Real value to mining industry of leading practice waste management

Abstract

Society's attitude towards the social and environmental impacts from mining has changed dramatically over the last two decades and today, neither society nor the mining industry accepts that mining should be either dangerous or harmful. Some mining waste can cause serious health and environment issues, and therefore responsible waste management is a key attribute of sustainable mining. The mining industry's licence to operate, i.e. society's permission to develop more and larger mines, will be significantly challenged by any further major mining environmental incidents that undermine the industry's reputation. Therefore it is in the licence to operate that the real value of leading practice waste management lies, alongside the other key health, safety, environmental and social/community challenges that face the mining industry. Predictions of the long term behaviour of mining wastes and waste containment structures are fraught with uncertainty, particularly in the geological post-closure timeframe. Leading practice risk management therefore aspires to eliminate the threat of harmful or irreversible harm through engineering systems designed to eliminate or control the hazard. This must be supported by an organisation where senior management fully understand the risk issues, both through the integration of waste management planning into life of asset planning alongside other key drivers, and through the direct interaction of technical professionals with their senior management counterparts.