace, FranceDrilling holes for blasting explosive - Kali und Salz GmbH,GermanyContinuous mining machine - Potash Corporation ofSaskatchewan (PCS), CanadaLoader (LHD-Load, hold, dump unit) - Kali und SalzGmbH, Germany

Overview of Phosphate Rock and Potash Mining and Beneficiation12Figure 2.2Common potash mining processes and equipmentExtractionHandlingUndergroundSolutionSurfaceBeneficiation / concentrationSize reductionDeslimingConcentrationDewateringDryingCompactionGranulationStorageContinuous miningmachineLongwallLoad-haul-dump (LHD) unitsDrill and blastInjection wellsRecovery wellsEvaporation pondsShuttle carsConveyorsFeed binsShaft or decline haulageBrine pipelinesCooling pondsCrushingGrindingScreeningHydrocyclonesAttrition scrubbingHydrocyclonesFlotationThermal dissolution--crystallizationElectrostatic separationHeavy-media separationFiltersThickenersCentrifugesRotary ovensFluidised bed dryersRotary compactorGranulatorConveyorsShedsAlthough it is not strictly mining, the concentration ofbrine in solar evaporation ponds is another method ofproducing potash ore. The method relies on the evaporationof brine through a series of shallow ponds.The initial ponds are used to precipitate halite (NaCl)and concentrate the desired minerals, the brine is thenpumped into a second series of ponds in which thepotash ore, mostly carnallite, is precipitated. The carnalliteis harvested and pumped as a slurry tobeneficiation facilities for processing.Potash BeneficiationThe processing of potash generally involves a series ofsteps including: Size reduction; Desliming; Separation; Drying; Compaction and granulation; Disposal of the waste streams.The specific process employed will depend on factorssuch as the characteristics and constituents of thepotash ore and the market specifications.Generally, the ore is reduced in size using a system ofcrushing and grinding to liberate the different mineralsfrom each other. This is usually followed bydesliming by intense agitation followed by flotation orhydrocyclones to separate the fines consisting of clays,dolomite and sand from the potash ore.Four basic techniques are used to separate the wasteminerals or by-products such as salt and concentratethe potash; flotation, electrostatic separation, thermaldissolution-crystallization, and heavy media separation.Several of these may be used together to enhancerecovery.Flotation is the most widely used technique, relying onthe difference in surface properties between mineralsto selectively float the desired mineral. Electrostaticseparation is a dry process in which the minerals areseparated using their different electrical conductivities.Thermal dissolution-crystallization relies on thesame principle as solution mining, whereby a heatedbrine preferentially dissolves potassium chloride.Heavy media separation relies on the difference in specificgravity between sylvite and halite to selectivelyfloat and remove the lighter sylvite particles.

Environmental Aspects of Phosphate and Potash MiningAfter concentration, the potash concentrate is generallydried in a rotary or fluidized bed dryer to reduce themoisture content. Depending on market requirements,this may be followed by compaction at highpressure between rollers and then granulation to producea uniform size potash product.Three major waste streams are produced during beneficiation;brines, fines, and salt tailings. A variety ofdisposal methods are currently used, including: Stacking of the salt tailings on the surface; Retention of the fines and brines in surface pondsfor solar evaporation; Deep well injection of brines into confined permeablegeological strata; Backfilling of mined underground openings withsalt tailings, fines and brines; Release of wastes to water bodies such as rivers orseas.Filtering potash before drying - Kali und Salz GmbH,GermanyThese are discussed in greater detail in Chapter three.Figure 2.3Typical potash beneficiation processKali and Salz GmbH, GermanyMinePrimary crushingFine grindingFlotationHot leachingPotash rotary drier - Potash Corporation of Saskatchewan(PCS), CanadaClassificationCrystallizationDryingWashing processGranulationDryingDustfreeGranularKCl 99Storage / shipmentStorage / shipmentPotash compaction rollers - Potash Corporation ofSaskatchewan (PCS), Canada

BeneficiationHandling ExtractiondevelopmentThe Environmental Approach of the Phosphate Rock and Potash Mining Industry3. The Environmental Approach of the Phosphate Rock andPotash Mining Industry143.1 The Environmental ChallengesThe activities of the phosphate rock and potash miningindustry potentially result in a wide variety ofadverse environmental effects. Typically, these effectsare quite localized, and in most cases, confined to themine site. At a specific site, the type and extent of environmentaleffects may depend on factors such as: The characteristics of the ore and overburden; The surface land profile (wetlands, plains, hills,and mountains); The local climate; The surrounding ecosystem.However, of greater importance may be: The mining methods and equipment; The beneficiation and concentration processes; The waste disposal methods; The scale of the operation; The sites location to existing population centersand infrastructure.Environmental aspects that can be affected by miningactivities were grouped under ‘air, ‘water’, ’land’ and‘social values’.Air quality can be affected by emissions of: Dust; Exhaust particulates and exhaust gases such as carbondioxide (CO 2 ), carbon monoxide (CO),nitrogen oxides (NO x ), and sulfur oxides (SO x ); Volatile organic compounds (VOC's) from fuelingand workshop activities; Methane released from some geological strata.Greenhouse gases such as CO 2 and methane arebelieved to contribute to global warming.Dust is a common problem throughout all miningactivities. Dust generated by vehicle traffic can bereduced through a variety of means. Where waterresources are not limited, regular watering withmobile water trucks or fixed sprinkler systems is effective.Otherwise the application of surface bindingagents, the selection of suitable construction materialsand the sealing of heavily used access ways may bemore suitable. Dust emitted during beneficiation canbe controlled by means such as water sprays, baghousesand wet scrubbers. Captured dust can generally bereturned to the beneficiation process.Figure 3.1.1Major potential environmental effects that may occurduring phosphate rock and potash mining activitiesClosure Waste disposal Mine...Environmental management and rehabilitation...Exploration,assessment,planning andconstructionOverburden removalor orebody accessOre extractionTransportStorage and reclamationSize reduction(crushing, grinding,screens, cyclones)Separation,concentration andcontaminant removalDrying, compaction,granulation, etc...Wastes to surfacestorage impoundmentsand piles, undergroundbackfilling, deep wellinjection, or releaseto the environmentRemoval of equipmentand plant, shaft sealing,stabilisation, monitoringReturn of site to poolof available landLand surface disturbanceAir emissionsWater contaminationNoise and vibrationLand surface disturbanceWater contaminationWater table loweringAir emissionsTopsoil degradationVegetation and wildlifedisruptionNoise and vibrationAir emissionsWater contaminationNoiseWaste generationWater consumptionWater contaminationAir emissionsNoise and vibrationResource maximizationProduct transportedto further processing,distribution and useLand surface disturbanceWater contaminationAir emissionsStabilityAesthetic changesLong term stabilitySafetyFuture land useAir emissionsHazardous waste disposal

MinedevelopmentEnvironmental Aspects of Phosphate and Potash MiningWater quality can be affected by the release of slurrybrines and contaminants into process water. Surfacewaters may be contaminated by: The erosion of fines from disturbed ground suchas open-cut workings, overburden dumps andspoil piles and waste disposal facilities;The release or leakage of brines;The weathering of overburden contaminants,which may then be leached.Large volumes of water are typically required by miningand beneficiation activities. This waterconsumption may lead to a fall in the level of the watertable, affecting the surrounding ecosystem and potentiallyresulting in competition with other users.The land surface and sub-surface is disturbed by activitiessuch as: The extraction of ore; The deposition of overburden; The disposal of beneficiation wastes; The subsidence of the surface.These activities could result in wide range of potentialimpacts on the land, geological structure, topsoil,aquifers and surface drainage systems. Additionally,the removal of vegetation may affect the hydrologicalcycle, wildlife habitat and biodiversity of the area. Insome instances, sites of archaeological, cultural orother significance may be affected.Social goods and intangible values such as communitylifestyles, land values and the quality of theecosystem in the vicinity of the mine site could beaffected by factors such as: Modification of the landscape; Noise and vibration from activities such as blastingand the operation of equipment; Changes in wildlife habitat.The major potentially adverse environmental effectscould occur during the different activities of the mininglife cycle in Figure 3.1.1. Generally the activities ofmost significance are construction, extraction, beneficiationand waste disposal. Associated activities mayhave an impact but these tend to be relatively lessimportant. Rehabilitation and closure can have someimpact, but these activities are carried out with theobjective of repairing any adverse effects that mayhave occurred during mining, to leave a safe and stablesite. Rehabilitation is more effective whenconducted progressively throughout the life of theoperation. Adopting a holistic approach to planningand environmental management, that encompassesthe entire life cycle, helps to prevent or mitigate environmenteffects from the outset, while fosteringstewardship of the ore resource and the land underwhich it lies.The present chapter has been organized according tothe major activities associated with the mining lifecycle.Within each activity, the major environmentalissues are raised, followed by a general discussion ofthe environmental practices employed by industry.The discussion is illustrated by examples of good andinnovative environmental practices identified duringthe project site visits. These demonstrate specificindustry responses.3.2 Mine Development: Exploration,Planning, Approval and ConstructionMine development consists of a sequence of activities: Prospecting and exploration work to locate anddelineate the ore resource; Economic, environmental and technical feasibilityassessment of the orebody; Planning and design of the mine layout, site infrastructureand the mining sequence; Obtaining relevant government permits andapprovals; Construction and commissioning of the operation.Most environmental impacts during this stage of themining life cycle are typically associated with explorationand construction. Effective planning,commencing at this stage and continuing throughoutthe life of the mine, has a great influence on minimizingthe impact of the operation.Figure 3.2.1Potential environmental effects : mine developmentExploration,assessment,planning andconstructionLand surface disturbanceAir emissionsWater contaminationNoise and vibrationPlanning is important to avoid or reduce adverse environmentalimpacts over the life of the mine and afterclosure. Planning is most effective when the entire lifeof mine is encompassed. Defining the final objectivesof mine closure from the outset allows an optimumbalance between operational, rehabilitation and closuregoals to be selected, thus minimizing the cost ofthese activities.

The Environmental Approach of the Phosphate Rock and Potash Mining Industry16Planning takes account of factors such as air and waterquality, land surface disturbance, noise and vibration,surrounding and post-mining land uses, wildlife andbiodiversity and cultural and historic site locations.Valuable information for planning purposes is gatheredduring the preparation of environmental impactassessments (EIA) and permit applications. Thisallows sensitive aspects to be identified and potentialrisks evaluated. The knowledge developed creates astrong foundation for the development of later operationalmanagement systems, procedures, andpractices.Repeated evaluation of different options addresses theenvironmental impacts, the changing regulatoryrequirements, community expectations, and engineeringand cost limitations, while also allowing newtechnology to be more easily incorporated.ExplorationExploration activities have some environmentalimpacts. These are largely related to land disturbancesfrom the clearing of vegetation, construction ofcamps, access roads, drilling sites and sumps fordrilling fluids and fines. Noise and vibration fromThe ‘Team Permitting Process’IMC Phosphate in central western Florida, (USA) hasapplied a "team permitting process" to theConsolidated Development Application (CDA) for theproposed Ona and Pine Level mines.The CDA covers the majority of permits required forapproval to mine phosphate in Florida. Permits typicallyfocus on the areas of: Water quality; Water supply; Wetlands; Wildlife.Typically, several permits will be required for eacharea, encompassing a wide range of issues. Onceachieved, the permits apply to the life of the mine.The team permitting process speeds up the developmentand approval of the CDA through two majorinnovations. First, at the outset all stakeholders arebrought together. This allows major concerns to beidentified before the CDA starts. The issues can thenbe addressed efficiently, reducing the need for multipleiterations of the CDA.Second, the CDA undergoes concurrent review byboth the community and regulatory agencies. Thereview provides an opportunity for questions to beraised about the CDA. The company must addressthese sufficiently before approval is granted.As a trade-off for benefiting from the acceleratedteam permitting process, the company must provideenvironmental benefits beyond those required for thestandard permitting process. This results in a win-winsolution for the company and community. The companyobtains its mine permit approval faster, thecommunity has a greater sense of ownership throughearly involvement and input, and enjoys more environmentbenefits.Mine site - Foskor Ltd, South AfricaDragline avoids bird's nest - Cargill Fertilizers Inc., USAseismic surveys and drilling operations may also be ofconcern.Effective planning of the exploration activities reducespotential impacts by using existing infrastructurewhere possible, taking appropriate care during theconstruction of access tracks and containing anydrilling fluids and fines in sumps. On completion ofexploration, rehabilitation of disturbed areas isenhanced by the capping or grouting of drill holes, thefilling of sumps, the ripping of compacted areas, andthe replacement of removed topsoil and revegetation.Modern remote sensing exploration techniquesreduce the area disturbed by exploration activities.The use of gravity and geomagnetic surveys allowswide areas to be covered with little or no impact,

ExtractionEnvironmental Aspects of Phosphate and Potash Miningreducing the need for more intrusive exploration techniques.ConstructionConstruction activities have significant potential tohave adverse environmental impacts. During thisphase, often a large transient workforce is employed,workforce numbers tend to peak and material andequipment movements tend to be large. Impacts aretypically related to land disturbance caused by earthworks,air emissions from dust, noise from equipmentand construction activities and heavy volumes of trafficon access roads.In many cases, specialized third party companies andconsultants conduct mine construction activities.‘Turn key’ construction contracts are commonlyawarded. The ability of the mine site's owner to controlenvironmental impacts can be maintained tosome extent by considering potential issues andexplicitly addressing them in the drafting of the tenderand contract.3.3 ExtractionSurface mining methods, by nature, tend to affect awide area of land and could result in a variety ofeffects such as: land surface disturbance, contaminationor depletion of ground and surface water, and areduction in air quality. Currently, most phosphaterock and a small quantity of potash ore are sourcedusing surface mining.Figure 3.3.1Potential environmental effects : ore extractionOverburden removalor orebody accessOre extractionLand surface disturbanceWater contaminationWater table loweringAir emissionsTopsoil degradationVegetation and wildlifedisruptionNoise and vibrationmay become contaminated or deplete overlyingaquifers. Underground mining methods are used tosource potash ore from deeply buried marine evaporitepotash deposits. A lesser quantity of phosphaterock is sourced using underground methods.Land Surface DisturbanceExtraction activities disturb the land surface throughclearing of vegetation, removal of topsoil, excavationof ore and overburden and the construction of overburdendumps or solar evaporation ponds.Removal and stockpiling of topsoil for subsequentrehabilitation is carried out at many mining operations.In a number of cases, topsoil is removed andplaced directly on landscaped reclaimed areas. Thisavoids the cost of re-transporting topsoil from stockpilesand the possible reduction of biodiversity.Moreover, close coordination and planning is requiredbetween the mining and rehabilitation operations toensure that areas are prepared in a timely manner. There-planting of small trees from areas to be mined andthe placement of dead trees on rehabilitated areas hasbeen used to accelerate the establishment of vegetationand provide a wildlife habitat.Generally, overburden (4) is either dumped directlyinto the adjacent mined-out areas or placed in speciallydesigned overburden dumps. On closure, thismaterial is landscaped, covered with a layer of topsoiland revegetated. These activities are discussed furtherin Section 3.7 “Rehabilitation”.The costs associated with transporting and landscapingoverburden are minimized in many cases bydesigning and managing overburden dumping operationsso as to ensure that they are placed as close aspossible to the final desired location and to the finalshape. Bucketwheel excavator operations are particularlyflexible, allowing selective placement of theoverburden in the order of extraction and the creationof a flat final landscape. This has advantages for laterrehabilitation.Underground mining methods tend to create fewerenvironmental problems, the major issue being possiblesurface subsidence. This is induced by the removalof extensive flat-lying ore deposits, followed by thesubsequent collapse of overlying rock. Some minorenvironmental effects may be associated with the disposalof rock removed to access the orebody. Also,ground water inflow into the underground openings(4) The term overburden is usually applied to the barrenmaterial (clay, sand, or rock) removed to expose the ore insurface mines. Underground mines produce a far more limitedvolume of barren waste rock during excavation of theaccess ways such as shafts and tunnels. Finally, processingoperations generally produce a number of solid wastes such assalt tailings, sands, and clays. The term overburden will beapplied to all barren material stripped from the surface toallow the ore to be extracted.

The Environmental Approach of the Phosphate Rock and Potash Mining IndustryOpen Cut BackfillingThe Rasmussen Ridge mine, located in mountainous terrainin southeast Idaho, is owned and operated byAgrium, Inc. Open pit mining methods are used toextract two closely spaced, steeply dipping ore bodiesusing shovel, front-end-loaders and trucks. The pit isaround 100 metres deep, and will ultimately be minedaround 3,000 metres along the strike of the orebody.The mine and reclamation plan sequences the pit, whichis to be mined to its final depth progressively along thestrike. Once a sufficient length of pit has been mined,backfilling with overburden removed from the activemining area is carried out. External overburden dumpsare thus only required during the initial stage.The backfilled pit is landscaped to blend in with the naturalmountainous topography, re-establishing surfacedrainage patterns while minimizing the potential forerosion.Topsoil, generally from clearing in front of the pitface, is applied, followed by seed and fertilizer applicationto re-establish vegetation.This approach significantly reduces the area of land disturbedby external overburden dumps, and reduces thevolume of pit left empty on completion of mining operations.This in turn prevents the formation ofpost-mining pit lakes and the safety risk of exposedsteep pit walls.An additional benefit is the isolation of selenium-contaminatedoverburden. Selective placement at thebottom of the pit prevents selenium leaching into surfacewaters, potentially causing toxicity in livestock andfauna downstream. The development of best managementpractices for selenium control is discussed furtherin Section 3.9 “ Environmental Management”.Landscaped pits with snow, Conda, USA - Agrium Inc., USA18Open pit mining, Conda, USA - Agrium Inc., USALandscaped overburden dump with transplanted trees indistance, Conda, USA - Agrium Inc., USAThe wide area of land surface disturbed by surfacemining operations could require relocation and compensationof people living above the orebody.In some instances, surface subsidence induced byunderground mining may alter river and streamdrainage patterns, disrupt overlying aquifers, anddamage buildings and infrastructure. The degree ofsubsidence depends on factors such as orebody thicknessand geometry, the thickness of the overlying rockand the amount of ore recovered. The effects of subsidencehave been reduced to some extent, througheither:The design of the ore extraction layout so as toreduce the rate and extent of subsidence, orBy backfilling openings with processing wastessuch as salt tailings, to reduce or prevent subsidence.Where subsidence occurs, there is potential for damageto overlying buildings or infrastructure. To avoidsafety risks and property damage, close coordinationand communication is required between the companyand relevant government bodies, other companies andcommunities. This needs to be supported by a welldefinedsystem for reporting and repairing damage, or

Environmental Aspects of Phosphate and Potash MiningLand RentalThe phosphate rock orebody in Togo being extractedby the Office Togolais des Phosphates (OTP) is locatednear the coast in an area of intensive small-scale farming.Surface mining methods are used to remove theoverburden and extract the phosphate rock ore. Thisrequires the progressive relocation of farmers and villagecommunities as mining occurs. In compensation,the company pays farmers a rental for the land disturbedduring the mining process. New villages areconstructed in advance outside the mining area, to rehousedisplaced villagers. The land rental continuesuntil rehabilitation is completed and the land is onceagain suitable for farming.for providing compensation to avoid conflict.Solarevaporation ponds used to extract potash from surfacebrine deposits usually cover a wide area of land,with operations in the region of 90 square kilometres.The precipitation and build up of salt in the pondsover time presents an issue.Water ConsumptionIn some locations, water consumption during extractionactivities may lead to a lowering of the surroundingwater table.Water inflow is a common problem where open pitsand underground openings intersect aquifers.Generally, water is pumped from the excavations orfrom nearby wells to maintain a dry, safe and efficientoperating environment for the equipment. This maypotentially lead to the lowering of the surroundingwater table and the depletion of nearby surface waterbodies. In some locations, measures have been takento confine the area affected by water table depressionand protect the surrounding ecosystem.Ecosystem Protection Through the Use ofPerimeter DitchesThe elevated water table is a prominent feature of theFlorida ecosystem. Frequent surface appearance ofthe aquifer has produced a patchwork of wetlands,streams, rivers and lakes.This presents an issue for theefficient extraction of the phosphate rock deposit bydraglines. If the opencast pit contains water, draglineoperators have difficulty identifying the boundarybetween the ore and overburden, potentially resultingin the loss of ore or dilution by barren rock. Tomaintain dry excavations and an efficient operatingenvironment, the water table may be depressed to alevel below the ore by pumping from wells or sumps.However, this may lead to negative effects on the surroundingwater-sensitive ecosystem. To overcomethis, companies such as IMC Phosphate and CargillFertilizers Inc have implemented protection systems,using a perimeter ditch to confine the impact on thewater table to the immediate mining area.Before pumping commences, a perimeter ditch isexcavated around the mining area to a depth belowthe water table. The ditch is filled with water that ismaintained at a level consistent with the originalwater table, using a series of weirs and pumps. Whenthe water table is depressed by mining activities,recharge occurs from water in the ditch.Performance of the system is monitored by both dailyvisual inspection of the ditches and by weekly measurementsof the water table, through a series ofpiezometers located outside the perimeter ditch.The effectiveness of the method has been improvedby reshaping the overburden immediately adjacent tothe perimeter ditch as soon as possible on completionof mining. This allows the water table to partiallyreestablish itself inside the perimeter ditch.The application of this approach protects the surroundingwater-sensitive ecosystem by confining thedepression of the water table to the area delineatedby the ditch.Waste water produced during the extraction stage canbe used for downstream processing operations, reducingthe demand on other sources. In some places,water of suitable quality has been used for the irrigationof local farming operations. This is of greaterimportance in arid climates where water resources arelimited.Water ContaminationExcavation activities may contaminate surface waterthrough the release of fines generated during clearing,blasting and excavation operations, the weathering ofoverburden contaminants susceptible to leaching andthe release of salt from brines and potash ore.Perimeter ditch - IMC Phosphate, USA

The Environmental Approach of the Phosphate Rock and Potash Mining IndustryIrrigation of Local Agricultural Production UsingWaste Water from Dewatering and WashingOperationsIn Morocco, at the Youssofia operation, the OfficeChérifien des Phosphates (OCP) pumps groundwaterinflow out of the underground phosphate rock mines.The water is pumped to the surface and used for bothphosphate rock washing operations and for irrigationof the local farmer's fields. A system of pipes andaqueducts is used to transport the water. Farmersapply to receive approval to tap the water. Producefrom the farms is used for their own requirementswith excess sold in the local township.The rehabilitation of disturbed areas as soon as isoperationally possible, through seeding with grass,spreading of mulch, laying of geofabric and crossrippingwith bulldozers.In some situations, natural drainage systems havebeen channeled around mining areas or vegetationbuffer zones have been retained to reduce the movementof sediments off-site. These measures have beenstrengthened by the use of silt traps and settling damsto retain and clarify contaminated water beforerelease.Brines may potentially contaminate surface or groundwaters. Operations commonly employ monitoringand containment systems to detect and controlspillages and prevent widespread contaminationoccurring.20Farms irrigated by mine water - Office Chérifien desPhosphates (OCP), Youssofia, MoroccoJordan Phosphate Mines Co. Ltd. (JPMC) suppliesphosphate rock beneficiation plant waste water tolocal Bedouin farmers for farm irrigation. The water ispiped to several nearby fields and used to irrigate avariety of vegetable and grain crops. Produce is forown-consumption, and sold to the mine kitchen,nearby markets and passing road traffic on the nearbyDesert Highway.Testing of the contaminant levels in the waste water isconducted in both cases.Mine-enabled irrigation thus improves the welfare ofthe local communities by contributing to a reliablefood supply and providing the opportunity to generatecash income through the sale of excess foodproduce.Lined drainage channel - Fosfertil, BrazilElevated sediment levels in surface water are causedlargely by uncontrolled water run-off, mobilizing thefines from disturbed areas.Mining operations have employed a variety of controltechniques, including: The lining of drainage channels with large rocks toprevent erosion and trap sediments; The landscaping of overburden to create a flatter,more stable land area slowing the rate of run-off;Sediment ponds - Foskor Ltd, South Africa

Environmental Aspects of Phosphate and Potash MiningSolution Mining Pump and Pipeline Monitoring and Control SystemThe PCS Patience Lake Division, located inSaskatchewan, Canada, extracts potash from a floodedconventional underground mine using a solution miningmethod. The extraction method uses a system ofbrine injection and recovery well linked with pipelinesto cooling and precipitation ponds adjacent to the processingplant. The wells are scattered over a wide arearequiring an extensive network of pipelines.To avoid the potential risk of failure and release ofbrine a number of design features and control andmonitoring techniques have been employed. Brinesare transported through buried, large diameter HDPEpipes at a low pressure. The buried pipeline is lined,with drainage manholes located at low points to detectleaks. A monitoring system is in place to detect spillagesat the wells and a containment system using bunds(earth walls) has been constructed around the recoverywell site.Visual inspection of the system is conducted each shift,while an electromagnetic survey is conducted at regularintervals to detect hidden leaks from buriedpipelines or ponds. PCS has developed this method thatallows changes in ground conductivity, caused by thepresence of salts, between surveys at different times tobe detected.Spillage detectors - Potash Corporation of Saskatchewan(PCS), Patience Lake, CanadaRecovery of potash from ponds - Potash Corporation ofSaskatchewan (PCS), Patience Lake, CanadaEmergency spillage recovery pump, Potash Corporation ofSaskatchewan (PCS), Patience Lake, CanadaHeating potash brine prior to injection - PotashCorporation of Saskatchewan (PCS), Patience Lake,CanadaAir EmissionsEffects on air quality tend to be of a localized natureand are largely related to the generation and emissionof dust particulates by blasting, excavation and equipmentmovement or exhaust gases and particulatesfrom engines. Control techniques are discussed inSection 3.1.Underground operations control exhaust particulatesby installing particulate filters on the exhausts ofmobile equipment. Retrofitting equipment with new,more efficient and cleaner engines also reducesexhaust particulate and gas emissions, as well as contributingto reduced fuel consumption andmaintenance costs.

HandlingThe Environmental Approach of the Phosphate Rock and Potash Mining IndustryOther Potential ImpactsA variety of other impacts may occur because ofextraction activities, including noise and vibrationdue to blasting and the operation of equipment. Thelocal biodiversity could be affected and the landscapedeteriorated due to the excavation of large pits, dumpingof overburden into spoil piles, and construction ofelevated overburden dumps.Restricting operating and blasting to periods when thenearby community will be least disturbed can help tomitigate the effects of noise and vibration.In some places, unsightly landscapes have beenimproved by maintaining buffer zones, plantinggreenbelts or the constructing barrier fences. Promptrehabilitation of disturbed areas that are most visiblecan reduce the visual impact and improve relationswith the local community.Dust Control During Potash Ore HandlingAt the IMC Potash Carlsbad operation, located in NewMexico (USA) ore is extracted using undergroundroom and pillar mining. Continuous mining machinesare used predominately with a small amount of drilland blast. Ore is hauled to the surface through twoshafts, one for langbeinite and the other for sylvite,and conveyed to separate processing facilities.Because dust emissions have been an issue in thepast, a variety of baghouse and wet scrubber emissioncontrol equipment has recently been installedthroughout the sylvite and langbeinite ore handlingand processing facilities. An element of this is the dustextraction system on the langbeinite ore haulageshaft that is designed to reduce dust generated duringskip dumping. The system draws air through theskip and feed bin and into the baghouse where thedust is trapped. Product loss is avoided by depositingthe collected dust onto the conveyor to the plant.3.4 Handling22Handling encompasses the transportation and stockpilingoperations that occur between the extraction ofthe phosphate rock or potash ore and their beneficiationto produce concentrated products. Surfacetransportation methods include: road trucks and offroadhaul trucks, trains, conveyors and slurrypipelines. Underground transportation methodsinclude shuttle cars, front-end-loaders, conveyors,slurry pipelines and ore skips for shaft haulage.Stockpiles are used at various points in the transportationchain to allow for delays.Figure 3.4.1Potential environmental effects : handlingThe environmental impacts due to handling tend tobe of a localized nature and are largely related to dust,exhaust emissions, noise from vehicles and equipmentand the contamination of water with fines or brine.Air EmissionsTransportStorage and reclamationAir emissionsWater contaminationNoiseLangbeinite shaft with baghouse (blue) - IMC Potash,Carlsbad, USAAs well as the environmental benefit provided byreducing dust emissions from the handling and processingof langbeinite and sylvite ores, there has beenan improvement in the working environment for personnel.Additionally, product loss has been reducedby the capture and return of the dust to the processcreating a small economic benefit to partially offsetcosts of putting the controls in place.Dust and exhaust emissions from equipment areamong the most prevalent issues related to handling.Dust may be generated from traffic on unsealed road-

Environmental Aspects of Phosphate and Potash Miningways, during loading and unloading operations, atconveyor transfer points and during the stacking ofstockpiles and reclamation operations. Exhaust gasesand particulates are largely produced by the operationof transport.A variety of dust control techniques are used, as discussedin Section 3.1.Equipment emissions are reduced by the use ofexhaust filters, regular equipment maintenance programsand replacing old engines with new, moreefficient and cleaner models.Watershed ProtectionRegulations in Florida to protect watersheds from disturbancehave restricted the development offloodplains, streams and rivers. Accordingly, phosphaterock mining operations must establish bufferzones and work around these features. However, onoccasions crossings may have to be constructedacross them to facilitate access to mining areas.Development of a new mining area at the IMCPhosphate Four Corners operation in central Floridarequired the construction of a river crossing. This wasdesigned to allow vehicle and equipment access andthe passage of several large diameter slurry pipelinesbetween the mining area and the beneficiation plant.The design has a number of features to mitigatepotential environmental impacts.Culverts have been placed under the earthen vehiclecrossing, allowing normal river flow to be maintained.Silt traps contain minor erosion sediments from thecrossing.During heavy rain, the water level rises and passesover the crossing. Surfacing the vehicle roadway withcoarse aggregate and the planting of grass on adjacentroadside areas has reduced the potential forerosion.The large-diameter ore slurry pipelines have beenplaced alongside the crossing roadway and elevatedto allow water to pass underneath. In the event of failure,the pipes are double lined at the crossing,discharging to a containment pond at one end, whilean automated monitoring system alerts management.Watershed protection is an integral part of the crossingdesign. The construction of a stable, non-erodingriver crossing and the installation of a monitoring andcontainment system in the event of a slurry pipelinefailure prevent contamination of downstream areas.Transport of Ore and Concentrate by SlurryPipelineThe transport of ore and concentrates as a slurry (amixture of water and ore particles in suspension) hasbenefits such as less road transport congestion,reduced vehicle exhaust emissions and the eliminationof sources of dust emission. Slurry pipelines areused at a number of operations worldwide.In Florida, the phosphate mining operations of companiessuch as Cargill Fertilizer Inc. and IMCPhosphate use high-pressure water jets to convert theore excavated by the draglines into a slurry which canbe pumped to the beneficiation plants through largediameter pipelines.In Brazil, Fertilizantes Fosfatados S.A. (Fosfertil) uses a125 kilometre long pipeline to transport phosphaterock concentrate slurry from the beneficiation plant atthe Tapira mining complex to the fertilizer processingcomplex at Uberaba.Uberaba Fertilizer processing complex - Fosfertil, BrazilPhosphate rock concentrate slurry tanks and pumping -Fosfertil, BrazilSlurry pipelines require significant quantities of water.This may present issues in areas of limited resources.Recycling or re-use of the water for other processesmay be possible.

BeneficiationThe Environmental Approach of the Phosphate Rock and Potash Mining Industry24Water ContaminationWater contamination may occur through spillage ofore slurries or brines from pipelines and the mobilizationof fines by rain run-off from roads or stockpiles.The effects of slurry pipeline spillages are reducedthrough the use of monitoring and containment techniques.Automated monitoring systems allowmanagement to be notified in a timely manner in theevent of a failure. Earth walls and double-lined pipescontain and reduce the extent of the spill until remedialaction can be taken.Soil and groundwatercontamination may also result from the spillage ofbrines.Fines generated from heavy vehicle traffic on unsealedroadways and from stockpile areas may contaminaterun-off water. The fines can be contained by the use oftechniques like silt traps and sediment retention dams.Methods are discussed further in Section 3.3,“Excavation”.NoiseHeavy vehicles and equipment use can generate significantnoise, sometimes around the clock, affecting thewell-being of neighboring communities. The impact isreduced by the careful location of roads, use of noisebarriers or buffer zones, sequencing of mining operationsand restricting the operating hours of theequipment.Slurry pipelines address this concern, as they producelittle noise.3.5 Beneficiation and ConcentrationBeneficiation and concentration may adversely affectthe environment by: The generation of wastes such as sand, magnetiteand salt tailings, clay fines and brines; The consumption and contamination of large volumesof fresh water during processing with fines,chemical reagents, and brines; The emission of dust from processing operationssuch as crushing and drying; The emission of exhaust particulates and gasesduring the generation of electrical power and thedrying of product.Other potential impacts include noise and vibrationproduced by equipment such as rock breakers, crushersand grinding mills.Figure 3.5.1Potential environmental effects : beneficiationSize reduction(crushing, grinding,screens, cyclones)Separation,concentration andcontaminant removalDrying, compaction,granulation, etc...Waste GenerationWaste generationWater consumptionWater contaminationAir emissionsNoise and vibrationResource maximizationProduct transportedto further processing,distribution and useThe large volumes of waste generated during beneficiationof phosphate rock and potash may potentiallycause adverse environmental effects. The volume andtype of wastes will depend on the ore characteristics(ore grade, constituent minerals, and contaminants),in addition to the specific beneficiation processemployed.A variety of wastes is generated from the beneficiationof phosphate rock, and may include: Oversize low-grade rock from screening; Coarse tailings composed of sand; Fine tailings composed of clays and similar sizematerials; Process water contaminated with fines and processreagents.In some instances, magnetite tailings have also be generated.The beneficiation of potash produces wastes such as: Tailings consisting largely of impure salt (NaCl)with smaller amounts of other minerals such asanhydrite; Slimes consisting of insoluble fines such as clayand dolomite; Brines containing salt or magnesium chloride.In most countries, wastes are disposed of to speciallyengineered impoundments such as dams and pondsor released in a controlled manner to the environment.Disposal methods are discussed in detail inSection 3.7 “Waste Management and Disposal”.

Environmental Aspects of Phosphate and Potash MiningBeneficiation plants frequently implement measuresto contain and recover process spillages, in order tominimize environmental effects and product loss.Water ConsumptionBeneficiation operations generally consume largequantities of fresh water for processes such as washingand flotation. The water is usually sourced from nearbysurface and ground water supplies. In arid areas,local water supplies may be limited, requiring water tobe piped considerable distances.Water piped in from distant sources may provide asuitable source for other users.Provision of Water Resources to Other UsersIn New Mexico, the Mississippi Chemical Corporationpipes water from a distant freshwater aquifer to theirCarlsbad potash operation. Local groundwater in thevicinity of the operation is high in total dissolvedsolids and not suitable for human or livestock consumption.The freshwater pipeline has provided awater source available for local ranchers, reducingreliance on variable rainfall in this arid area.Electrostatic Separation and Pneumatic Flotationfor Potash OreThe Kali und Salz GmbH operation in Germany hasdeveloped the ESTA electrostatic separation processand the pneumatic flotation cell to improve the recoveryof potash from complex mineralized ores.Implementation of these techniques has also createdadditional environmental benefits through reducedenergy consumption and waste water production.The ESTA electrostatic separation process requiresthat complex potassium/magnesium ores are dryground to less than 1 millimetre to separate the differentminerals. The particles are conditioned tocreate differential positive and negative chargesbetween them. Separation occurs as the mineral particlesare subject to a 125,000-volt potential dropduring free fall. A multi stage separation processallows the various product and waste minerals to beisolated and concentrated. Environmental and economicbenefits arise from the dry separation processthat produces no waste brines and the relatively lowenergy requirements.A non-mechanical, pneumatic flotation cell has beendeveloped for the separation of kieserite (magnesiumsulphate) from halite. In comparison to conventionalmechanical flotation cells the pneumatic cells consumeless energy and recover more kieserite.Water management is an important aspect of theoperation and is usually integrated with waste disposal.Where possible, recirculation or recovery of thewaste process water/brine is effected. In many casesthe process waters/brines are used to transport thewastes as a slurry to the disposal areas. Typically, theyare recovered for reuse, minimizing the need for additionalfresh water input.Where fresh water sources are not available for phosphaterock beneficiation, salt water has been used forprocessing. A clean water wash is required afterwards,to reduce the chloride content of the ore concentrate.Utilizing dry beneficiation processes reduces waterconsumption. However, it can create additional dustproblems.Water ContaminationContamination of surface and ground water mayoccur from the spillage of process water, brines, oreconcentrates, wastes or chemical reagents during processing.A variety of methods to contain spills areused, including drains, bunds around storage and processingtanks and dams for major process spills.Pneumatic flotation cell - Kali und Salz GmbH,GermanyThese allow spills to be recovered and returned to theprocess or be disposed of safely.Air ContaminationDry processing operations may generate significantquantities of dust during operations such as crushing,grinding, compaction and drying. This can be controlledto some extent through the use of emissioncontrol equipment such as baghouses and wet scrubbers.

The Environmental Approach of the Phosphate Rock and Potash Mining Industry26Air Emission Control By-ProductsZirconium is recovered as a co-product during phosphaterock processing at the Phalaborwa operation ofFoskor Limited in South Africa.Dust emissions from the zirconium plant promptedthe installation of an emission control system. Fine silicafume generated during processing is recovered bythe system and subsequently sold, producing a revenuestream. The revenue generated has resulted inthe rapid payback of the installation costs for the airemission control system.The system has produced environmental benefitsfrom the reduction in dust emissions as well as anadditional revenue stream for the company.The problem of dust emissions may be compoundedby processes such as calcination and drying, whichgenerate high levels of exhaust particulates and gases.These emissions are reduced through the use of cleanerfuels such as natural gas, applying emission controlequipment to exhausts, using more efficient equipmentand making use of cogeneration possibilities andheat recovery. In some cases, minor adjustments haveimproved the efficiency of old equipment.Steam-Heated Fluidized Bed Dryers for Potash OreThe installation of steam-heated fluidized bed dryersto dry potassium chloride at the Hattorf operation ofKali und Salz GmbH in Germany has resulted in 35%less energy consumption, with markedly lower fluegas and dust emissions in comparison to rotary dryers.Exhaust emissions from vehicle engines, electricalpower generation and product dryers may containgreenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) andother gases such as NO x . The use of improved fuel orenergy consumption techniques and technologiesreduces the emission of greenhouse gases and otherexhaust particulates and gases.Dryer Burner ModificationsThe IMC Potash Carlsbad operation in New Mexico(USA) has significantly reduced the exhaust emissionsfrom an aging product dryer through minor modifications.A small adjustment to the angle of the burnerfuel injection nozzles created more turbulent flowconditions, improving the mixing of fuel and air andhence, the combustion.The result has been greater fuel efficiency and a significantreduction in the quantity of carbonmonoxide.Noise and VibrationBeneficiation processes may generate high levels ofnoise and vibration, especially during crushing andgrinding. Noise pollution has been reduced in manycases by enclosing the plant, retaining suitable bufferzones around the plant site, planting greenbelts andconstructing earth bunds. Some of these measuresalso assist in reducing the visual impact of the site.Resource MaximizationThe efficiency of resource recovery influences theenvironmental impact of other activities such asextraction or waste disposal.Product loss during beneficiation through the loss ofore to waste streams, dust emissions and processspillages results in both an economic loss as well as theneed to extract and process additional ore to meetdemand. An example of this is the fine particles ofphosphate that are lost to waste, as they cannot be efficientlyseparated.Ultra-Fine Phosphate RecoveryIn Brazil, the Tapira mining complex and Uberaba fertilizercomplex operated by Fertilizantes FosfatadosSA (Fosfertil) are expanding production. A componentof this is the implementation of a process to recoverthe ultra-fine phosphate previously lost to the claytailings. The system will use column flotation cells torecover around 200,000 tonnes of ultra-fine phosphaterock per year. This ultra-fine product will beused to produce single super-phosphate (SSP) fertilizer.Recovery of the ultra-fine phosphate rock has providedan additional source of revenue for the company,enhancing its competitiveness in the market place.Environmental benefits are derived from greaterrecovery of the resource and consequently, a minorreduction in the waste volume generated.Spillage of ore and concentrated product may occurduring beneficiation, prevention or recovery of thesecan assist maximizing the resource.Product Spillage RecoveryIn South Africa, Foskor has been using hand shovelsand wheelbarrows to recover small amounts ofspillage associated with the loading of phosphaterock concentrate into rail cars. Approximately 20,000tonnes of product were recovered in one year providinga significant saving.

Waste disposalEnvironmental Aspects of Phosphate and Potash MiningPhosphate rock and potash minerals are frequentlyfound in association with a variety of other mineralsthat may have an economic value if recovered and separated.Salt is commonly found either in association withpotash ore, or as separate salt orebodies, adjacent to ornear the potash orebody. Many operations recover saltfor purposes such as industrial grade salt or road deicing.Complex potash ores frequently occur in associationwith magnesium chloride. The potential exists for themagnesium to be separated and converted into a varietyof magnesium products.Igneous phosphate deposits are frequently associatedwith a variety of minerals such as: niobium, titanium,zirconium, baddeleyite and copper. In many instancesthese are recovered and marketed.Recovery of these products could assist the economicsof the operation by creating additional revenuestreams. An environmental benefit arises by meetingsome of society's demand for certain minerals withoutdisturbing additional land area.Maximizing Resources Through the Recovery ofCo-productsIn Jordan, the Arab Potash Company produces potashfertilizer from carnallite ore precipitated through solarevaporation of the Dead Sea brines. In conjunctionwith this operation, the brine resource is also used toproduce: Industrial and table salt from the halite precipitatedin the initial series of evaporation ponds; Raw materials for the cosmetic industry.Planning and construction are underway to producemagnesium oxide, bromine, chlorine, caustic potashand other derivatives. Further into the future, projectsaim to produce potassium nitrate and upgrade themagnesium oxide to magnesium metal.The development of these associated co-products upto commercial production permits synergies whilemaximizing the use of the available resource.Although the life of reserves of phosphate rock andpotash ore vary depending on factors such as the productioncost, market prices and technologicaldevelopment, the total available resources are finite inthe long term. Currently, extraction and beneficiationhave been focused on the easily recovered, highergrade minerals. There exists a wide range of morecomplex, lower grade minerals that could have anincreasingly important role in the future for the productionof mineral fertilizers. Research is beingcarried out to develop beneficiation techniques thatcan handle the complex mineralogy and contaminantsof these materials and bring these potential resourcesinto commercial production. These will help to extendthe supply of mineral fertilizers as far into the futureas possible.Removal of Dolomite Contamination in PhosphateRock OreIn Florida (USA), The Florida Institute of PhosphateResearch has been involved in research into methodsto separate dolomite from phosphate rock. Thedolomite increases the consumption of acid duringprocessing. A new flotation technique has been tested.Commercial application of this technique wouldallow phosphate orebodies with a high dolomite contentin the central western Florida area to be mined,extending the life of the resource.3.6 Waste Management and DisposalThe beneficiation of phosphate rock and potash typicallyproduces large volumes of waste that may cause avariety of adverse environmental effects if not managedand disposed of in a safe, stable andenvironmentally sound manner.Figure 3.6.1Potential environmental effects : waste disposalWastes to surfacestorage impoundmentsand piles, undergroundbackfilling, deep wellinjection, or releaseto the environmentLand surface disturbanceWater contaminationAir emissionsStabilityAesthetic changesMajor environmental concerns are typically related to: Land surface disturbance from the constructionand operation of large waste disposal impoundmentssuch as dams, ponds and stacks; Surface and ground water contamination bywastes such as fines, tailings effluents and brines; The safety and stability of the storage facility.Failure can result in extensive and widespread offsiteeffects.

The Environmental Approach of the Phosphate Rock and Potash Mining IndustryOther impacts may include: wind-generated dustfrom fines tailings; adverse effects on wildlife; and thevisual disturbance resulting from large elevated damsor tailings stacks.Waste Disposal MethodsA wide variety of waste disposal methods areemployed, including: Discharge of wastes to rivers and oceans. This maybe accompanied by treatment to remove contaminants; Stacking wastes such as sand tailings and salt tailingsin piles; Retention of wastes such as brines, sand tailings,magnetite tailings, clays and process water in damsor ponds for storage, settling and clarification;Backfilling of solid and liquid wastes into minedoutunderground openings;Deep well injection of brines.The methods used at a specific location are influencedby the characteristics of the waste and the site, and theregulating requirements.In some instances, liquid wastes such as brines, tailings,effluent or clay fines have been discharged torivers or oceans. This may be done in a controlledmanner using monitoring systems to ensure that levelsof contaminants do not rise above prescribed levelsand threaten the aquatic ecosystem. Treatment ofphosphate rock tailings effluent improves the qualityof the release.28Riverine Brine DisposalKali und Salz GmbH operate three potash operations inthe Werra region of Germany: Hattorf; Unterbreizbach;and Wintershall. The operations extract a complex mineralizedore 'Hartsalz', that consists of a mixture ofsylvinite, carnallite, kieserite, and halite from a deeplyburied potash deposit.The ore is beneficiated using both dry electrostatic separationand wet thermal dissolution separationprocesses to produce a variety of potassium and magnesiumproducts. For each tonne of ore beneficiated,22% becomes product, while 78% becomes waste. Thewaste consists predominantly of salt tailings and magnesiumchloride (MgCl 2 ) brines. The process employedallows the salt to be largely separated dry from potash,Figure 3.6.2Control of salt concentration in Werra River.Kali und Salz GmbH, Germany.Chloridecontentmg/l300002500020000150001000050000producing dry salt tailings. On the other hand, magnesiumchloride can only be separated from the potash insolution. This results in significant quantities of brinebeing produced.The salt tailings are generally conveyed to a salt stack onthe surface for disposal. Some salt tailings are used tobackfill carnallite rooms produced at theUnterbreizbach underground mining operation. Brinesare disposed of by either deep well injection into a suitablepervious dolomite formation or discharged to theWerra and Ulster river system.Brine waste produced at each beneficiation plant ispumped to a series of lined retention ponds from whichdischarge occurs to the river system. The discharge ismonitored and controlled using a computer system toensure that the permitted salt concentration of 2.5grams per litre of river water is not exceeded as the riverconditions and flow rate vary.The system prevents adverse effects on the aquaticecosystem downstream.Brine retention ponds for controlled release to Werra River -Kali und Salz GmbH, Germany

Environmental Aspects of Phosphate and Potash MiningStacking salt tailings - Kali und Salz GmbH, Zielitz,GermanyPond receiving slimes and brine from the stack - PotashCorporation of Saskatchewan (PCS), CanadaDischarge into clay settling pond (note dragline in background)- Cargill Fertilizers Inc., USAMagnetite tailings dam - Fosfertil, BrazilDeep well injection of brines - Kali und Salz GmbH,GermanyDeep well injection of brines - Potash Corporation ofSaskatchewan (PCS), Canada

The Environmental Approach of the Phosphate Rock and Potash Mining IndustrySurface Disposal of Potash WasteIn Saskatchewan, Canada the salt tailings, insolublesand brines are typically disposed of to a salt tailingspile as a slurry. The insolubles and brine drain to thesettling ponds at the base of the pile.The brine is theneither recirculated to the process or disposed ofthrough deep well re-injection to suitable geologicalformations.In Germany, dry separation processes allow dry disposalon a salt tailings pile. The salt tails are stackedusing a conveyor and spreader system that allowssteeper, higher stacking than wet stacking.Industry research in Canada is currently focusing onhigher salt tailings piles that allow more waste to beaccommodated within the same footprint. This hasbeen driven by regulations on the expansion of wastedisposal facilities.This technique also reduces surfaceto-volumeratio, and fewer brines are produced byprecipitation.In many cases, engineered surface containment methodssuch as stacks (or piles), dams and ponds are usedto contain liquid and solid wastes. This involves anintegrated system comprising engineered impoundments,walls, containment dykes, liners, drains, ditchesand capture wells. These confine any adverse environmentaleffects of the waste to a limited area, whileproviding a high degree of management control.Stacking may reduce the area of land disturbed.Backfilling of waste into underground openings producedduring extraction of the ore is conducted at afew operations. When feasible, this provides a safe andsecure long-term disposal method.The technical feasibility of backfilling flat-lying orebodieshas been studied through large scale trials.However, its wider adoption has been hindered by anumber of factors including the difficulty of placement,safety concerns, and the cost.30Salt tailings pile - Potash Corporation of Saskatchewan(PCS), CanadaCurrently, the cost of backfilling flat-lying orebodiesmay be a factor of 10 higher than surface disposalmethods.Safety concerns arise from the placement of unconsolidatedwaste into underground workings thatexperience rapid convergence. If not restrained by abulkhead of suitable strength it will be squeezed intothe adjacent open workings, endangering the workforce.Alternatives such as converting the salt tailingsto paste fill are being explored.Deep well injection is used to dispose of brines atoperations where suitable, confined permeable geologicalstrata are available.Converting waste to an environmentally benign formreduces the difficulty and cost of disposal. In certaininstances, there is also potential for creating a saleableby-product.Dry salt tailings pile - Kali und Salz GmbH, Germany

Environmental Aspects of Phosphate and Potash MiningIntegrated Underground Disposal of Potash WastesThe Potash Corporation of Saskatchewan (PCS) NewBrunswick Division is located in Eastern Canada. Theoperation consists of an underground mining operationutilizing shaft access with surface processing andstorage facilities. Production capacity is around770,000 tonnes of potassium chloride and 650,000tonnes of rock salt per year.The folded potash orebody is extracted using a cut andfill method while the salt is extracted using a multilevelroom and pillar method. All mining is conductedwith continuous mining machines.Figure 3.6.4Waste managementsystem flowsheetDischarge fromdrum scrollfilter filterProcess brineBrinecollectboxSlurryBrineTailingsSiphonboxFigure 3.6.3Potash stope long-section showing extraction andbackfilling methodology. IMC Potash, Canada.SlurrytankPumpboxMill facilitiesvariable speedslurry pump2x110 kWConveyor haulage levelProduction shaftPotashPotashMine facilitiesBackfillBermSlurryThe operation employs effective and environmentallysound waste management by returning all waste tothe underground workings. The development of thisclosed system has been driven by provincial regulationsthat prevent the deposition of waste on thesurface. The approach relies on the extraction of thesalt (for use as road salt) to create sufficient storagespace underground to accommodate the potashwastes and has also been influenced by the lack of asuitable geological formation in the region to injectwaste brines.Beneficiation of the potash ore produces three majorwaste streams: salt tailings, slimes and brine. The saltore is of high quality and produces little waste.Salt tailings from the beneficiation plant are used as fillin the potash cut and fill stopes.They are transferred tothe underground workings through a pipeline downone shaft. The tailings are conveyed from the base ofthe shaft to the vicinity of the mining operations fromwhere they are placed into the stope either by conveyoror pipeline.Stope sumpSubmersible sumppumps 3x35 kWSettlingchamberStope sumpMined out stopeFilterbarrierWetwellchamberDrain lifeSubmersiblesump pumps3x35 kWSubmersible sumppumps 2x65 kWMined out stopeSource : Pollution Control in Fertilizer ProductionPanel pump2x445 kWMine pumps2x1675 kWWetwellchamberPrimingpump2x445 kW

The Environmental Approach of the Phosphate Rock and Potash Mining IndustryThe waste slimes and brine are transferred undergroundthrough a slurry pipeline and discharged to theexcavated salt rooms. Generally, two or three salt roomsare filled simultaneously. Deposition and settling of theslimes occurs in one room, while the clarified brineoverflows into the second and/or third.The clarified brine is recovered from the salt rooms andreturned to the processing plant where it is evaporatedto produce both a fresh water condensate, and a concentratedbrine. The fresh water condensate is usedlargely as an input to the process with excess releasedthrough the holding pond. The concentrated brine isreturned to the crystallization circuit for recovery ofresidual potassium chloride.The water balance of the operation is essentiallyclosed. Water released from the site is related to eitheron-site rain or snowfall or the excess fresh water condensatefrom the processing facility. Both of thesesources are retained in a continuously monitored holdingpond prior to release to the local river.The adoption of the closed circuit waste loop, demonstratessome of the benefits that arise from an effectivepollution prevention program. The potential sources ofpollution in the form of the three major waste streamshave been integrated into the mining process. The salttailings have become an essential component of the cutand fill mining method, recycling of the brines hasincreased product recovery and eliminated the need forcontaminated discharges, and the slimes and somebrine are effectively disposed of in the salt rooms.The major environmental benefit of the approach is thesmall surface impact of the operation. The lack of anysurface salt tailings stack, slime and brine ponds hasreduced the potential for surface environmentalimpacts to negligible levels.The approach does incur an additional cost in comparisonto conventional surface waste disposal methods. Inthe case of the New Brunswick operation, this has beenpartially offset by greater recovery of the potash oreresource, lower product transportation costs due to theoperations location with respect to markets and apotentially a lower future rehabilitation cost duringoperation closure.32Treatment of the Clay Fines to Remove SaltsThe IMC Potash Colonsay operation in Saskatchewan,Canada is developing a process to remove salt andbrines from the clay slimes waste. Removal of the saltallows the insolubles to be disposed of without specialprecautions.The process involves a number of steps: Separation of the slime component by thickening toremove brine; Washing of the slimes with water to dissolve anyresidual salt; Cycloning to remove brine; Filtering with the addition of fresh water to produce arelatively dry, desalinated product.The filtered slurry forms small, stable, agglomeratedparticles, facilitating handling and reducing the likelihoodof dust problems.Results from earlier trials are being used to improve theprocess.This method removes the need for large areas to be setaside for clay slimes settling ponds. The slimes areinstead converted into an environmentally benign, easilydisposed product that may possibly be sold as a claysubstitute for brick and pottery or a water retentionamendment for sandy soils.Figure 3.6.5Flowsheet of the slimes desalination anddewatering process. IMC Potash, Canada.FreshwaterClay, salt finesand brineCold slimesthickenerFilterFlocculantBrackish waterDesalinated and dewatered clay(75 - 80% solids)WashingCycloneClayandbrine

Environmental Aspects of Phosphate and Potash MiningWater Management and TreatmentThe Foskor Ltd. operation at Phalaborwa is located inthe semi-arid northeast of South Africa, adjacent to theSelati River and upstream from the Kruger NationalPark.The processing operation uses 250 million litres ofwater per day, the majority of which is recirculated.Excess water is transferred to the tailings dam beforerelease to the Selati River. The tailings water is high inboth total dissolved solids (TDS) and sulfates. The sulfatesare largely introduced with tailings sourced fromthe adjacent Phalaborwa Copper mine, which currentlysupplies about 40% of the phosphate ore feed for theFoskor beneficiation plant.Concerns by Kruger National Park management aboutthe potential effect of contaminated water on thedownstream aquatic ecosystem led to the implementationof a water treatment system.After consideration of the most suitable water treatmentprocesses on the market, the ‘Paques’ process wasselected. This bacterial process converts sulfates in thetailings water to sulfur.The sulfur is subsequently recoveredand sold to the adjacent fertilizer processingcomplex for use in the production of sulfuric acid.The process is used to treat about 40 to 50 mega-litresper day. Monitoring of the release is conducted as partof a comprehensive surface and ground water monitoringsystem for the site that includes biologicalmonitoring points located on the Selati River.The water treatment system protects the downstreamaquatic ecosystem and the natural values of the KrugerNational Park. Additionally, the sulfur by-product can besold to recover a portion of the operating costs.Selati River flowing adjacent to the tailings dam - FoskorLtd, South AfricaWater ContaminationSurface and ground water contamination may occurthrough the release or seepage of tailings effluent andbrines from dams, ponds and stacks. Contaminantsmight include clay fines, chemical reagents, sulfates,salt and magnesium chloride. In addition, rainfall maydissolve salt tailings or cause erosion and mobilizefines.Depending on the operation, water releases arerequired to maintain the water balance of the operationsstorage facilities. In most countries, this watermust meet established water quality standards. Toachieve this, excess water is treated through a systemof dams and wetlands to clarify and remove contaminants.Where possible clean water and contaminated wateron the mine site are kept separate and handledthrough different systems, to reduce the quantity ofwater that must be treated before release.Aquatic species are sometimes used as an indicator ofthe performance of the waste management system.Monitoring the biodiversity of aquatic species downstreamfrom release points provides an indicator ofenvironmental response.The leakage of liquid wastes such as brines from storageand disposal ponds is controlled to a large extentby containment techniques such as plastic or clay liners,ditches, drains and containment pumping wells.Landscape DisturbanceThe construction and operation of surface waste storagefacilities typically disturbs a significant area ofland. Some operations have reduced the area affectedby stacking wastes higher. In other cases, wastes aredisposed of to mined-out areas, avoiding impacts onundisturbed areas.Rehabilitation of disposal areas to mitigate environmentaleffects is discussed in Sections 3.7 “Closure”and 3.8 “Rehabilitation”.Tailings Stability and FailureThe potential for accidental failure of waste disposaldams and ponds is of concern. This can cause rapid,extensive and widespread impacts on the surroundingenvironment. The installation of monitoring systems,preparation of emergency response plans and procedures,and the regular auditing of performance assist

The Environmental Approach of the Phosphate Rock and Potash Mining IndustrySolid Waste Disposal and Water Management System with Performance Feedback34The Tapira mining and beneficiation complex is locatedin the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil and owned and operatedby Fertilizantes Fosfatados S.A. (Fosfertil).Phosphate rock is extracted from an igneous depositusing an open-cut truck and shovel mining method.Annual production is around 11 million tonnes of oreper year. The phosphate ore is concentrated in the beneficiationplant before transport through a slurrypipeline to the Uberaba fertilizer processing complex.The waste disposal and water management systemconsists of five dams in total, three of which are used forwaste storage and the other two are used to clarify andtreat water before release.The beneficiation wastes (clay fines, sand and magnetitetailings) are disposed of into two valley-styletailings dams, while a small dam is located adjacent tothe plant to capture any spills. Clay fines are transportedfrom the beneficiation plant to one of the tailingsdam through an 8-kilometre-long open canal flowingunder gravity, while the sand and magnetite are disposedof to the other tailings dam.Effluent releases from the magnetite and sand tailingsdam and the plant spillage dam are passed to a clarificationdam.The fresh water dam receives the water releases fromthe clarification dam and the clay fines tailing dam aswell as the natural inflow of the Ribeiro Inferno a localstream. This dam completes the treatment/clarificationprocess before excess water is released to the RioAraguari, a major regional river.The water quality meetsBrazilian water quality standards while the release rateis adjusted to correspond to the normal inflow of theRibeiro Inferno into the dam.The company has chosen to locate the fresh waterintake for the beneficiation plant at the release point ofthe fresh water dam. Performance of the beneficiationplant is sensitive to water quality with any deteriorationimposing a cost on the company in terms of reducedproduct recovery.The water management system lends itself to improvedperformance through the built-in positive feedbackloop. This is consistent with the company's managementsystem that fosters performance improvement byinvoking behavioral change. The Fosfertil managementsystem is discussed further in Section 3.9“ Environmental Management”.Dam wall, clay fines tailings - Fosfertil, BrazilMagnetite tailings dam - Fosfertil, Brazilin responding to such failures (5). Examples of monitoringand containment systems are presented inSection 3.3 “Extraction” on ‘Solution Mining Pumpand Pipeline Monitoring and Control System’ and 3.4“Handling” on ‘Watershed Protection’.Other Potential ImpactsWildlife may be adversely affected by exposure to contaminantsin waste. This is especially the case with(5) Further information is available from other UNEP publicationson talings management and emergency preparednessand response. These are listed in Appendix A.aquatic species that are sensitive to elevated contaminantlevels. In some situations, water birds may besusceptible to entrapment on brine ponds due to saltingof their feathers. A variety of techniques have beenused to discourage them landing on brine ponds,including horns, gas, noise cannons and airboats.Windblown dust or the erosion of fines from wastedisposal stacks and dams can be controlled to someextent by stabilization techniques similar to that discussedin Section 3.3 “Extraction”. These include:covering with topsoil followed by revegetation,mulching with organic material, spraying bondingagents on the surface, or maintaining elevated waterlevels in dams.

Environmental Aspects of Phosphate and Potash MiningTailings Dam Audit ProgramThe Catalão phosphate rock mining and beneficiationcomplex in the state of Goiás, Brazil is owned and operatedby Copebras S.A., part of the Anglo AmericanCorporation of South Africa group.The operation deposits phosphate and magnetite tailingsstreams in a conventional valley style tailings dam.The dam wall has been constructed from compactedclay and coarse phosphate tailings.The dam is inspected about once a year, as part of anongoing monitoring and audit program.The inspectionencompasses the general condition of the dam andassociated infrastructure, including the dam wall,decant facilities, slurry delivery and deposition andmonitoring piezometers. Information is documented ina comprehensive report with numerous photographsto illustrate the current state of the facility.The annual inspection and review complements thedaily monitoring and supervision of the facility by providinga check on performance and identifying andproposing remedial actions for longer term issues. Thisis supported by numerical evaluations using monitoringdata to confirm the continued structural integrityof the dam wall.Water release quality is evaluated twice a year (dry andwet seasons) as part of the regular surface and groundwater monitoring program for the entire complex. Thisprogram includes an analysis of the pond water, seepagefrom the tailings dam and any effects onsurrounding groundwater.The annual monitoring and audit program facilitatesinformed management of the tailings disposal facilityand reduces the risk of failure.Tailings dam, wall in distance - Copebras S.A., BrazilTailings dam seepage water release - Copebras S.A., BrazilWind-blown Tailings Dust ControlIn South Africa, Foskor Ltd. has controlled windblowndust by ploughing furrows in the surface of dry tailings,perpendicular to the prevailing wind direction. The furrowscreate eddies that trap dust particles mobilized bythe wind reducing air pollution.Furrows in dry tailings - Foskor Ltd, South Africa

ClosureThe Environmental Approach of the Phosphate Rock and Potash Mining Industry363.7 Mine ClosureMine closure activities occur on cessation of miningand beneficiation activities, following the exhaustionof the ore reserve. The aim focus of mine closure is toleave the mine site in a stable and safe condition. Thisinvolves: Finalizing rehabilitation that commenced earlierin the mine life; Rehabilitation and other activities such as sealingshafts and removing plant and equipment thatcould not be removed until after mining and beneficiationwere completed; Monitoring the keep of rehabilitation and closureactivities in the long term; Rehabilitation is generally conducted progressivelythroughout the mine life, as discussed in detailin the next section; Social impacts on the workforce and on the community,associated with the closure of anoperation, may be complex. They are importantbut fall outside the scope of the present publication.Figure 3.7.1Potential environmental effects : closureMonitoringRemoval of equipmentand plant, shaft sealing,stabilisation, monitoringOngoing monitoring and management is importantto satisfy local communities, government agenciesand other stakeholders, that the agreed post-miningland use has been established. Once verified, the sitemay be returned to the pool of available land.Financial SuretyReturn of site to poolof available landLong term stabilitySafetyFuture land useAir emissionsHazardous waste disposalGovernments increasingly move towards securingadequate financial provisions to deal with closure liabilitiesassociated with mining operations.Environmental financial sureties are one of the mechanismsthat governments have adopted to ensure thatcompanies meet closure liabilities.Various forms of financial surety instruments havebeen applied in different jurisdictions. Instrumentsthat leave the funds available for use by the companymay include: Self-funding through financial reserves; Balance sheet tests; Asset pledges to government in the event ofdefault; Parent company guarantees.More commonly, governments require that producersset aside financial resources. These instruments mayinclude: Cash deposits with government institutions;Trust funds;Financial institution guarantees such as performancebonds and letters of credit.Mine Closure Case StudyIn view of the large reserves and extended life of mostphosphate rock and potash mining operations, thereare few experiences of mine closure in the fertilizerraw material mining industry to learn from and provideguidance.The MDPA potash operation in France has beendeveloping and implementing plans as it approachesclosure.3.8 RehabilitationRehabilitation activities generally involve the designand creation of stable and safe landforms, followed bythe establishment of self-sustaining ecosystems toreplace those disturbed during the mining process.The effectiveness of rehabilitation is enhanced by integrationwith the mine plan and conducting itprogressively throughout the life of the mine. Theobjectives of rehabilitation can range through a spectrumof: Complete restoration of the areas original naturalvalues; Reclamation to re-establish the pre-mining landuse; Development of a completely new land use for thearea, such as lakes, forestry or agriculture; Leaving land of marginal value in a safe and stablecondition.In some countries, the post-mining land use is determinedthrough discussion and consultation withstakeholders, such as state and local government agen-

Environmental Aspects of Phosphate and Potash MiningEnvironmental Financial Sureties: South African and Australian CasesIn South Africa, financial provisions for closure havebeen required since 1994. Four types of financial suretyare currently permitted: A dedicated trust fund; A cash deposit to an account with the Department ofMinerals and Energy; A guarantee from a financial institution; Other arrangements approved by the DirectorGeneral of the Department of Minerals and Energy.Trust funds are the most common instrument adoptedby larger companies, both because of the greater inhousefinancial management resources, and the taxadvantages offered. Contributions are spread evenlyover the life of mine with the financial liability assessedon an annual basis. Allowances are made for new disturbanceand rehabilitation activities conducted duringthe period.The financial provision system is currently beingreviewed through ongoing discussion between governmentand industry. Several additional financialsurety methods are being proposed, such as parentcompany guarantees and the use of insurance policies.A means of recognizing and providing credit for previousgood performance is also proposed.The Phalaborwa operation of Foskor Limited has establisheda trust fund to satisfy the environmental financialprovision requirements. The fund is registered with thegovernment, but operated by the company.Contributions to the fund are determined by the quantityof production and made on a monthly basis, withregular audits conducted by financial advisers. Whenthe company wishes to use some of the funds for thepurpose of rehabilitation, a proposal must be submittedfor government approval.In Australia, WMC Resources Ltd. owns and operates thePhosphate Hill phosphate rock operation in the State ofQueensland.The state government requires the lodgingof financial assurances to guarantee conduct of therehabilitation plan as outlined in the EnvironmentalManagement Overview Strategy (EMOS), prepared inaccordance with regulatory requirements. The amountis based on the maximum cost of rehabilitating the netdisturbance of the lease during the life of the currentplan of operations, reduced by a discount for past goodenvironmental performance. This discount can varyfrom 15 to 75%, creating an incentive for good performanceby companies demonstrating their environmentalcredentials through past behavior.Closure of the Mines de Potasse d'Alsace (MDPA) OperationsFigure 3.7.1Waste piles dissolution schematic. MDPA, France.Depollution wellRainAccelerated dissolving processSprinklers or monitorsGroundwaterPercolationRun-offTowardsRhineTrenchcollectLateralresurgencesTowardsRhineImpervious basementDepollution wellMines de Potasse d'Alsace (MDPA) currently operatesthe Amelie underground potash mine and processingplant and the Marie-Louise underground mine nearMulhouse in northeast France.Mining of the potash orebodies in the region began in1910. The workforce peaked in 1965 at around 14,000and dropped to 1,300 by mid 2000. The number ofoperating mines and plants has fallen similarly, and atpresent two mines and one plant are in operation. Theore deposit is approaching exhaustion, with completionof mining anticipated by 2003. Planning andpreparation for this eventuality began a number ofyears back.The long potash mining history of the region has left alegacy of challenges. Closure planning and preparationhas focused on:Water production wellImpervious basementDepollution well Rehabilitation of the surface waste piles (referred toas terrils); Remediation of the salt-contaminated surfaceaquifer; Removal of decommissioned plant, equipment andmaterials; Creation of alternative employment for the workforceand community.The major environmental issue revolves around thewaste piles dumped adjacent to the beneficiationplants prior to 1934. These were placed without linersor other containment features. Subsequent dissolutionof the salt by rain has contaminated theunderlying aquifer giving rise to plumes of salt contaminationdown flow from the piles. Rehabilitationactivities have focused on both removing the source

RehabilitationThe Environmental Approach of the Phosphate Rock and Potash Mining Industryof the pollution (the waste piles) as well as reducing thelevel of salt contamination in the groundwater.Seventeen salt piles covering an area of 220 hectares areto be rehabilitated. Two methods are currently used torehabilitate them. One involves reshaping the piles, cappingthem with plastic, clay or bituminous liners toisolate the waste from the rain, then covering with agrowing medium and revegetation with grasses.The other method involves accelerating the dissolutionof the salt component of the pile using fresh water. Theresulting brines are discharged in a controlled mannerto the adjacent Rhine River, while the insoluble clayresidue piles are reshaped and revegetated. Both thesemethods are intended to prevent any further contaminationof the groundwater.The existing salt contaminated groundwater is containedand remediated by a de-pollution pumpingprogram. A series of wells have been drilled at the downflowfrom each of the piles. Pumping from these wellsboth restricts further contamination of the aquifer bysalt, while providing the processing operations with asource of industrial water.The former mine land is being converted mainly toindustrial use following removal of unwanted plant,equipment and infrastructure.Incentives have been provided for the creation of newbusinesses with an emphasis on small and medium sizeenterprises. A number of the old mine buildings arebeing refurbished to provide space to house some ofthese new enterprises.Training is provided to interested employees to allowthem to develop their own businesses or prepare forwork in a new industry.Besides, a hazardous waste management company hasbegun operation, using underground openings createdby mining rock salt for long-term storage of hazardouswaste.Communication with employees and the community onthe closure plans and activities has been important inalleviating concerns. An interesting method that hasbeen used to assist this process is the publishing of acomic book story on the MDPA operation. The storyconveys information about the forthcoming closure in amanner and style that is easily understood by all.38Shaped and revegetated terrils - MDPA, France. 0329cies, local communities and private landholders, todevelop an appreciation of their needs and desires.Important considerations for decision-makinginclude the climate, topography, soils, pre-miningland use of the site and surrounding areas, legalrequirements and the degree of post-closure maintenanceand management.Rehabilitation involves a sequence of activities such as: Topsoil removal and placement; Landscaping of disturbed areas; Revegetation and reestablishment of the nutrientcycle; Wildlife introduction; Maintenance of rehabilitated areas; Monitoring and determination of rehabilitationsuccess.‘KALI'STOIRE’ comic book. - MDPA, FranceThese are discussed in greater detail below.Rehabilitation activities themselves may result in someminor environmental impacts, associated with landscapingand topsoil placement. These could includedust emissions and the erosion of fines from newlydisturbed topsoil and overburden, while exotic plantspecies may be introduced to disturbed areas.Figure 3.8.1Potential environmental effects : rehabilitationLandscape reshaping,revegetation,ecosystemestablishmentLandscape disturbanceAir emissionsWater contaminationExotic speciesintroduction

Environmental Aspects of Phosphate and Potash MiningLandscapingLandscaping tends to be associated primarily with surfacemining methods and the decommissioning ofwaste disposal sites. The major objective of landscapingis to leave a stable non-eroding surface. A varietyof methods is employed to achieve this, including: Using sand tailings to fill in the low areas betweendragline overburden spoil piles; Shaping the sides of overburden dumps with bulldozersto leave gentle slopes or blend with thenatural landscape; Leaving berms (narrow benches) on steep slopessuch as pit walls or the sides of overburden dumpswith a bulldozer;Cross-ripping slopes with a bulldozer tine;Reestablishing surface drainage systems such asstreams.Post-mining Landform Reshaping with PhosphateClay FinesThe Khouribga operation operated by Office Chérifiendes Phosphates (OCP) in Morocco extracts phosphaterock using large-scale opencast dragline miningmethod. This method leaves the overburden in steepspoil piles.A new method has been implemented for the disposalof phosphate clay fines in the low areas betweenthe spoil piles. This technique creates a more stablepost-mining landform as well as providing a bettergrowing medium for vegetation.The new disposal method reduces the water consumedduring slurrying and disposal of the fines.Water consumption is of particular significance as theoperation is located in an arid environment withwater sourced from limited ground water supplies 90kilometres away. The cost of disposal is also reducedcompared with the previous method.These methods slow the rate of rainfall run-off andprevent excessive erosion.Landscape after extraction of ore - Office Chérifien desPhosphates, MoroccoRevegetated overburden dump - Fosfertil, BrazilLandscape around the mine - Office Chérifien desPhosphates, MoroccoPlacing topsoil on dam wall - Foskor Ltd, South Africa

The Environmental Approach of the Phosphate Rock and Potash Mining Industry40Pit Wall Erosion ControlHeavy weathering of the overburden and orebody atthe Catalão phosphate rock mine of Copebras S.A.means the pit walls are extremely prone to erosioncreating concern about the stability of the 80 metrehigh final pit walls. The company has implemented anumber of measures in response.Temporary internal pit walls are designed and excavatedto a steeper overall slope. As excavation occursagainst the designed pit limits, the pit wall slopes areflattened to enhance long-term stability. Final pit wallsare designed with an overall slope of 34o, consistingof five metre wide catch berms placed every fivemetres vertically, with an intervening wall slope of60o. The catch berms are sloped back into the pit wallto capture any rainfall and prevent erosion of the pitwall by run-off. Excess water collecting on the berms istransferred to the bottom of the pit through a series ofpipe drains constructed from 44-gallon drums weldedtogether. The berms are vegetated to enhance stability.The approach leaves a final pit wall that resists theerosion effects of rainfall, enhancing establishment ofvegetation and long-term stability.Final pit wall with drains - Copebras S.A., BrazilBeneficiation waste disposal impoundments, dams,and ponds may contain materials that may present anongoing threat to the environment if not rehabilitatedeffectively.At some operations, the clay fines generated duringbeneficiation of phosphate rock are drained andallowed to consolidate. Landscaping is required toestablish suitable drainage. The clay fines may be suitablefor conversion to agricultural land due to theelevated phosphate levels and good water retentionproperties, grassland or forest.Potash salt tailings present an ongoing issue due to thepotential for dissolution of the salt by rain. Inresponse to this, a number of rehabilitation methodshave been implemented including dissolution of thesalt, disposal of the resulting brines and capping of thesalt pile with impermeable layers.Commonly, the surface of shafts are capped to preventhumans or wildlife falling into them. In potash mines,shafts are sealed just above the orebody to preventwater from overlying aquifers entering, dissolving ore,and presenting a future water contamination issue.Sealing of Decommissioned ShaftsKali und Salz GmbH in Germany has conductedresearch into the sealing of disused potash mineshafts, in partnership with a local University. The purposeof the shaft sealing is to prevent water fromentering the orebody and dissolving salts from theevaporite beds. If this occurs the overlying aquifersmay become contaminated with salt.Research has focused on the use of bentonite clayplugs placed in the shaft above the evaporite horizons.Water coming into contact with the bentonitewill cause it to swell, sealing any possible paths ofingress.Vegetated pit wall - Copebras S.A., BrazilRevegetationRevegetation is typically conducted to stabilize the disturbedareas and prevent wind and water erosion. Thiscan vary from planting or seeding with a single grassspecies, conversion to agricultural or forestry purposes,through to the establishment of quite complexecosystems involving upland forests, grasslands andwetlands. Where natural ecosystems are being reestablished,native species tend to be used, but fastergrowing non-native grass species are sometimes used

Environmental Aspects of Phosphate and Potash MiningCapping Salt Tailings Pile with Demolition RubbleThe Kali und Salz GmbH former Frederickshall operationis located near Hannover in northwest Germany.The relatively small salt tailings pile, containing 11 milliontonnes of salt and kieserite, closed in 1978.Rehabilitation of the pile by capping with demolitionrubble, commenced in 1997, using a patented method.Capping is conducted using inert demolition rubblefrom the city of Hannover, 25 kilometres away. The rubbleis delivered to a waste management station locatedadjacent to the stack where it is weighed and visuallyinspected. Sampling occurs at regular intervals to checkfor potential contaminants that could present an environmentalhazard. Any metal is removed and the rubbleis crushed and sorted by coarseness. A portion of theaggregate is suitable for resale to be used in new civilconstruction activities.Capping of the salt tailings pile is conducted by placingthe coarse fraction adjacent to the salt to create a capillarybreak and drainage layer followed by theplacement of the fine fraction on the outside. The cappingis designed to leave a stable final slope andrequires the placement of material in a layer from 1 to30 metres thick. After capping is completed, a 3 metrethick layer of soil will be placed on the outside as agrowing medium for revegetation.The rate of capping is limited by the supply of demolitionrubble. At current levels of supply the capping isexpected to be completed in 30 years. Monitoring of thecapped areas has indicated that capillary action isaffecting only the first 10 to 20 centimetres of overlyingmaterial.This capping method appears to provide an effectivemeans of isolating salt tailings from the external environment.Additional benefits arise from the recovery offormerly landfilled urban waste for use as both a saltstack capping material and a raw material for new construction.This extends the life of the city's landfill.Sorting and crushing demolition rubble - Kali und SalzGmbH, GermanyPlacing rubble against salt pile - Kali und Salz GmbH,Germanyto quickly stabilize the surface and allow the establishmentand succession of other slower growing species.Topsoil cover provides a suitable growing medium onthe tailings.A number of companies have conducted trials todetermine the viability of sealing the surface of potashsalt tailings piles, to isolate the salt from the environment,allow vegetation to be established and leave astable landform. Typically, techniques employed usean impermeable layer to isolate the salt tailings fromthe environment, followed by placement of a growingmedium above. The impermeable sealing layer isimportant to prevent water percolating through anddissolving the salt, leading to the loss of foundationsand collapse of the sealing layer and growing medium.A variety of sealing layers have been used including:coarse aggregates to prevent capillary action drawingthe salt upwards to the surface and impermeable barrierssuch as a plastic liner, bitumen, or cement.The growing medium is placed on top of the sealinglayer to allow revegetation and prevent erosion. Insome instances temporary stabilization techniques,such as geofabric, may be applied until the vegetationhas established.Conversion of the post-mining land use to agricultureor other purposes would require trials to select speciesbest suited to the environment and growing medium.

The Environmental Approach of the Phosphate Rock and Potash Mining IndustryRevegetation of Magnetite TailingsIn Brazil and South Africa, magnetite tailings generatedduring the beneficiation of phosphate rock have beenrehabilitated by covering with a suitable growingmedium and revegetating with grasses and trees.The magnetite tailings present a potentially valuablefuture resource of iron.Vegetated magnetite tailings - Copebras S.A., BrazilRevegetation of magnetite tailings - Foskor Ltd, South AfricaLarge Scale Tree Plantations42during 2000, with plans to increase this to around300,000 per year. Seedlings are transplanted to areassurrounding the mining and beneficiation operationsand the overburden spoil piles. Regular watering in thisarid environment is needed during the first year toensure rooting.The tree-planting program has been implemented atthe OCP Benguerir and Youssofia operations in a similarmanner. Benefits, apart from visual aesthetics, includethe creation of a wood and animal feed source in anarea largely devoid of trees as well as a potential futurefood and cash resource from olive, carob and citrus production.Since the program was initiated there havebeen observable positive changes in the local microclimateand increased sightings of fauna species, formerlyrare to the areas, in the new habitat.Nursery - Office Chérifien des Phosphates, MoroccoThe Office Chérifien des Phosphates (OCP) Khouribgamining and beneficiation operation in Morocco usesopencast dragline methods to extract ore from below20 to 30 metres of overburden. In 1995 an extensivetree planting program in mined lands and surroundingareas began.Around 150,000 trees of various species were plantedTree plantation adjacent to mine - Office Chérifien desPhosphates, Morocco

Environmental Aspects of Phosphate and Potash Mining3.9 Environmental ManagementEnvironmental management is an activity that isongoing throughout the entire mining life cycle, frominitial exploration to the final closure of the operationand handing over of the site. It encompasses and influencesall the different activities of the mining life cycleand is most effective when integrated with the day-todaymanagement and planning of the operation.Environmental management consists of systems, procedures,practices and technologies that varydepending on the specific characteristics of the surroundingecosystem, the legal framework and themining methods and beneficiation processesemployed.As appreciation of the complexity of environmentalconsiderations has grown, a variety of managementtools have been developed to assist companies bettercontrol the effects of their operations and provide ahigher level of environment protection. These toolsinclude: environmental management systems (EMS);environmental impact assessment (EIA); environmentaltechnology assessment (EnTA); environmentalauditing; life cycle assessment (LCA); cleaner productionand environmental reporting (6).Recent developments such as LCA and cleaner productionhave adopted a more holistic, pollutionprevention, approach to environmental issues. Theylook at the life of a product or service to determinewhere the greatest impacts may occur and then whereand how the most effective action, in terms of cost andresults, can be taken to prevent the impact to potentiallyoccurring. These tools assist management byproviding information to improve decision-making.Their effectiveness depends in a large part on the commitmentand motivation of management and theworkforce.Amongst other things, better environmental managementcontributes to: Prevention of problems; Identification and implementation of effectivesolutions to environmental issues; Compliance with environmental legislation; regulationsand standards; Engagement of and improved relations with stakeholderssuch as employees, community, regulatoryagencies and customers;(6) Additional information on environmental managementtools is available from the UNEP, UNIDO and IFA TechnicalReport on “Fertilizer Production and the Environment”, Part2: Environmental Management Systems and a variety ofother publications by UNEP.Greater control by management of the company'sactivities.This section provides an indication of some of theapproaches being taken by the phosphate rock andpotash mining industry to provide more effectiveenvironmental management.Corporate Environment PolicyA company's environment policy is a key element ofan EMS. This public statement commits managementto a set of principles that guide their activities.Leading companies have moved from an environment-specificfocus, to a wider, sustainabledevelopment stance, recognizing the integration ofeconomic, environment and social needs.Environment PolicyWMC have framed their environment policy in termsof sustainable development since 1995.WMC Environment PolicyThe Company is committed to achieving compatibilitybetween economic development and themaintenance of the environment.It therefore seeks to ensure that, throughout all phasesof its activities, WMC personnel and contractorsgive proper consideration to the care of the flora,fauna, air, land and water, and to the communityhealth and heritage which may be affected by theseactivities.To fulfill this commitment, the Company will observeall environmental laws and, consistent with the principlesof sustainable development, will: Progressively establish and maintain company-wideenvironmental standards for our operationsthroughout the world; Integrate environmental factors into planning andoperational decisions and processes; Assess the potential environmental effects of ouractivities, and regularly monitor and audit our environmentalperformance; Continually improve our environmental performance,including reducing the effect of emissions,developing opportunities for recycling, and moreefficiently using energy, water and other resources; Rehabilitate the environment affected by our activities; Conserve important populations of flora and faunathat may be affected by our activities; Promote environmental awareness amongCompany personnel and contractors to increaseunderstanding of environmental matters.Source: WMC Environment Report 1996.

The Environmental Approach of the Phosphate Rock and Potash Mining Industry44Environmental Management SystemsThe ISO 14000 Environmental Management systemand the European Union Eco-management and AuditScheme (EMAS) standards provide widely recognizedframeworks and guidelines that companies can use todevelop their own environmental management systems.These are third-party certified, providing ameans by which the company can demonstrate itscommitment to improved environmental performance.Many phosphate rock and potash mining companiesare looking at the ISO 14000 standards to guide thedevelopment of systems that are specific to theirneeds.Quality management systems are more prevalent thanenvironmental management systems. Adoption ofthese has been assisted by perceived greater benefits interms of improved product quality and consistencyand greater recognition in the market place. Eventhough not specifically orientated to environmentalperformance, systems such as the ISO 9000 QualityManagement series tend to produce environmentalbenefits from an improvement in the overall performanceof the operation. In many cases companies havefound such systems to be an excellent foundationupon which to build an environmental managementsystem.Recognition of the growing importance of environmentalmanagement systems is evident in a number ofcountries including many developing countries, whereproducers understand the competitive advantage ofmeeting the increasing demands of consumer marketssuch as the European Union and Japan.Environmental Best Practice GuidelinesBest practice guidelines provide a valuable source ofinformation to help companies to develop and implementappropriate systems, practices and technologies.These are based on the experience of others, increasingthe learning curve and reducing time and cost.Though the guidelines may have been developed forother countries or regions and different minerals, thesimilarity of the mining processes and their potentialenvironmental effects means that they are applicableto many operations.Environmental Impact Study and ManagementSystemIndustries Chimiques du Sénégal, (ICS) is the ownerof a phosphate rock mine with a yearly productioncapacity of 2 million tonnes and phosphoric acidplants with a yearly capacity of 330,000 tonnesP 2 O 5 . Two large projects were initiated by ICS in1996: Opening the Tobène panel mine at the end of theKeur Mor FALL panel; Doubling the phosphoric acid production capacity.An environmental impact study was carried inOctober 1997. The study concerned the existingand future installations. The main objectives wereto: Describe how the environment is likely to beaffected by these projects; Examine the potential impact of the projects onthe environment and provide information ontheir nature and the extent; Describe preventative measures for protection ofthe environment; Evaluate the socio-economic impacts.The conclusions of the impact study allowed ICS toestablish an Environmental Management System inthe context of ISO 14001.Source: D. Fam, M. Bocoum, IFA TechnicalConference, New Orleans, USA, October 2000.Management System CertificationIn Jordan, the Jordan Phosphate Mines CompanyLtd. has attained ISO 14000 EnvironmentalManagement System and ISO 9000 QualityAssurance certification for part of their operation,soon to be all. The Arab Potash Company Limitedhas implemented a certified ISO 9002 QualityManagement system and is in the process of developinga certified ISO14000 EnvironmentalManagement System for its Dead Sea solar evaporationoperations. Both of the companiesacknowledge the performance improvement thatcomes from the implementation of these systemsand see the benefits these systems will offer inincreasingly more demanding consumer markets.

Environmental Aspects of Phosphate and Potash MiningFosfertil Program 5SIn Brazil, Fosfatados Fertilizantes SA (Fosfertil) adoptedthe “ Program 5S” quality management system in 1995.The system, that originated in Japan, is based on the fiveprinciples of: Seiri - Sense of selection; Seiton - Sense of tidiness; Seisou - Sense of cleanliness; Seiketsu - Sense of health; Shitsuke - Sense of self-discipline.Objectives are: Improving the work environment; Preventing accidents; Providing incentives for creativity; Eliminating waste; Promoting team-work; Improving the quality of services and products.These are accomplished by changing behaviors at alllevels of the company to improve the working environmentand welfare and the quality of products andservices.Continuous improvement of the system is an importantaspect. Regular internal auditing of the system's performanceis conducted in each section of the company,with the results posted in prominent positions throughoutthe sites.The performance of the system is visible; all workplacesare typically ordered, neat and clean. Safety has benefited;the company has won the Brazilian mining safetyaward for seven years running. Additionally, the economicperformance of the company has improved inrecent years.The Program 5S has improved the control and managementof all aspects of the organization, in turn creatingenvironmental benefits. The system has been acknowledgedas important to attaining ISO 9002 QualityManagement certification and has created a strongfoundation for gaining ISO 14001 EnvironmentalManagement certification.Equipment workshop, Tapira mine - Fosfertil, BrazilRating of company sections - Fosfertil, Brazil

The Environmental Approach of the Phosphate Rock and Potash Mining Industry46The “ Best Practice Environmental Management inMining” ModulesEnvironment Australia publishes a valuable source ofenvironmental management information through the"Best Practice Environmental Management in Mining"modules. Each module collects and presents informationon a specific aspect of environmentalmanagement relevant to the mining industry. Themodules are illustrated with examples of current bestpractice that are practical and cost-effective. A widevariety of modules are available, including: Mine Planning for Environment Protection; Rehabilitation and Revegetation; Landform design for Rehabilitation; Hazardous Materials Management, Storage andDisposal; Cleaner Production; Environmental Management Systems; Environmental Auditing.Though orientated to the Australian mining industrythe topics, principles and case studies have relevanceto all areas of the fertilizer raw material mining industryworldwide.Issue Specific GuidelinesAt times, specialized guidelines may need to be developedfor issues specific to a single operation orregions. One such example is provided by the developmentof guidelines to mitigate the seleniumcontamination issue in southeast Idaho (USA). Thesehave been documented in a comprehensive manual,‘Best Management Practices Guidance Manual forActive and Future Phosphate Mines: Southeast IdahoPhosphate Resource Area Selenium Project’.The guidelines have been developed in response tothe selenium contamination of downstream waterwaysand vegetation from current and historicphosphate mining operations in southeast Idaho. Theselenium is released by weathering of shale excavatedduring phosphate rock mining. The issue was firstidentified in 1996 when a number of livestock werediagnosed with chronic selenosis. Subsequent investigationidentified the mining operations as the sourceof the problem and regulatory agencies required correctivemeasures.The guidelines present both tested and experimentalmethods for the control of selenium release andencompass practices related to mine planning, wasterock management, water management, soil stabilization,revegetation and livestock range management.They are regarded as a 'work in progress' with performancemonitoring a key feature to ascertain theireffectiveness and refine techniques.A stakeholder-inclusive process was used to developthe guidelines that involved representatives from thephosphate mining companies, federal, state and localgovernment agencies and the Shoshone-BannockTribe.Front cover of the Environment Australia 'Best PracticeEnvironmental Management in Mining - Mine Planningfor Environment Protection' module.Front cover of the 'Best Management Practice GuidanceManual for Active and Future Phosphate Mines' -Agrium Conda Phosphate Operation, USA.

Environmental Aspects of Phosphate and Potash MiningEnvironmental ReportingIncreasingly, importance is placed on the value ofopen and transparent communication of a company'senvironmental (and social) performance with stakeholders.Stakeholders can be internal to the company,such as employees and shareholders, or external suchas adjacent landholders, local communities, electedofficials, government and NGO's. The purpose ofcommunication is to inform of potential effects, createawareness of the operations activities and receivecomments and input from the various stakeholders.Development of a good relationship with stakeholdersreduces disruptions and increases tolerance in theevent of unplanned occurrences or accidents.A method of conveying information to stakeholders isthrough public environmental reporting. This isemphasized through inclusion in voluntary industrycodes of practice such as the ‘Australian MineralIndustry Code for Environmental Management’ andvoluntary initiatives such as ‘The Global ReportingInitiative’.Standards for environmental reporting have beendeveloped by a number of groups. Work is currentlyunderway to develop reporting elements for the miningindustry. These can be used as a framework bycompanies to develop their own customized reportingsystem.A variety of less formal and structured methods existto keep stakeholders informed, including: magazines,newsletters, open days, workforce meetings, publicmeetings and school or community group involvementin rehabilitation activities.Mine “open days” are effective in raising the awarenessof the mining process and activities amongst employees'families and the general community. Theseprovide a valuable mechanism to communicate theenvironmental practices and technologies that havebeen put in place, showcase rehabilitation that mayhave occurred and build rapport with the community.Environmental Reporting Review and CommentaryThe World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Australia isconducting annual reviews of the quality of publicenvironmental reports released by companies signatoryto the Australian Mineral Industry Code forEnvironmental Management. They see the importanceenvironmental reporting has in communicating environmentaland social performance to stakeholders.Reports are assessed against nine performance indicators.These have been selected to assiststakeholders use environmental reports as a tool forassessing the environmental and social performanceof the company. They believe that environmentalreports should reflect the company's performance,define goals, address stakeholder concerns arisingfrom operations and provide independent verificationof the contents.WWF emphasizes the importance of external thirdparty verification for stakeholders to assess the reportcontents and the company's performance.The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI)The GRI was established in 1997 by UNEP and theCoalition for Environmentally Responsible Economies(CERES) to encourage the wider adoption globally ofpublic sustainability reporting, including environmental,and social as well as the more traditional financialaspects. Other stakeholders actively participate.The initiative is working to improve the standard ofsustainability reporting to a level comparable withcurrent financial reporting practices and develop anddisseminate standardized reporting practices andmeasurement indicators to enhance comparabilitybetween different companies reports.The reporting framework is documented in‘Sustainability Reporting Guidelines’ that have beendeveloped with stakeholder input. The frameworkallows stakeholders to gauge progress and organizationsto benchmark and identify best practices,enhancing the move of society towards sustainabledevelopment.Information on the GRI is available at the Website:http://www.globalreporting.org.Involving schools and clubs in rehabilitation activitiessuch as tree planting can extend awareness raising.This has been employed successfully at operations inthe USA and Brazil.

The Environmental Approach of the Phosphate Rock and Potash Mining IndustryMagazines and NewslettersIMC Phosphate in Florida (USA) publishes the‘Phosphator’ magazine on a monthly basis for itsemployees and other stakeholders. A wide range of articleson the activities of IMC Phosphate are featured.Environmental matters are dealt with in a regular column,‘TheGreen Piece’, or by feature articles.Office Chérifien des Phosphates in Morocco publish acompany newsletter, “ P 2 O 5 ” on a regular basis. In June2000, a special edition was published to communicateto the workforce information on the company's recentvoluntary adoption of the “ Responsible Care” program.Notice board at the Tapira mining complex, displayingphotographs taken during family open days - Fosfertil,Brazil48IMC ‘Phosphator’ magazine - IMC Phosphate, USA

Environmental Aspects of Phosphate and Potash Mining4. Emerging Environmental Issues and TrendsThe environmental performance of the fertilizer rawmaterial mining industry has improved over recentdecades, as has that of other industry sectors.Significant causes include: Growing public awareness of environmentalissues; Greater appreciation by companies of the environmentalissues; Increasing regulation; Scientific and technical progress that permits resolutionof some of the issues; Technological developments that improve environmentalperformance as a by-product of betterefficiency.Today information is available much more easily thanin the past, through media such as the Internet, whilethe understanding of the issues and of the underlyingproblems and linkages continues to progress.A number of emerging issues and trends may affectthe industry in coming years, including: Consumers as a political and economic force; The public's demand for accountability and transparencyacross the board, for both businesses andgovernment; Sensitivities about globalization; A multidisciplinary approach to resolving issues Ongoing public debate on what constitutes sustainabilityand good environmental performance; Increasingly stringent expectations of environmentalperformance; Scrutiny of business at a local and internationallevel.As community awareness has grown, demands onindustry have increased accordingly. In many countries,both industry and governments are becomingmore accountable for the decisions and actions theytake. This is partly because of the increased availabilityof information concerning their actions and morestakeholder involvement in the decision-makingprocess. The general public increasingly demandsinvolvement in decision-making on issues that affectthem. This was evident in a variety of situations at theoperations visited in preparation of the present report.Likewise the public is requiring companies to demonstratetheir environmental (and social) performance.This requires an effective monitoring system to measurethe impacts of a company's activities and often areporting system to communicate their achievementsto stakeholders. External, third party verificationincreases the plausibility of company statements andprovides stakeholders with an independent assurance.A number of fertilizer mining companies are signatoriesto voluntary codes of practice such as the chemicalindustry's Responsible Care® program or TheAustralian Mining Industry Code for EnvironmentalManagement. These codes implicitly recognize theimportance of monitoring and reporting. An independentinternational mining certification system toassess environmental management performance is anoption to secure environmental accountability.In future, community concerns may shift away from afocus on environmental damage at the mine site to theneed to balance competing demands for limited naturalresources such as fresh water and agricultural land.The mining industry, as a consumer of naturalresources, will not be isolated from these pressures.Foresight and the adoption of adequate and effectivesolutions to arising issues will assist the industry'sresponse.Governments are responding to community pressurethrough new legislation. The European Union'sIntegrated Product policy is one such response. Policyimplementation will lead to increasing producerresponsibility for their products. It will also increasethe use of market instruments to internalize the externalenvironmental costs of products over their entirelife cycle. This responsibility will concern not onlycompanies' own activities but also those of their suppliers,transporters and service providers.What should companies do in order to meetthese current and future challenges?Several approaches to environmental issues arereviewed in Part 2 of the IFA/UNEP/UNIDO publicationentitled “Environmental ManagementSystems”(7). Topics discussed include: Compliance with the ISO 9000 and ISO 14000series of standards; Environmental impact, risk and life cycle assessments;(7) See Appendix A for reference.

Emerging Environmental Issues and Trends50Monitoring and incident reporting;Corporate environmental reporting;Integrated pollution prevention and control;Voluntary initiatives;Cleaner production.This publication draws attention to the importance ofpreventative, rather than remedial action in order toreduce the potentially environmental impacts of companyactivities. The publication also argues that acomprehensive environmental management systemcan be of intrinsic value to the company. Newapproaches are likely to be developed in the future.The present publication has explored a variety ofapproaches and techniques being used by the fertilizerraw material mining industry in response to environmentalissues. In many instances, new technologiesand practices have been developed or applied toresolve specific problems. In others, the implementationof new management systems has improvedenvironmental performance - in many cases with economicbenefit - through a better understanding of theenvironmental causes and effects.Companies are starting to perceive marketing andeven economic advantages from the implementationof such systems. This trend is expected to continue asconsumer awareness and demands for improvedindustry performance grow and government legislationevolve to reflect this. Markets are becoming morediscriminating; environmental and “ethical” investmentfunds have been established; and some financialinstitutions are beginning to examine a company'senvironmental performance when making loanassessments.Many complex issues face the mining industry andthese are best tackled using a multidisciplinaryapproach. Achieving a balance between the environmental,economic, and social needs of society isimportant if development is to be sustainable. This ismost effective when a long-term perspective is adopted.The life-cycle approach used to structure thispublication demonstrates one method of examiningthe impact of companies' activities and products as awhole. A variety of strategies and tools, such as cleanerproduction, life cycle analysis and industrialecology have been developed to assist management forthis purpose.The mining life-cycle approach highlights the importanceof planning, environmental management andrehabilitation from the outset and throughout the lifeof the mine. This fosters a preventative approach,allowing: Identification of potentially adverse environmentaleffects; Implementation of plans, systems, procedures andpractices to avoid or mitigate potentially adverseimpact; Detection of variance from plans by monitoringenvironmental performance.Communication and dissemination of informationwithin and between companies through means suchas newsletters, workshops and conferences are importantto continually improve environmentalperformance.A particular characteristic of the mining industry isthe need to anticipate when the economic ore reservewill be depleted and the operation will close. The sitemust be left in a safe and stable form, allowing it to bereturned to the pool of land available for society. Theclosure and rehabilitation of sites needs to be plannedfrom the outset, not left for future generations. Manygovernments now require, or are examining, financialprovisions for mine closure to be set aside by companiesduring its operations to avoid environmentalliabilities being handed over to the community.How can industry associations facilitate improvedperformance? Encouragement and support fromindustry associations and companies can assist the fertilizermining industry in its response to futurechallenges.They can: Provide leadership; Assemble and communicate information on goodpractices, new developments and trends that mayaffect the industry, through means such as conferences,workshops, and publications; Develop guidelines on good practices; Encourage the adoption of voluntary codes to fostercontinued improvement.

Environmental Aspects of Phosphate and Potash MiningAppendix A. Selected References and Reading ResourcesEnvironment Australia (Various years) Best PracticeEnvironmental Management in Mining. (Varioustitles). Commonwealth of Australia.ICME/UNEP (1998) Case Studies on TailingsManagement. UNEP, Paris.ICME/UNEP (1999) Risk Management andContingency Planning in the Management of MineTailings. UNEP, Paris.International Commission on Large Dams(ICOLD)/UNEP (1996) A Guide to Tailings Dams andImpoundments: Design, construction, use and rehabilitation,Bulletin 1060. ICOLD, Paris.International Commission on Large Dams(ICOLD)/UNEP (2001) Tailings Dams; Risk ofDangerous Occurrences - Lessons learnt from practicalexperiences, Bulletin 121. UNEP, Paris.IFA/UNEP (2000) Mineral Fertilizer Distribution andthe Environment.IFA,Paris.IFA/UNEP (1998) Mineral Fertilizer Use and theEnvironment.IFA,Paris.IFA/UNEP (1998) The Fertilizer Industry, World FoodSupplies and the Environment.IFA,Paris.Schultz, J.J. (1992) Phosphate Fertilizers and theEnvironment: Proceedings of an InternationalWorkshop. IFDC, USA.UNEP (1998) Voluntary Industry Codes of Conductfor the Environment, Technical Report No. 40. UNEP,Paris.UNEP (1999) Global Environment Outlook 2000.Earthscan Publications Ltd, London.UNEP (2000) Industry and Environment. Mining andsustainable development II: Challenges and perspectives.Vol. 23. Special Issue 2000. UNEP, Paris.UNEP/UNIDO/IFA (1998) Mineral FertilizerProduction and the Environment. Technical Report No.26. Part 1. The Fertilizer Industry's ManufacturingProcesses and Environmental Issues. UNEP, Paris.UNEP/UNIDO/IFA (1998) Mineral FertilizerProduction and the Environment. Technical Report No.26. Part 2. Environmental Management Systems.UNEP, Paris.UNIDO/IFDC (1998) Fertilizer Manual. KluwerAcademic Publishers, The Netherlands.Notholt, A.J.G., Sheldon, R.P., and Davidson, D.F.(1989) Phosphate deposits of the world. Vol. 2:Phosphate rock resource. University Press,Cambridge, Great Britain.

AppendicesAppendix B. Illustrated Examples Contact Information52Agrium Conda Phosphate Operations3010 Conda RoadSoda SpringsSoda Springs (Idaho 83276)United StatesTel: +1 208 547 4381/ 204Fax: +1 208 5472550Email: jgoode@agrium.comWeb: www.agrium.comArab Potash Company Ltd (APC)P.O. Box 1470Amman 11118JordanTel: +962 6 5666165Fax: +962 6 5674416Email: apc@go.com.joWeb: www.arabpotash.comCargill Fertilizers Inc.8813 Highway 41South RiverviewFlorida 33569United States of AmericaTel: +1 800 237 2024Web: www.cargillfertilizer.comCopebras S.A.Praça da Republica 49711. Andar01045-910 Sao Paulo, SPBrazilTel: +55 11 32268333Fax: +55 11 32268525Email: copebras@angloamerican.com.brFertilizantes Fosfatados S.A. (Fosfertil)Estrada da Cana, Km-11DI IIIUberaba, MGBrazilTel : +55 34 3125799Fax: +55 34 3192500Florida Institute of Phosphate Research (FIPR)1855 West Main StreetBartowFlorida 33830-7718United States of AmericaTel: +1 (863) 534 7160Fax: +1 (863) 534 7165Web: www.fipr.state.fl.usFoskor Limited27 Selati RoadP.O. Box 1Phalaborwa 1390South AfricaTel : +27 15 7892000Fax: +27 15 7892070Email: grobbels.msmail@foskor.co.zaWeb: www.foskor.co.zaIFDC - AfricaBP 4483LomeTogoTel: +228 217971Fax: +228 217817Email: ifdctogo@cafe.tgWeb: www.ifdc.orgIMC PhosphateState Road 37 S 5000MulberryFlorida 33860United States of AmericaTel: +1 863 42 825 00Web: www.imc.comIMC PotashBelle-PlaineP.O. Box 7500Regina,Saskatchewan54P4L8CanadaTel: +306 345 8237Fax: + 306 345 8211Web: www.imc.com

Environmental Aspects of Phosphate and Potash MiningICS - Industries Chimiques du Sénégal19, rue ParchappeB.P. 1713DakarSenegalTel: +221 8 233020Fax: +221 8 231256Jordan Phosphate Mines Co.P.O. Box 305 Al-Sharif Al-Radhi Street, ShmeisaniAmman 11118JordanTel : +962 6 5607141Fax: +962 6 5682290Email: msfert_jpmc@netscom.joWeb: www.jpmc-jordan.comKali und Salz GmbHBertha-von-Suttner-Strasse 734131 KasselGermanyTel : +49 561 9301 0Fax: +49 561 9301 1753Email: agrokali@k-plus-s.comWeb: www.k-plus-s.comMines de Potasse d'Alsace (MDPA)Avenue Joseph-ElseB.P 5068310 WittelsheimFranceTel: +33 3 89266373Fax: +33 3 89266293Email: jp.rulleau@mdpa.frWeb: www.groupe-emc.com/Portail/filiales/MDPA/mdpa.shtmlMississippi Potash, Inc.P.O. box 101Carlsbad, NM 88220505.887.5591 phone505.887.0705 faxWeb:www.misspotash.comOCP - Groupe Office Chérifien des PhosphatesAngle Bd de la Grande Ceinture etRoute d'El Jadida20101 CasablancaMoroccoTel : +212 22 230424Fax: +212 22 230635Email: ocp.dc@ocpgroup.maWeb: www.ocpgroup.comO.T.P. - Office Togolais des PhosphatesB.P. 379LomeTogoTel : +228 213901Fax: +228 217152Potash Corporation of Saskatchewan (PCS)New Brunswick DivisionP.O. Box 5039Sussex, New BrunswickE4E 5L2CanadaTel: +506 433 5445Fax: +506 433 6617Web: www.potashcorp.comSasol Agri PhalaborwaP.O. Box 1723Randburg 2125South AfricaTel: +27 11 2853000Fax: +27 11 7876349Email: vgproj@mweb.co.zaWeb: www.sasol.comWMC Resources LtdRegistered corporate head officeLevel 16, IBM Centre, 60 City Rd.Southbank, Vic. 3006AustraliaTel: +61 (0)3 9685 6000Fax: +61 (0)3 9686 3569Web: www.wmc.comMississippi Chemical CorporationP.O. Box 3883622 Highway 49 EastYazoo City, Mississippi 39194-0388Tel: +662 746-4131Fax: +662 746-9158United States of AmericaWeb: www.misschem.com

AppendicesAppendix C. Australian Mining Industry Code forEnvironmental ManagementSecretariatMinerals Council of AustraliaPO Box 363Dickson ACT 2602Tel: +61 2 6279 3600Fax: +61 2 6279 3699Email: environment@minerals.org.auWeb: www.enviro-code.mineral.org.au/The following is an extract of the Australian MiningIndustry Code for Environmental Management:54The principles: Elements and ActivitesWe, the signatories to the Australian Minerals Industry Code for Environmental Management, commit to progressivelyimplementing the Code by:1. Accepting Environmental Responsibility for all our ActionsDriving environmentally responsible behaviour throughout the organization by: Demonstrating management commitment; Allocating clear roles, responsibilities, accountabilities and resources; Providing necessary information, performance targets, training, resources and management support;2. Strengthening our Relationships with the CommunityEngaging the community about the environmental performance of our operations by: Fostering openness and dialogue with employees and the community; Respecting cultural and heritage values and facilitating cross-cultural awareness and understanding; Consulting with the community on the environmental consequences of our activities; Anticipating and responding to community concerns, aspirations and values regarding our activities;3. Integrating Environmental Management into the Way we WorkEnsuring environmental management and related social issues are high priorities by: Establishing environmental management systems consistent with current standards; Incorporating environmental and related social considerations into the business planning process along with conventionaleconomic factors; Applying risk management techniques on a site-specific basis to achieve sound environmental outcomes over thelife of the project; Developing contingency plans to address any residual risk; Ensuring resources are adequate to implement the environmental plans during operations and closure.4. Minimising the Environmental Impacts of our ActivitiesResponsibly managing immediate and longer-term impacts by: Assessing environmental and related community effects before and during exploration and project development; Evaluating risks and alternative exploration and mining project concepts, taking into account community views andsubsequent land use options; Adopting a proactive and cautious approach to environmental risks throughout the life of each operation; Applying ecological principles that recognize the importance of biodiversity conservation; Planning for closure in the feasibility and design phases of a project and regularly reviewing plans to considerchanges in site conditions, technology and community expectations.

Environmental Aspects of Phosphate and Potash Mining5. Encouraging Responsible Production and Use of our ProductsPursuing cost-effective cleaner production and product stewardship by: Employing production processes that are efficient in their consumption of energy, materials and natural resources; Minimizing wastes through recycling, and by reusing process residues; Safely disposing of any residual wastes and process residues; Promoting the safe use, handling, recycling and disposal of our products through an understanding of their life cycle.6. Continually Improving our Environmental PerformanceContinually seeking ways to improve our environmental performance by: Setting and regularly reviewing environmental performance objectives and targets that build upon regulatoryrequirements and reinforce policy commitments; Monitoring and verifying environmental performance against established criteria so that progress can be measured; Benchmarking against industry performance and addressing changing external expectations; Researching the environmental aspects of our processes and products and developing better practices and innovativetechnologies.7. Communicating our Environmental PerformanceBeing open and transparent in the effective disclosure of our environmental performance by: Identifying interested parties and their information needs; Providing timely and relevant information including publication of annual public environment reports on our activitiesand environmental performance; Encouraging external involvement in monitoring, reviewing and verifying our environmental performance; Continually reviewing and evaluating the effectiveness of our communications.

AppendicesAppendix D. Glossary of Fertilizer and Mining TechnicalTermsTermApatiteDescriptionCa5(PO4)3F - A fluorine rock containingcalcium phosphate ore, ofwhich there are several varieties,which is the main constituent ofphosphate rock.GrindingHaliteGrinding of the ore particles followingcrushing to liberate thedifferent minerals using ball mills,rod mills, etc.NaCl - Common Salt.56BermBundCarnalliteNarrow benches excavated intoside of pit walls at regular heightintervals. They are intended tocatch any rocks that may fall fromthe sides of the pit and presentsafety hazards to people workingbelow. They may also slow or preventrainfall run-off preventingerosion.Earthen wall constructed to preventaccess by people orequipment. They may also be usedfor reducing noise or the visualimpact of the site.KCl.MgCl.6H2O, Potash ore consistingof potassium chloride andmagnesium chloride.Hydraulic WaterMonitorKainiteKieseriteLandformLangbeiniteLongwall MiningHigh pressure, high volume waterjet used to break up ore and producea slurry for pumping.KCl.MgSO4.3H2OMgSO4.H2OThe shape of the land surface. Thelandscape or land profile.K2SO4.2MgSO4Underground mining methodthat involves progressive shearingof the ore from a long panel. Theoverburden is allowed to subsidein a controlled manner into theresulting void.Continuous Mechanized machine thatMining machine extracts ore in a continuous fashion.Typically they use rotatingdrums or heads that break therock loose from the orebody,retrieve it from the floor and loadit onto a conveyor or shuttle car.MagnetiteOre HorizonOrebodyIron oxide (Fe2O3) Often associatedwith phosphate rock depositsof igneous origin.Flat lying orebody.Ore deposit.CrushingDeclineDewateringBreaking of the mined ore to finerparticles using jaw crushers, conecrushers, etc.Underground tunnel that generallydescends from the surface to theorebody.Pumping of groundwater frombores or sumps to keep excavationssuch as open-cut pits dry.PhosphogypsumPhosphate rock,igneousPhosphate rock,sedimentaryWaste produced during the productionof phosphoric acid.Phosphate that originates fromvolcanic activity.Phosphate that originates mostlyfrom sediments deposited on formerocean beds.

Environmental Aspects of Phosphate and Potash MiningSlimesSlurryStopeSylviniteSylviteVoidFine insolubles found in potashores. Generally consists of clay,sand and dolomite.Mixture of solid particles andwater that allows pumpingthrough a pipeline.Underground opening excavatedin the orebody to extract the ore.Potash ore consisting of a mixtureof Sylvite (KCl) and Halite(NaCl).Potash ore mineral consisting ofpotassium chloride (KCl).Underground opening in orebodyafter the ore has been extracted.

AppendicesAppendix E. AcronymsAcronymAgrium CPOFull NameAgrium Conda PhosphateOperationMAPMDPAMono-Ammonium PhosphatefertilizerMines de Potasse d'AlsaceAPCDAPArab Potash Company LtdDi-Ammonium PhosphatefertilizerMMSDOCPMining, Minerals and SustainableDevelopment projectOffice Chérifien des PhosphatesFosfertilFertilizantes Fosfatados S.A.OTPOffice Togolais des PhosphatesGMIGRIICMEGlobal Mining InitiativeGlobal Reporting InitiativeInternational Council on Metalsand the EnvironmentPCSSSPTSPPotash Corporation ofSaskatchewanSingle Super-Phosphate fertilizerTriple Super-Phosphate fertilizer58IFAIFDCInternational Fertilizer IndustryAssociationInternational FertilizerDevelopment CenterUNIDOUNEPUnited Nations IndustrialDevelopment OrganizationUnited Nations EnvironmentProgrammeIMCIMC Global Inc.WMCWestern Mining CorporationJPMCJordan Phosphate Mines Co. LtdWBCSDWorld Business Council forSustainable Development

Environmental Aspects of Phosphate and Potash MiningAppendix F. Selected OrganizationsAustralian Mineral Industry Code forEnvironmental ManagementIn developing the Australian Minerals Industry Codefor Environmental Management, the minerals industrywishes to demonstrate its commitment toexcellence in managing the environmental aspects ofits operations. The Code provides a framework and isthe centrepiece for an ongoing program of continualimprovement in environmental management.Minerals Council of Australia (MCA)Mining Industry House216 Northbourne AvenueBraddon ACT 2612, AustraliaMailing Address:PO Box 363Dickson ACT 2602, AustraliaTel: +61 2 6279 3600Fax: +61 2 6279 3699Web: www.minerals.org.auAustralian Minerals and Energy EnvironmentFoundation (AMEEF)The Australian Minerals & Energy EnvironmentFoundation (AMEEF) is an independent, not-forprofitbody established in 1991.AMEEF encourages and celebrates sustainable developmentin the resources sector by: Facilitating dialogue amongst stakeholders; Promoting excellence in research, education andtraining relevant to sustainable development; and Recognizing achievements in environmental performanceand sustainable development. Theypublish a series of Best Practice EnvironmentalManagement in Mining modules.AMEEF9th Floor, 128 Exhibition StMelbourne VIC 3000, AustraliaTel: +61 3 9679 9912Fax: +61 3 9679 9916Email: ameef@ameef.com.auWeb: www.ameef.com.auGlobal Mining Initiative (GMI)The Initiative brings together many of the world'slargest mining and minerals companies. This leadershipexercise aims to ensure that an industry which isessential to the well-being of a changing world isresponsive to global needs and challenges.Global Mining Initiativec/o 6, St James's SquareLondon SW1Y 4LDTel: +44 20 7753 2273Email: contact@globalmining.comWeb: www.globalmining.comGlobal Reporting Initiative (GRI)The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) was establishedin late 1997 with the mission of developing globallyapplicable guidelines for reporting on the economic,environmental, and social performance, initially forcorporations and eventually for any business, governmental,or non-governmental organization (NGO).Global Reporting Initiative11 Arlington StreetBoston, MA 02116USATel: +1 617 266 9384Fax: +1 617 267 5400Email: info@globalreporting.orgWeb: www.globalreporting.orgInternational Organization for Standardization (ISO)The International Organization for Standardization(ISO) is a worldwide federation of national standardsbodies from some 130 countries, one from each country.ISO is a non-governmental organization establishedin 1947. The mission of ISO is to promote the developmentof standardization and related activities in theworld with a view to facilitating the internationalexchange of goods and services, and to developingcooperation in the spheres of intellectual, scientific,technological and economic activity.ISO's work results in international agreements that arepublished as International Standards, including ISO

Appendices6014000 Environmental Management and ISO 9000Quality Assurance series.ISO Central SecretariatInternational Organization for Standardization (ISO)1, rue de Varembé, Case postale 56CH-1211 Geneva 20, SwitzerlandTel: +41 22 749 01 11Fax: +41 22 733 34 30Email central@iso.chWeb: www.iso.chMineral Resources Forum - EnvironmentThe Minerals Resources Forum (MRF) is an Internetframework for international co-ordination on thetheme of minerals, metals and sustainable development,bringing together governments,intergovernmental entities, resource companies, andother concerned organizations and civil society.Web: www.mineralresourcesforum.org/Mining, Minerals and Sustainable DevelopmentThe Mining, Minerals and Sustainable DevelopmentProject (MMSD) is an independent two-year projectof participatory analysis seeking to understand howthe mining and minerals sector can contribute to theglobal transition to sustainable development. MMSDis a project of the International Institute forEnvironment and Development (IIED) commissionedby the World Business Council for SustainableDevelopment (WBCSD).Mining, Minerals and Sustainable Development1A Doughty Street,London WC1N 2PH, United KingdomTel: +44 20 7269-1630Fax: +44 20 7831-6189Email: mmsd@iied.orgWeb: www.iied.org/mmsd/index.htmlResponsible CareResponsible Care is the worldwide chemical industry'scommitment to continual improvement in all aspectsof Health, Safety and Environment performance andto openness in communication about its activities andachievements.National chemical industry associations are responsiblefor the detailed implementation of ResponsibleCare in their countries. Each Responsible Care programmenow incorporates eight fundamentalfeatures. The last feature, verification, was incorporatedinto the programme in 1996 by the InternationalCouncil of Chemical Associations (ICCA) which overseesResponsible Care.The individual countries' Responsible Care programmesare at different stages of development andhave diferent emphases.The location of the ICCA secretariat rotates betweenmembers every two years.Web: www.icca-chem.orgWorld Business Council for SustainableDevelopment (WBCSD)The World Business Council for SustainableDevelopment (WBCSD) is a coalition of some 150international companies united by a shared commitmentto sustainable development, i.e. environmentalprotection, social equity and economic growth.Members are drawn from 30 countries and more than20 major industrial sectors.World Business Council for Sustainable Development4, chemin de ConchesCH-1231, Conches-Geneva, SwitzerlandTel: +41 22 839 3100Fax: +41 22 839 3131Email: info@wbcsd.orgWeb: www.wbcsd.orgWorld Wide Fund for NatureWWF's goal is to stop, and eventually reverse, theworsening degradation of the planet's natural environment,and build a future in which humans live inharmony with nature. WWF is working to achieve thisgoal through: preserving genetic, species, and ecosystem diversity; ensuring that the use of natural resources is sustainableboth now and in the longer term, for thebenefit of all life on Earth; promoting action to reduce pollution and wastefulconsumption to a minimum.WWF InternationalAve du Mont-BlancCH-1196 GlandSwitzerlandTel: +41 22 364 9318Fax: +41 22 364 0074Web: www.panda.org

About UNEP - United Nations Environment ProgrammeUNEP's mission is to provide leadership and encourage partnership in caring for the environment by inspiring,informing, and enabling nations and peoples to improve their quality of life without compromising that of future generations.UNEP works closely with stakeholders to provide a common information and knowledge base which assists governmentand industry in making environmentally sound decisions.About the UNEP Division of Technology, Industry and EconomicsThe mission of the UNEP Division of Technology, Industry and Economics (UNEP DTIE) is to help decision-makersin government, local authorities, and industry develop and adopt policies and practices that: are cleaner and safer; make efficient use of natural resources; ensure adequate management of chemicals; incorporate environmental costs; and reduce pollution and risks for humans and the environment.UNEP DTIE activities focus on raising awareness, improving the transfer of information, building capacity, fosteringtechnology cooperation, partnerships and transfer, improving understanding of environmental impacts of tradeissues, promoting integration of environmental considerations into economic policies, and catalysing global chemicalsafety.United Environment ProgrammeDivision of Technology, Industry and Economics39-43, Quai André Citröen75739 Paris Cédex 15, FranceTel: +33 1 44 37 14 50Fax: +33 1 44 37 14 74Email: unep.tie@unep.frWeb: www.uneptie.orgAbout IFA - International Fertilizer Industry AssociationIFA, the International Fertilizer Industry Association, comprises around 500 member companies world-wide, in over80 countries. The membership includes manufacturers of fertilizers, raw material suppliers, regional and nationalassociations, research institutes, traders and engineering companies.IFA collects, compiles and disseminates information on the production and consumption of fertilizers, and acts asforum for its members and others to meet and address technical, agronomic, supply and environmental issues.IFA liaises closely with relevant international organizations such as the World Bank, FAO, UNEP and other UN agencies.IFA's mission To promote actively the efficient and responsible use of plant nutrients to maintain and increase agricultural productionworldwide in a sustainable manner.To improve the operating environment of the fertilizer industry in the spirit of free enterprise and fair trade.To collect, compile and disseminate information, and to provide a discussion forum for its members and others onall aspects of the production, distribution and consumption of fertilizers, their intermediates and raw materials.International Fertilizer Industry Association28, rue Marbeuf75008 Paris, FranceTel: +33 1 53 93 05 00Fax: +33 1 53 93 05 45 /47Email: publications@fertilizer.orgWeb: www.fertilizer.org

www.unep.orgUnited Nations Environment ProgrammeP.O. Box 30552, Nairobi, KenyaTel: (254 2) 621234Fax: (254 2) 623927E-mail: cpiinfo@unep.orgweb: www.unep.orgUnited Nations Environment ProgrammeDivision of Technology, Industry and Economics39-43, Quai André Citroën75739 Paris Cedex 15 - FranceTel: +33 1 44 37 14 50Fax: +33 1 44 37 14 74E-mail: unep.tie@unep.frWeb: www.uneptie.orgInternational Fertilizer Industry Association28, rue Marbeuf75008 Paris - FranceTel: +33 1 53 93 05 00Fax: +33 1 53 93 05 45 / 47E-mail: ifa@fertilizer.orgWeb: www.fertilizer.org