PREN2620 Environmental Impact Assessment and Monitoring Techniques

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PREN2620Environmental Impact Assessment and
Monitoring Techniques
Blasting and Environmental Research Group

• Dr. Mark Pegden

Department of Mining, Quarry Mineral
Engineering, University of Leeds
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• Environmental Audits
• Management Systems
• For the mineral Industry

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Environmental Audits
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Introduction

• Environmental Audit A check normally by an
  independent consultant, that a mineral operator
  is operating within the agreed environmental
  constraints and applying appropriate monitoring
  and management systems.
• An environmental audit should focus on clearly
  defined and documented subject matter. The audit
  could focus on one particular area of an
  operation or all areas that have an impact on the
  environment.

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Introduction

• A mineral operator is given strict regulations
  for discharge consents to air and water
  environments. If the operator exceeds these
  limitations then prosecution could follow.
• The Environment Agency (or international
  equivalent) will work with a mineral operator to
  make sure they are within the guidelines. The EA
  was established to protect the environment in the
  UK, they only prosecute if an offender has
  repeatedly breached regulations.
• Environmental Audits establish how well a mineral
  operator is performing, and so the environment
  agency may intervene to assist the mineral
  operator.

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IPPC Licence

• The Integrated Pollution Prevention Control
  (IPPC) Licence issued by the EA is a document
  that sets out the particular standards and
  control methods that a mineral operator should
  use.
• These process standards are aimed at ensuring
  that emissions or environmental impacts are
  minimised particularly by using the best
  available technique (BAT).
• IPPC Licences were introduced in this country in
  October 1999 with the aim of replacing the
  Integrated Pollution Control (IPC) Licence. The
  IPPC licence includes energy efficiency, waste
  minimisation, noise production, accident
  prevention and clean up after an installation has
  been closed.

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Contents of an Environmental Audit

• Introduction
• Site Location
• Project Description
• What is being audited
• Environmental Audit
• Introduction
• General Information
• General Information about what is being audited
  and why
• Personnel Interviewed
• Personnel that have direct or indirect
  involvement with what is being audited
• Documentation Reviewed
• Review of previous audits, EIAs, I.P.C Licence
  and closure plans

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Contents of an Environmental Audit

• Environmental Audit Cont
• The I.P.C Licence
• Details of I.P.C Licence for the parameters being
  audited.
• Significant Issues and Audit findings
• Detail contents of particular processes and
  equipment that can affect the emission limits.
  This is the core chapter of the audit and shows
  areas of problems that are causing exceedance
  Example, Monitoring equipment, Habitat and
  Aquatic life, weather data (seasonal
  fluctuations), and chemicals used in processing.
• Conclusions and Recommendations
• Suggest any reasons why the problems identified
  in your audit have occurred. Then give any
  suggestions to how these problems can be solved.

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Contents of an Environmental Audit

• Conclusions and Recommendations Cont
• Give recommendations on what the company should
  do to lower their emission levels to within the
  I.P.C Licence. These recommendations should be in
  the form of bulleted points, rather than strings
  of paragraphs. This is to show that your audit is
  to the point and easy for the reader to
  understand.
• Appendix
• Location maps, Aerial photos, plans of equipment
  and processes, photos of findings, emission data,
  emission limitation data, I.P.C Licence,
  brochures of recommended equipment etc..

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Case Study

• Lisheen Pb/Zn Mine
• Ireland

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Lisheen TMF

• An audit was carried out on the Tailings
  Management Facility (TMF) to establish if the
  mine water treatment is in compliance with IPC
  Licence.

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Lisheen TMF

• The TMF has to monitor a wide range of metals and
  parameters before the mine water is discharged
  into the local Drish and Rossestown Rivers.
• The frequency of monitoring of certain parameters
  varies on the magnitude of their environmental
  impact.

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Other Problems

• Part of the tailings in the dam are exposed to
  the elements. In the IPC Licence the tailings
  have to be covered by at least 1 metre of water
  to prevent Acid Mine Drainage (AMD).
• The peat bog underneath the TMF vents Methane
  which is causing air bubbles in the liner of the
  dam. This is reducing the storage capacity of the
  TMF.
• Rope failure on the discharge facility of the
  TMF. Causing the discharge unit to float off and
  tear the liner, causing seepage into the ground
  water.
• Spillage of mine water over the dam wall due to
  waves during windy conditions.

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Protruding Tailings and Raised Liner
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Removing Methane
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Removing Tailings
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Rope Failure
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Discharge Facility
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Environmental Management Systems
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Introduction

• Organisations of all kinds are increasingly
  concerned to achieve and demonstrate sound
  environmental performance by controlling the
  impact of their activities, products or services
  on the environment, taking into account their
  environmental policy and objectives.
• They do so in the context of increasingly
  stringent legislation, the development of
  economic policies and other measures to foster
  environmental protection and a general growth of
  concern from interested parties about
  environmental matters including sustainable
  development.

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Introduction

• Organisations will carry out Environmental Audits
  and Reviews to assess their performance.
• However, this may not be sufficient to provide an
  organisation with the assurance that its
  performance not only meets, but will continue to
  meet its legal and policy requirements.
• International Standards are published to aid an
  organisation to construct an Environmental
  Management System (EMS).
• The most recognised International Standard for
  the process industry is ISO14001. Nearly every
  mining company in the world has some form of EMS
  at either all or one of their operations.

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(No Transcript)
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Objectives and Targets

• The organisation shall establish and maintain
  documented environmental objectives and targets,
  at each relevant function and level within the
  organisation.
• Top management shall define the organisations
  environmental policy, and ensure
• It is appropriate to the nature, scale and
  environmental impacts of its activities, products
  or services.
• Includes a commitment to continual improvement
  and prevention of pollution.
• Includes commitments to comply with environmental
  legislation and regulations.
• Provides a framework for setting and reviewing
  environmental objectives and targets.
• Is available to the public.

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Cleveland Potash Policy

• http//www.clevelandpotash.co.uk/policy.htm
• Cleveland Potash will -
• Carry out its business and operations in a manner
  that avoids or controls any adverse effect on the
  environment and local community.
• Operate within standards required by
  environmental law, regulations or codes of
  practice.
• Effectively use resources by making efficient use
  of energy and raw materials.
• Operate an environmental management system to
  international standards.
• Set objectives, targets and action plans to
  ensure continual environmental improvement.

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Environmental Management Program

• The organisation shall establish and maintain
  programmes for achieving its objectives and
  targets. It shall include
• Designation of responsibility for achieving
  objectives and targets at each relevant function
  and level of the organisation
• Setting out time limits for completion of certain
  tasks
• Implementation and Operation
• Structure and Responsibility
• Roles, responsibility and authorities shall be
  defined, documented and communicated in order to
  facilitate effective environmental management
• A specific environmental manager shall be
  appointed to define roles and maintain
  documentation.

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Implementation and Operation

• Training, awareness and Competence
• Identify training needs for personnel whose work
  may create a significant impact upon the
  environment.
• Training the work force is a significant step in
  maintaining a EMS to within a organisation
  environmental policy
• Communication
• Good internal communication between departments
  of an organisation to help review, amend and
  document improvements.
• Emergency Preparedness and response
• An organisation shall have identified procedures
  for handling accidents, especially if the
  environment is at risk.

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Checking and Corrective Action

• Monitoring and Measurement
• The organisation shall establish and maintain
  documented procedures to monitor and measure on a
  regular basis the key characteristics of its
  operations and activities that can have a
  significant impact on the environment.
• Environmental Management System Audit
• This is to determine if the EMS conforms to
  planned arrangements for environmental management
  and any standard like the ISO 14001
• Management Review
• The organisations top management shall, at
  intervals that it determines, review the
  environmental management system to ensure its
  continuing suitability, adequacy and
  effectiveness

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Benefits of having a EMS

• Assuring customers of commitment to demonstrate
  environmental management.
• Maintaining good public/community relations.
• Obtaining insurance at a reasonable cost.
• Reducing accidents that result in liability.
• Improve industry-government relations.
• Conserving input materials and energy.
• Improving cost control.
• Fostering development and sharing environmental
  solutions.

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Next Week

• Water Monitoring