20.Woods (IAEA) - IAEA's best practices document

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

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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

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IAEA Headquarters, Vienna, Austria


(photo IAEA)

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IAEA Headquarters, Vienna, Austria


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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


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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

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“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


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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


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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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Collecting baseline data, Beverley Mine, Australia


Pre-mining groundwater monitoring

Aquifer pumping test

Pre-mining radiological and weather

monitoring

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• 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?


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• 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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Tailings – appropriate disposal is essential


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

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Tailings – In-pit disposal may be possible


Ranger U mine,

Australia

In-pit tailings with

commencement of cover

(Tanami gold mine, Australia)

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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


15

Taboshar, Tajikistan

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• 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


“Best Practice in Environmental

Management of Uranium Mining”

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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


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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


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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.


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ICMM document from their website

• Planning for Integrated Mine Closure: Toolkit

Photographs: ICMM website Woods - Best Practice -

Darwin, Aug. 2012

20

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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


http://www.postmining.org/

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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


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Thank you for your attention

Peter Woods, Uranium Production Specialist/Team Leader

+43 1 2600 22768, [email protected]

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


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20.Woods (IAEA) - IAEA's best practices document