When you wake up, what gives you the drive to live, breath
and get out of bed? Family? Debt? Business? What gives you the will to survive
and thrive? Why do you think mining companies pour in a lot of time and effort
not to mention the monetary aspect of mineral excavation? Well your guess is as
good as mine. But my point being, there are minerals to extract, there are
individuals willing to mine and government authorities willing to open their
doors to foreign investments for the development of their country.
Now, another recommended practice is to improve the use of
access roads and infrastructure. Avoiding road-building whenever possible and
minimizing land-clearing during infrastructure construction will help reduce
impacts and limit access to undeveloped areas.
For on-site exploration techniques that require the use of
machinery and hauling equipment, the construction of access roads is not the
only option. In remote areas, road building should be avoided whenever
possible. The use of helicopters to deliver equipment and transport material is
another alternative to access roads that may, in the long term, be less
expensive that road construction and compliance with requirements for slope
stabilization, sediment control and rehabilitation. Helicopters are widely used
in oil and gas exploration projects in remote areas.
Wherever possible, tracks should be constructed along ridge
tops or on the bottom of slopes at a reasonable distance from streams and
rivers. Where access roads are necessary, companies should use existing tracks
as much as possible and avoid the placement of roads on steep slopes, landslide
prone areas and natural drainage paths, to minimize the potential for habitat
destruction and sedimentation. Drainage and sediment collection systems should
be installed prior to road construction to catch runoff or divert surface
water, minimizing potential sources of erosion.
Wet weather facilitates the movement of sediments into
waterways. During heavy rains access roads should be closed and movement of
vehicles on roads should be avoided in rainy weather. To limit migration into
undeveloped and remote areas, access along the roads should be controlled, in
cooperation with the local government.
The steps to follow to minimize the impacts of roads and
infrastructure would be to:
1.
Avoid building roads for exploration operations
in remote areas when possible; instead use helicopters, waterways and existing
tracks.
2.
Construct roads along existing corridors and
away from steep slopes and waterways when feasible. To avoid erosion and
run-off.
3.
Design roads with appropriate drainage features
to reduce maintenance costs and negative environmental impacts.
4.
Avoid building roads or other infrastructure
during heavy rains.
Facilities such as employee housing should be constructed in
a way that diverts water away from disturbed areas such as roads or drilling
sites and does not allow for runoff directly into natural waterways. Settling
ponds or catchment basins can be used to capture sediment runoff from housing
facilities before it reaches surface water.
On the next part I hope I can still entice you to learn more
about how to mine responsibly with the use of practices recommended to avoid
unnecessary and unwanted impacts of mining.
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