evaluating management

• the process of mining

  • explotation phase - drilling and testing
  • operation phase - removal of materials and transport
• the minign process ends when it is no longer economically viable to extract the material
• the impact of a mine depends on the type of mine that is used, the material being mined, and the technique used
• examples of mines:

  • open pit or cut mining
  • underground mining
  • acid leach mining
  • fracking
• two ways to manage impacts of mining:

  • mitigation - reducing severity of enviro damage
  • remeadiation - reversing envrio damage
• the effects a mine can have can be categorised into whether they affect the following

  • air
  • water
  • land
  • energy
  • waste
• high costs of labour, machinery, transport and infrastructure that are needed to open and opeerate mines mean the profitability of the mine is dependent on the price of the thing being mined
• to limit the chance of unfunded remediation after a failed mine, mining companies may be asked to provide a bond that is to be forfeited if the mine is not remediated within an agreed time after operations have closed
• bond amounts are calculated by reference to a minimum set of rates and criteria published by the Western Australian Department of Mines and Petroleum that reflect the estimated cost of rehabilitation
• estimate of bonds held for rehabilitation is roughly 40-50% of the cost of rehabilitation
• environmental bonds = a form of security to insulate the state of government against financial liability should mine operators fail to meet the legislated rehabilitation