Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Measuring What Matters
It is not possible or desirable to provide a comprehensive and dei nitive list of environ-
mental baseline information needs applicable to each mine, everywhere in the world.
Environmental information needs, by dei nition, are always site and project specii c.
However, Table 8.4 lists information commonly required. In practice, baseline data collec-
tion will be designed to commence with basic information, adding increasing complexity
as appropriate. For example, the faunal element of terrestrial biodiversity baseline infor-
mation is further split into invertebrates, birds, and mammals. For mammals, the required
information may then encompass home range size, population density and dynamics,
social organization, seasonal patterns of use or activity, mobility, resource dependence and
habitat specii city, and inter-dependencies. A well dei ned survey plan will always list data
which are proposed to be collected and the justii cation for the data, given the signii cant
costs involved in data collection and laboratory analyses ( Case 8.7 ).
Ideally, i eld surveys should be designed to yield information about ecological cycles, eco-
systems or species functioning, as well as recording the habitats and species that are present.
In relation to the biological environment this could include, for example, watershed dynam-
ics, extent of habitat intactness, seasonality, migration and breeding patterns, and predator-
prey relationships. In practice however, dei ning the habitats and the main l oral and faunal
communities in each, usually represents the major objective of i eld surveys, the more com-
plex information being derived from the scientii c literature. There will be situations where
little relevant literature exists; in these cases much more intensive research may be warranted.
In the social context, i eld surveys should be designed to yield information about the
origin and composition of the local population, particular Indigenous Peoples, local norms
and values, economic activities at local and regional scales, and community perceptions
towards the project. Such elements will be important in developing an understanding of
how local communities and the ecosystem and its component species will react to changes
caused by mine development.
Environmental information needs,
by defi nition, are always site and
project specifi c.
Coverage versus Intensity
The sampling programme depends on factors such as available resources, the geographic
and temporal scope of the assessment, and coni dence levels. Often the main difi culty
associated with baseline surveys is limited available time. This means that issues associ-
ated with seasonal and year-to-year variation may not be adequately addressed. Selecting
the number of sample locations is also difi cult. In general the greater the number of sam-
pling locations the greater is the coverage of the project area. However, selection of sites to
be representative may be a more important consideration. It follows that the more diverse
the site, the more sampling sites will be required to ensure representative coverage. On
The more diverse the site,
the more sampling sites
will be required to ensure
representative coverage.
CASE 8.7
The Case for Air Quality Monitoring
Most jurisdictions specify standard physical/chemical
air quality parameters to be analyzed as part of the
EIA baseline data collection. As with all standards and
'guidelines', they are indiscriminate in relation to actual
site characteristics. Regulatory requirements may specify
sampling for a set of air quality parameters appropriate to
an urban or industrial location but irrelevant for a mine
site located in the deep forests of Papua New Guinea.
Permission to deviate from regulatory requirements may be
sought in advance from the relevant regulatory authority
but in the experience of your authors, such permission
is rarely granted. Accordingly, considerable meaningless or
irrelevant data are obtained.
 
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