Identifying and Evaluating Impacts - Mining and the Environment: From Ore to Metal - page 453

TABLE 9.14
Potential Accidents Associated with Mine Sites and their Effects - The APELL for Mining Handbook provides an excellent framework for the preparation
of an Emergency Response Plan that can be used by mine management, emergency response agencies, government offi cials, and local communities, if unplanned events do occur

Type of Incident Typical Causes Potential Effects

Tailings dam failure Poor water management, overtopping, foundation

failure, drainage failure, piping, erosion, earthquake.

Loss of life, contamination of water supplies, destruction
of aquatic habitat and loss of crops and contamination of
farmland, threat to protected habitat and biodiversity and
loss of livelihood.

Failure of waste rock dump Instability often related to presence of water

(springs, poor dump drainage).

Loss of life, injuries, destruction of property, damage to
ecosystems and farmland.

Pipeline failure, e.g. tailings, leach
solution

Inadequate maintenance, failure of equipment,
physical damage to pipeline.

Contamination of soil, water, effects on water users. May
not be detected for some time.

Transport of chemicals to/ from site Inadequate transport procedures and equipment,

unsafe packaging, high-risk transportation routes.

Contamination of soil, water, effects on water users, aquatic
ecosystem damage, threat to human health.

Ground subsidence Slope failure, breakthrough to surface. Loss of life, damage to property.

Spills of chemicals at site, e.g. fuel tank
rupture, reagent store damage

Poor maintenance, inadequate containment. Contamination of soil and water. Air pollution could have

health effects.

Fire Poor design, unsafe practices in relation to fl ammable

materials.

Effects of air pollution on health, property damage.

Atmospheric releases Inadequate design, failure to follow procedures,

inadequate maintenance.

Community concern, possible health effects.

Explosions (plant) Inadequate design, failure to follow procedures,

inadequate maintenance.

Community concern, loss of life, destruction of property.

Blasting and explosives accidents Poor practice, unsafe storage and handling. Property damage, risk to life.

Source:
APELL for Mining, UNEP (2000)

than less adverse). This is referred to as the 'Precautionary Principle'. (2) Provide a record
or audit trail of all assumptions, data gaps, and coni dence in data quality and analyses,
to justify conclusions. (3) Recommend mitigation measures to reduce adverse effects, and
implement monitoring programmes, followed by evaluation and management of effects, to
ensure effectiveness of these measures. (4) Implement mechanisms to evaluate the results
of monitoring and provide for subsequent mitigation or project modii cation, as necessary.
The aim of incorporating environmental risks into the environmental assessment
process is to reduce, where practical, unforeseen events with negative environmental
consequences. Absolute prevention is not possible. The APELL for Mining Handbook,
prepared by UNEP (2000), provides an excellent framework for the preparation of an
Emergency Response Plan that can be used by mine management, emergency response
agencies, government ofi cials, and local communities, if unplanned events do occur
(see Table 9.14 for potential mining accidents and their effects). It introduces the generic
objectives and organizational framework of UNEP's Awareness and Preparedness for
Emergencies at Local Level (APELL) programme, covers risk factors specii c to the min-
ing industry, and describes how APELL can be applied to the mining industry.