A guide to leading practice sustainable development in mining

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Beyond the operation, poor reputation for water management can contribute to loss of investment attractiveness, destruction of shareholder value, access to other resources (water, ore, land), licence to operate and difficulties in the area of attraction and retention of key staff. These strategic risks may be far more financially damaging than those at the operational level. The Bulga mine is an example of a company managing these risks. Xstrata Coal New South Wales’s open cut Bulga mine has traditionally been reliant upon the local Hunter River to extract water by licence for use in the washing and mining processes. Following severe dry weather experienced in 2007, the mine identified water security as a risk which needed to be addressed. In response, the mine investigated new opportunities to decrease its reliance upon the Hunter, increase water security and more effectively use stored water on site. As a result, a series of new initiatives were put in place to improve onsite water management and implement more effective conservation procedures. Actions taken included: Long and short term water balance models - Xstrata Coal NSW engaged water management consultants to develop short and long term water balance models to assist in making day to day decisions about water transfers, discharges and licence allocations (short-term) and to simulate mine supply, demand and storage requirements over the life of the mine under various climatic scenarios (long-term). The long term water balance model identified the benefits and desirable size of additional on-site water storage, which would substantially reduce the requirement for Hunter River water and the need to discharge mine water off site. In response, a 3,000ML dam is currently being constructed to better capture mine spoil runoff to be used in the washing process and for dust suppression. Tailings Flocculation - A secondary flocculation system was installed within Bulga’s tailings system, allowing water to be released from the coal tailings faster and thereby increasing the amount of water available for recycling. This action also consolidated Bulga’s tailings faster, providing a more stable surface for rehabilitation. Underground Raw Water Reuse - Historically, approximately 35 megalitres of Hunter River water was used per month for dust suppression at the Bulga open cut and wash down and cooling in the Bulga underground (Beltana) longwall and development mining. A GUIDE TO LEADING PRACTICE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IN MINING 121
Once the water is used underground the majority of it drains back through the goaf, mixes with mildly saline coal seam water and reports to the dewatering bore which discharges approximately 50ML/month into the complex raw water system. Analysis of the dewatering bore discharge showed it to be slightly hard, higher in salinity and occasionally substantially higher in suspended solids than Hunter River water. It was then determined that with an appropriate filtration system, monitoring and routine de-scaling of the longwall and development machinery dewatering bore discharge could be reused instead of Hunter River water. As a result, a 200 micron automatic cleaning AMID filtration system was installed. Since March 2008 all of the raw water used at the Beltana underground mine has been supplied from the goaf dewatering bore, reducing the draw on the Hunter River, without affecting mining activities. Figure 4.19 – Water sampling at Bulga Water management systems As expressed in the first chapter, it should not be presumed that a given operation needs to achieve leading practice in all aspects of its water management system since to do this may demand allocation and mobilisation of resources (such as people and money) in excess of the benefit to be gained. Potentially this could detract effort from management of other risk areas. Operations should select the leading practices that mitigate the risks based on their individual business case which must be managed to suit its economic drivers, legal and sustainable development requirements and that of its owners/shareholders. 122 LEADING PRACTICE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM FOR THE MINING INDUSTRY
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LEADING PRACTICE SUSTAINABLE DEVELO
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Disclaimer This publication has bee
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3.0 DEVELOPMENT AND CONSTRUCTION 61
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The Leading Practi
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viii LEADING PRACTICE SUSTAINABLE D
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1.0 INTRODUCTION The Purpose and La
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Airborne Contaminants, Noise and Vi
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Water Management (LP Water) This ha
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Site water team Corporate managemen
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Sustainable Mining There is no one
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Mining the resource efficiently. Th
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Efficiency SUSTAINABLE MINING PRACT
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LOCATION: Vilabouly District, Savan
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Leading Practice The handbooks in t
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2.0 PRE-DEVELOPMENT: MINERAL EXPLOR
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The application of high standard en
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The Business Case for Sustainabilit
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The information obtained from these
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conditions are appropriate. In NSW,
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Such richness also brings challenge
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The dunefields of Shelburne Bay had
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Community Engagement in the Early S
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Baseline studies and social impact
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Upon completion of the study, resea
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The scenarios envisaged for the Wat
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2. Reflections on the significance
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Engaging with Indigenous communitie
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Figure 2.9 - A New Township under C
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Geochemical assessment aims to iden
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Regardless of the project phase (ex
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Evaluating Performance: Monitoring
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For these reasons, it is important
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Risk Management and Exploration Exp
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Post-mining & closure Resource deve
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level of family diversity was maint
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Introduction The development and co
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MINE: Mt Todd LOCATION: Near Kather
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Airborne Contaminants, Noise and Vi
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Biodiversity Management During Deve
Page 81 and 82: Rather than taking a generic approa
Page 83 and 84: Step 2: Working in collaboration On
Page 85 and 86: course was designed to train and pr
Page 87 and 88: Adjustments for changes in the mine
Page 89 and 90: indicators of high importance durin
Page 91 and 92: Operating major mining projects pre
Page 93 and 94: the earliest stage of development,
Page 95 and 96: Watercourse diversions In order to
Page 97 and 98: Figure 3.7 - Morwell River after di
Page 99 and 100: tailings disposal techniques contin
Page 101 and 102: Figure 4.2 - Predicted blast overpr
Page 103 and 104: Responsible management of biodivers
Page 105 and 106: Leading practice management of wate
Page 107 and 108: MINE: Pierina Mine LOCATION: Distri
Page 109 and 110: Weipa - a sustainable approach to t
Page 111 and 112: Adopting the International Cyanide
Page 113 and 114: Box 1: Major recent incidents invol
Page 115 and 116: MINE: Chatree gold mine LOCATION: P
Page 117 and 118: The audit outcomes also highlight t
Page 119 and 120: Mercury for gold recovery in small/
Page 121 and 122: Figure 4.9 - Geological control to
Page 123 and 124: highest rating group for the whole
Page 125 and 126: Figure 4.13 - Beverley uranium mine
Page 127 and 128: from 2.5 - 3.0 tonnes/man-shift to
Page 129 and 130: Figure 4.17 - Sunrise Dam TSF Taili
Page 131: Dry stacking bauxite residue is now
Page 135 and 136: The Rio Tinto “Excellence in Wate
Page 137 and 138: Background Image: Sourced from GOOG
Page 139 and 140: Company policies and government reg
Page 142 and 143: 5.0 MINE REHABILITATION AND CLOSURE
Page 144 and 145: Closure involves the implementation
Page 146 and 147: Biodiversity and Closure Introducti
Page 148 and 149: e better than the high standard bei
Page 150 and 151: Figure 5.7 - Pasture and shelter tr
Page 152 and 153: The Argyle Diamonds case study (see
Page 154 and 155: support and on site accommodation a
Page 156 and 157: Having the right information to mak
Page 158 and 159: Figure 5.13 - Misima after rehabili
Page 160 and 161: In January 2011, the PNG government
Page 162 and 163: MINE: Former lignite mines LOCATION
Page 164 and 165: Fig 5.16: Former Minister Stein Coa
Page 166 and 167: Figure 5.19 - Rehabilitated mine si
Page 168 and 169: Figure 5.21 - Pit water treatment p
Page 170 and 171: Final Rehabilitation Rehabilitation
Page 172 and 173: Figure 5.23: Aerial view of Area 4
Page 174 and 175: Landform construction In general, e
Page 176 and 177: The Hsin-Chen Shan quarry terrain i
Page 178 and 179: Figure 5.29 - Spreading topsoil at
Page 180 and 181: Risk Management Risk at closure and
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During the 1980s and 1990s, a numbe
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An example of direct vegetation is
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Water Management Central to a mine
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Department of Resources, Energy and
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GLOSSARY AND ACRONYMS Abandoned min
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Biodiversity offsets Conservation a
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Cultural heritage Cultural heritage
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Engagement At its simplest, engagem
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High rate thickener A thickener thr
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NAPP Net Acid Producing Potential,
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Product stewardship This is perhaps
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Risk management process The risk ma
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Sustainable development Sustainable
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A guide to leading practice sustainable development in mining

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