Module Name: Environmental Management in Mining

Module Code: MMT 06203

Credits: 9

Compiled by: Eng. J. N. SANDOKA

Bsc. in Mineral Processing Engineering
Msc. in Environmental Technology and Management
 Contents
• Introduction

• Components of ESIA for Mine Operations

• Mine Environmental and Social Impacts

• ESI Mitigation Measures

• EMS for Mos

• Environmental Frameworks for MOs

What is Environmental Management?
• Environmental Management – includes the protection,
conservation and sustainable use of various elements or
components of the environment, or is a systematic
approach to minimizing the damage created by an
organization to the environment in which it operates.
• Environmental Management is a broad and complex
field; involving practical issues to sustain life;
• It has to deal with the maintenance and sustenance of
environmental quality and productivity taking into
consideration of Air, Land and Water
Level for the implementation of EM, includes
• The local, National, Sub-Regional, Regional and
international levels
• Players in EM
ØGovernment, Government Institutions, NGOs, CSO,
Private sector and individuals
Components of ESIA for MOs

The Environmental Assessment (EA) Process

• This object will aim to give students a better
understanding of the framework and phases of the EA
process.
• As a generic framework, Environmental Assessment can
be viewed as a process that:
Øidentifies possible environmental effects;
Øproposes measures to mitigate adverse effects; and
Øpredicts whether there will be significant adverse
environmental effects, even after the mitigation is
implemented
EIA Objectives
• EIA provides an independent assessment and identification of
the potential environmental and social impacts of a proposed
project.
• It is a formal study which enables developers and planners to
determine the socio-economic and environmental
consequences of a proposed development project.
• The EIA collects data on bio-physical, socio-economic
environment and the information is used to predict the
potential impacts of the proposed activities, to develop
appropriate enhancement measures and to plan programs to
monitor any changes that may result from the proposed
development.
•Furthermore, the EIA concentrates on problems,
conflicts, or resource constraints that could affect
the viability of a project program or policy.
•It also examines how the project might cause harm
to people, their property, their livelihood, or to
other nearby developments.
•After the potential problems are identified, the EIA
identifies measures to minimize the problems and
outlines ways to improve the sustainability of the
project
The general framework of an EIA process follows the
following logic:
1. Screening:
.
•Determine whether EIA is needed. This is usually
determined through regulatory requirements. If an
EIA is not needed, the project can go ahead
•Three outputs
vEIA not needed;
vEIA needed;
vPEA needed.
2. Scoping:
•Describes the project, and identifies potential
impacts and possible alternatives.
•This part of the process determines, therefore, the
limits and scope of the degradation that will be
associated with the project.
•It controls the cost and time of the assessment by
deciding the scope of the EIA as well as controlling
the size of the EIA
3. Baseline Study:
• Study of the original status of environment –
biophysical, social & economic – before the
development project is started.
• It is used as a base reference against which changes /
impacts will be measured.
• In many cases the scoping and baseline studies flow into
each other, since the information for the baseline study
will be utilised in the scoping study.
• Generally, baseline studies are more easily prepared in
countries where technical expertise and organised
environmental databases are readily available.
4. Impact Assessment:
•This involves the prediction and evaluation of
impacts.
•This step is usually the most technical, and
therefore the most difficult and controversial part
of the whole process.
•The significance and importance of impacts are
evaluated, usually through some quantification
process.
•Examining the impacts of alternatives also form
part of this step.
5. Mitigation Measures:
•These measures are there to reduce the magnitude
and negative impacts associated with the
development.
•Although these measures can be costly in the
short-term, they should make the development
more economically and environmentally viable in
the long run.
6. Reporting and Reviewing:
•In the report, in some cases called the
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), the study is
documented.
•The methodology used, the results, an
interpretation of the results, and the conclusions
reached.
•During the reviewing phase, the adequacy of the
issues addressed are assessed.
7. Decision Making:
•The final decision is usually made by an official (or
committee) of the relevant government ministry.
•The decision-maker(s) have one of three choices,
namely;
1. accepting one of the project alternatives;
2. returning the EIA with a request for further study
in certain specific areas; and
3. totally rejecting the proposed project along with
alternative versions.
8. Monitoring
•Monitoring and auditing is takes place during the
implementation of the project and ensures that
the guidelines and recommendations stated in the
EIA are followed.
•Ideally monitoring should continue after
completion of the project to determine to what
extend the impact prediction was accurate, hence
increasing knowledge acquisition for future
decision-making processes.
Public Participation & Stakeholder Involvement

•Public participation and stakeholder involvement

occurs throughout the process and forms part of
the information gathering as well as reporting
and reviewing of the proposal.
Key Objectives of Stakeholders Consultation
•Public and stakeholder participation and
involvement is one of the essential components in
EIA study as platform for interested and affected
parties are well informed of the proposed
development project.
•This enables them to present their views either in
support of or against the proposed development.
•Information gathered from stakeholder
consultations provide views, concerns and
suggestions for identifying and analysing
environmental and social impacts that should be
integrated in the implementation of the project.
•The consultations help to draw up effective
enhancement and mitigation measures for both
project positive and negative impacts respectively.
 What is an Environmental Management
System (EMS)?
“The part of the overall management system that includes
organizational structure, planning activities,
responsibilities, practices, processes and resources for
developing, implementing, achieving and reviewing the
environmental policy” ISO 14001
An EMS is Environmental Tool to:
•Facilitates environmental compliance
•Address environmental impacts
•Broadens environmental responsibilities to all
whose work can have a significant impact on the
environment
•Environmental office has technical expertise to
contribute in controlling environmental
An EMS is Management

•Must have commitment of top managers

•EMS owned by Mine Manager
•Must be consistent with other management
systems
An EMS Components
 EMS Model

• Based on the concept of:

Plan

Act Do

Check
Environmental Policy
•Issue a policy statement signed by mine manager
•At a minimum, commit to:
üContinual improvement
üPollution prevention
üEnvironmental compliance
•Identifies EMS framework
•Publicly available
Planning

•Identify aspects and impacts from mine activities,

products and services
•Review legal requirements
•Set objectives and targets
•Establish formal EMS program
Implementation and Operation

•Define roles and responsibilities

•Provide EMS training
•Establish internal and external communication
mechanisms
•Establish document control system
•Establish operational controls
•Establish emergency preparedness procedures
Checking & Corrective Action

•Conduct periodic monitoring of environmental

performance
•Identify root causes of findings and conduct
corrective and preventive actions
•Maintain environmental records
•Conduct periodic EMS audit
 Management Review

•Conduct periodic senior management review of EMS

•Revise parts of the EMS as needed