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IAEA International Atomic Energy Agency
IAEA Training Meeting on Effective Regulatory and
Environmental Management of Uranium Production
Darwin, NT, Australia, 13-17 August 2012
Best Practice in Environmental Management
of Uranium Mining – IAEA recommendations
Peter Woods, Uranium Production Specialist/Team Leader
International Atomic Energy Agency, Vienna, Austria
IAEA
Contents of this presentation
• Introduction to the IAEA’s approach to best
practice in uranium mining
• Some other international guides for good
environmental practice in mining
Woods - Best Practice - Darwin, Aug. 2012 2
IAEA
The IAEA and mining
• Two Divisions have a particular interest and
expertise in uranium and thorium mining and
associated activities:
• Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology
• Fuel Cycle and Materials
• Waste Technology
• Radiation Transport and Waste Safety
• Waste and Environmental Safety Section
Woods - Best Practice - Darwin, Aug. 2012 5
IAEA 6/37
Recent
publications
Best Practice (2010)
→
also (2009):
Establishment
of Uranium Mining
and Processing
Operations in the
Context of
Sustainable
Development
Woods - Best Practice - Darwin, Aug. 2012
IAEA
“Best Practice in Environmental
Management of Uranium Mining”
• Guiding principles
• Sustainable development
• Think of future generations
• As low as reasonably achievable
• Keep impacts low (not necessarily zero)
• Precautionary principle
• Anticipate, and take some precautions even if we
are not certain they are needed
• Consider social, environmental and governance
aspects
Woods - Best Practice - Darwin, Aug. 2012 7
IAEA
Best practice application
• Consider environmental aspects of the project
in all stages • Exploration,
• Feasibility and design (including costing)
• Development and construction
• Operation
• Decommissioning and remediation
• Post-closure monitoring and stewardship
• If you remember one thing from my talk,
remember this slide
Woods - Best Practice - Darwin, Aug. 2012 8
IAEA
Best practice application (continued)
• Collect baseline environmental/social data
• Involve the public/stakeholders
• Assess the impacts and the risks
• Environmental, social
• Accept the impacts, or modify the project to reduce
risks/impacts to something that is acceptable
• Prepare plans for normal operations and
monitoring, and contingency plans in case
something goes wrong
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IAEA
Collecting baseline data, Beverley Mine, Australia
Woods - Best Practice - Darwin, Aug. 2012 10
Pre-mining groundwater monitoring
Aquifer pumping test
Pre-mining radiological and weather
monitoring
IAEA
Best practice application (continued)
• Include environmental protection in your design
• Usually much cheaper than having to modify your mine
or processing plant later
• Consider the use of the land after the mining or
processing
• Return to farming or pastoral use?
• Return to nature park?
• Create something new? A lake? A landfill? An industrial
area? A golf course?
• Leave it stable and safe to be reopened in the future?
Woods - Best Practice - Darwin, Aug. 2012 11
IAEA
Best practice application (continued)
• Include environmental management during
operations
• Including monitoring, interpretation of monitoring,
reporting to authorities and the public
• Have some external checking of the monitoring and its
interpretation
• Include management of wastes
• Improve closure plans as operations progress
• Decide if plans are still relevant
• Learn from progressive rehabilitation
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IAEA 13
Tailings – appropriate disposal is essential
Woods - Best Practice - Darwin, Aug. 2012
Above: Tailings dam,
former Moab mine, USA,
being relocated Photo: web site
Below: Wismut, Germany;
inappropriately sited or
constructed dams may need
govt. remediation Photo: Gord McKenna
IAEA 14
Tailings – In-pit disposal may be possible
Woods - Best Practice - Darwin, Aug. 2012
Ranger U mine,
Australia
In-pit tailings with
commencement of cover
(Tanami gold mine, Australia)
IAEA
Everyone’s objective should be……
something like this…a remediated uranium mine used for a raising cattle and fishing (left)…………
…..not this – an
abandoned uranium
mine and mill site (right)
(photo IAEA)
Panna Maria, Texas, USA
Woods - Best Practice - Darwin, Aug. 2012
15
Taboshar, Tajikistan
IAEA
• The document includes examples from
• Canada, Australia, USA, Kazakhstan
• A compact disc is included with papers from a
conference in Canada, with papers from
• Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China,
Russia, Ukraine and USA
Woods - Best Practice - Darwin, Aug. 2012 16
“Best Practice in Environmental
Management of Uranium Mining”
IAEA
Some international guidelines
• Please note these are examples only
• The IAEA does not have any
recommendation, good or bad, on these
examples
• There are other examples that may be
relevant to you
• Always consider what is appropriate for your
country and the individual project
Woods - Best Practice - Darwin, Aug. 2012 17
IAEA
Some international guidance:
an industry example
• International Council on Mining and Metals
(ICMM: www.icmm.com)
• Established in 2001 ‘to improve sustainable
development performance in the mining and
metals industry’
• 21 mining and metals companies
• 31 national and regional mining or commodity
associations
• e.g. Ghana, Peru, Brazil, South Africa, Australia, Europe
• e.g. aluminium, coal, copper
Woods - Best Practice - Darwin, Aug. 2012 18
IAEA
ICMM values as stated by their website
• ICMM has five stated values :
1. Care for the safety, health and well-being of workers, contractors, host
communities, and the users of the materials we produce.
2. Respect for people and the environment, ensuring that we are
sensitive and responsive to the values of host societies.
3. Integrity as the basis for engagement with employees, communities,
governments and others.
4. Accountability to do what we say we will do and uphold our
commitments.
5. Collaboration - working with others in an open, transparent and
inclusive way as we address the challenges and opportunities we
jointly face.
Woods - Best Practice - Darwin, Aug. 2012 19
IAEA
ICMM document from their website
• Planning for Integrated Mine Closure: Toolkit
Photographs: ICMM website Woods - Best Practice -
Darwin, Aug. 2012
20
IAEA
Some international guidance:
2 non-government organizations examples
• Post Mining Alliance
• ‘Promoting good practice in post-mining
regeneration’
• Center for Science in Public Participation
• ‘Framework for Responsible Mining: A Guide to
Evolving Standards’ 2005
• World Wildlife Fund involvement
Woods - Best Practice - Darwin, Aug. 2012 21
IAEA
Conclusion: common themes
• Consider environmental (and social) aspects of
mining and minerals projects from the earliest
exploration and planning stages
• Involve the government and the public
• Do progressive rehabilitation if at all possible
• Consider general and specific guidelines and
regulations
• Always consider the circumstances of your country
and the location, climate and details of each project
Woods - Best Practice - Darwin, Aug. 2012 22
IAEA
Thank you for your attention
Peter Woods, Uranium Production Specialist/Team Leader
+43 1 2600 22768, P.Woods@iaea.org
Nuclear Fuel Cycle & Materials Section
Division of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste
Technology
Department of Nuclear Energy
International Atomic Energy Agency
Vienna International Centre
P.O. Box 100
A-1400 Vienna, Austria
Woods - Best Practice - Darwin, Aug. 2012 23
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