A guide to leading practice sustainable development in mining

indicators of high importance during construction may diminish in importance as the
operation matures and the community adjusts to changed circumstances. While the
fundamentals of a monitoring framework may remain intact for the life of the mine,
elements of a framework must be adjusted where necessary, to accommodate shifts
in project life cycles, as well as expansions and contractions.
Mine Rehabilitation Planning During
Development and Construction
Materials characterisation
Both waste materials and ore that are to be excavated can offer opportunities and
risks for rehabilitation. Characterisation of topsoils and overburden should start as
early as the exploration phase and continue through the pre-feasibility and feasibility
phases as a basis for mine planning. Early characterisation of materials enables
plans to be developed to avoid potential risks and to gain maximum benefit from
material that may be particularly well-suited for construction for site infrastructure
or for use in rehabilitation.
Characterisation of these materials should be undertaken to ensure that they do not
have the potential to create an adverse impact or prevent successful revegetation
being achieved during mining or at closure. The requirement for characterisation
continues during the operation of the mine, particularly where the ore grade and
mine plan change in response to altered market conditions.
Mine site structures such as run-of-mine (ROM) pads, haul roads or contractor laydown
areas should only be constructed using ‘benign’ materials. Where possible,
these structures should be placed in already cleared areas to minimise the amount of
rehabilitation required.
Closure Planning During Development and Construction
It is essential that construction contractors and personnel understand the
implications that their activities may have for the eventual closure of the mine.
Mines can close during the commissioning and construction stage due, for example,
to budget overruns. Therefore activities disturbing the site should be kept to a
minimum during this phase. It is also important that local landowners and the
local community are not unnecessarily inconvenienced at this time and that the
foundations for long-term relationships are built. During this phase, planning and
design decisions can have long-term consequences for the environment, future
land uses, community health and safety that will impact upon the mine closure and
completion process. For example:
poor foundation construction for a tailings dam or water storage ponds can lead.
to exacerbated long-term seepage and potential groundwater contamination.
waste rock dumps designed to handle sulfidic waste need to have appropriate low.
permeability foundations and/or acid consuming material placed as a basal layer.
78 LEADING PRACTICE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM FOR THE MINING INDUSTRY