Environmental Impacts at the Exploration Stage - Mining and the Environment: From Ore to Metal - page 576

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Other refuse resulting from exploration activities should be removed and disposed of
in an acceptable manner upon completion of the exploration activities.

Sound environmental management practices require guidance from qualii ed profes-
sionals. Access to such expertise should be available at all stages of exploration. The nexus
between safety, occupational health and pollution control should be provided for by enabling
the available expertise in these areas to coordinate their activities and inputs into the design of
the exploration programme. Environmental operating practices will more effectively trans-
late into good environmental performance when i eld personnel are trained to recognize the
potential environmental implications of their actions and are motivated to act responsibly.
Exploration managers should strive to maintain a high level of environmental awareness.
Monitoring programmes as illustrated in Table 3 help to demonstrate compliance with
good environmental management practice. An internal company monitoring report,
including an interpretation of all monitoring results, should be completed each year. This is
to ensure successful operation of control strategies, compliance with statutory requirements
and to coni rm that planned management procedures have been successfully undertaken.

TABLE 3
Examples of Environmental Monitoring Programmes during Exploration - A variety of monitoring methods may be employed: visual monitoring,
vegetation, water and erosion monitoring. An internal company monitoring report, including an interpretation of all monitoring results, should be completed each year

Type Aim Method Frequency

Land Resources
Erosion To identify gully erosion on disturbed land

To detect failure of contour and diversion
banks, waterways and gullies
To measure soil loss rates

Surveillance
Surveillance
Measure controls and relate to UMA

Monthly in wet season
Every runoff event
Annual

Revegetation Compare vegetation growth with adjacent

areas

Survey to UMA, measure vegetation
cover and/or bulk

Annual to broad level, detailed
when required

Land Capability Measure tree/shrub establishment

To measure land capability of rehabili-
tated areas (includes identifi cation of toxic
material)

Inspection/Photographic recording,
Count trees/shrub 1 m in height in
transects in UMA
Measure of exploration activity on
downstream water quality compared to
upstream sites

Annual
Runoff events or monthly during
fl o w s

Water Resources
Surface Runoff

To monitor water quality Impact of exploration activity on

downstream water quality compares to
upstream sites

Runoff events or monthly during
fl o w s

Groundwater (where
applicable)

To monitor groundwater quality Groundwater bores Monthly

Air and Noises
Proximity of dwellings from
exploration activity

Mapping of any dwellings with respect to
proximity to air and noise emanating from
exploration activities

Investigate issues raised On a nuisance basis

Social Issues
Regional Infrastructure Check for adverse impacts Investigate issues raised Ongoing

(Continued)