A guide to leading practice sustainable development in mining

Final void
The remnant open pit left at mine closure.
Fine (coal) reject
The fine fraction of the mineral matter removed from run-of-mine coal by washing.
Flocculants
Chemical additives that facilitate the agglomeration of tailings particles to aid and speed up
their sedimentation and consolidation.
Fly-in, fly-out
Fly-in, fly-out operations utilise a moveable workforce, where employees reside some
distance from the operation and are flown to site to work for a period of time and then
flown out again.
Footprint
The surface area covered by the mine and its associated infrastructure.
Freeboard
The elevation of the crest of the containment wall above the tailings surface, which
provides for the storage of storm water.
Functional ecosystem
An ecosystem that is stable (not subject to high rates of erosion), effective in retaining
water and nutrients and is self-sustaining.
Geomembrane
A manufactured low permeability sheet such as high density polyethylene (HDPE).
Geotechnical
The engineering of the ground and or earthern structures.
Gradual risk
A gradual risk event occurs over a long period of time and is representative of many types
of pollution of the environment. For example slow leaks from hydrocarbon containment,
acid seepage or emissions to the atmosphere.
Groundwater
Water beneath the earth’s surface that fills pores between porous media—such as soil,
rock, coal, and sand—usually forming aquifers. In some jurisdictions the depth below the
soil surface is also used to define groundwater (although different states may use different
depths).
Hazard
A hazard is a source of potential harm.
Heap leach
Using chemicals to dissolve minerals or metals out of an ore heap. During heap leaching of
gold, a cyanide solution percolates through crushed ore heaped on an impervious pad or
base pads.
188 LEADING PRACTICE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM FOR THE MINING INDUSTRY