Link between mining, environment

mineral resources such as gold, platinum, coal, iron ore, copper, chrome, asbestos and recently diamonds.
These minerals must be sustainably extracted for the economic growth of the country as well as part of communities’ livelihood options. Mining is a robust industry whose impacts is known the world over and as such must be done in a sustainable way by making economic, social and environmental considerations.

What are the stages in a mining process?
Prospecting for ore bodies: This allows for the search for desired minerals by a person who is a holder of a prospecting licence from the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development through a registered prospector (pegger). This process leads to the issuance of a certificate of registration by the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development making the proponent a bona fide owner of a claim

Economic analysis of the minerals: Involves coming up of geological report of a claim and do a cost benefit analysis.
Extraction of the desired materials: This must only commence when an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) of the mining venture has been done and an EIA certificate issued out by the Environmental Management Agency in terms of Section 100 of the Environmental Management Act (Cap 20:27). The environmental management plan enshrined in the EIA document must be followed to guide operations and mitigate against the negative impacts of the project.

Reclamation/Rehabilitation: Reclamation/rehabilitation of the land done to prepare it for other users once the mine is closed. The decommissioning plan must be adhered to so that the area is reclaimed and give way for other land uses. Continuous rehabilitation is encouraged by EMA in order to reduce the final burden when it is no longer profitable to mine. This results from changes in the market price of a mineral or ore bed coming to an end.

Mine Closure: Planning for mine closure (decommissioning) should be undertaken progressively throughout an operation’s life cycle. The amount of detail will vary and refocus on specific issues through this life cycle. In order for mine closure planning to be successful, the management team needs to ensure it is integrated early into planning rather than being attended to at the end of the mine life. The initial groundwork, even at the exploration phase, can impact on the effectiveness and success of closure planning. To ensure optimal results, it is critical that community and other stakeholder engagement occur throughout the process of planning for mine closure. The planning should include:

Potential area of disturbance

Environmental sensitivity of flora and fauna, surface and ground water quality

Volumes and types of wastes to be stored, including waste rock and tailings;

Acidic drainage management; and

Mine rehabilitation

Site specific application of best practice environmental management

Everything on Earth is connected; soil, air, water, plants, animals and man are part of a whole. When man damages the land with mining, he needs to reclaim the land or return it to the way it once was. This is known as “reclamation”.

Reclamation is returning the land to the way it was or better than before mining. To help protect the environment, EMA and environmental laws require all mined land to be returned to some useful purpose. In Zimbabwe an EIA is required as part of the approval process. This plan is used to assess the project, the environmental controls required and the long-term potential liability posed by development of the mine.
The large mines have been involved in environmental competitions that initially consisted of slime dam rehabilitation. The competitions later included environmental audits. These annual audits have been the

industry’s initiatives towards reducing the impacts of mining on the environment. Participation in these competitions is voluntary; therefore some mines are not involved. Those who do not participate in the competition are doing damage to the environment.
Reclaimed lands may be used as parks, golf courses and farmland and some mining companies leave the land to birds, fish and other wildlife.

Mining creates negative impacts on the environment both during the mining operation and years after the mines are closed. Such impacts have led our country to adopt regulations to moderate the negative effects of mining operations.
What does environmental policy and
legislation say about mining?

The Government has enacted the Environmental Management Act (Cap 20:27) whose Part XI addresses Environmental Impact Assessments. Mining and quarrying are included in the First Schedule of the Act that prescribes projects for which environmental impact assessments are required. The EIA policy of 1997 was prepared to give strategic direction and guiding principles to those undertaking an activity that requires an EIA. It is an offence in Zimbabwe to carry out a prescribed activity such as mining without an EIA certificate.

Who prepares the EIA reports?
Independent consultants who are registered by the EMA prepare EIA reports. EIA reports prepared by registered consultants only are accepted for review by EMA. The proponent can, however, do a prospectus that is a brief report of what he intends to do. The list of registered consultants is available at all EMA offices throughout the country.

It is encouraged that when choosing consultants from the list to pick at least three and have meetings with them so that you can settle on one. EMA does not prescribe consultants to proponents so the onus is upon the proponents to make their choices.
How long should one wait?

After submitting a prospectus, EMA responds within 20 days and 60 days for an EIA report. These are only set timeframes but our dedicated staff usually finishes reviews well before the stipulated times so there should be
no worries if comprehensive documents are submitted. On submission of the EIA report there are review fees that need to be paid.

How long is the EIA certificate valid?
The EIA certificate is initially valid for two years and thereafter annual renewals must be undertaken.

What other licences are required?
Some mining ventures have ore processing on site and the following must be in place

Effluent discharge licence

Emission licence

Hazardous substance licence

Solid waste disposal licence and

Always ensure that the licences are valid and openly displayed.

Conclusion
The increase in mineral production has been at a cost to the environment and some communities and ecosystems have had adverse environmental impacts. EMA has embarked on education programmes to sensitise the miners in their responsibility to the environment in relation to mining.

It is crucial to promote transparency and accountability and encourage sharing of good practices such as sustainability reports that include environmental assessments.
Miners are also encouraged to transfer environmentally sound mining technologies and know-how, including the proper management and where necessary for the rehabilitation of abandoned and orphaned sites. Quarterly report submission to EMA is mandatory where miners report on their environmentally related progress. It is advisable to adhere to the provisions of the law because failure would attract a fine.