Peter Stanley
Abandoned Mines Senior Specialist Advisor
Natural Resources Wales
Q: Why does the industry need to improve the way they manage, treat and source water?
A: In Wales the 1300 or so abandoned metal mines pollute over 700 km of river reaches, in some cases causing fish less rivers. In the UK the metal mines impact some 2,300 km of rivers, where the discharges represent challenges and opportunities to us. If we are to be good custodians and manage our resources responsibly it is necessary that we reduce the polluting or damaging impacts of abandoned mine water discharges or process waters that we generate.
Q: What can we expect from your contribution at the 2022 Water in Mining Global Summit?
A: The Welsh Government has given all public bodies new duties under the Well-being of Future Generations Act, the first legislation in the world to directly enact sustainability. It means that when we look to invest in remediation within our Metal (Non-Coal) Mine Programme, we must consider the communities and seek multiple benefits when applying Sustainable Management of Natural Resources. It’s a new way of working for us that provides exciting opportunities that concentrate around Pont-rhyd-y-groes (West Wales), Llanrwst (North Wales) and Amlwch (Isle of Anglesey, North Wales).
Q: Tell us about an exciting project or change you’ve been working on to improve water management or stewardship in the industry
A: At Natural Resources Wales our joint Metal (Non-Coal) Mine Programme with the Coal Authority has been investing in RD&I to establish new treatment tools and means to monitor and harvest polluting metals from mine water discharges. Our most recent design from WSP with support from Dr Devin Sapsford of Cardiff University has been what we believe to be the world’s first scaled dosed Na2CO3 treatment system at Abbey Consols on the River Teifi to help reduce the 18km of impacted river reaches. We have used our capital expenditure to leverage match funded support for further mine water treatment and monitoring RD&I in the now £2.3M METAL-SoLVER SMARTExpertise project.
Q: Why is it important for the industry to come together at the Water in Mining Global Summit
A: It’s fabulous to learn from each other, bringing enthusiastic folk together enabling networking to share opportunities to grow and prosper.
Q: What element are you most looking forward to when you attend the Water in Mining Global Summit?
A: I’m really looking forward to session on Water Management in Legacy Mines and particularly the Reimagining Abandoned & Orphan Mines cafe as they resonate so well with our Sustainable Management of Natural Resources duties here in Wales. The programme looks exciting having lots to offer with Managing Water Scarcity, Water Quality & Treatment, Managing Water in Tailings and Mitigating Risk through Technology & Innovation sessions being also really attractive.
Q: Why does the industry need to improve the way they manage, treat and source water?
A: Water challenges are increasingly prevalent in many operating environments and in many forms. These are further exacerbated by the impact of climate change, which brings more frequent and extreme wet and dry weather shocks that disrupt local water dynamics. The circumstances these factors give rise to will require an unprecedented level of system transformation to mitigate, adapt and build resilience. The mining and metals industry is highly dependent on water for its operations. There is increasing pressure on the industry to identify improved operational practices for reducing water use, increasing water use efficiency, and eliminating environmental impacts. However, as large water users, society’s expectations go beyond managing our own impacts and extend our responsible use and stewardship of water resources in the catchments where we operate. Demonstrating this in practice is critical to enabling dialogue and building trust with key stakeholders on the positive influence mining can have on water stewardship in areas where mining activities occur. This is further supported through transparent disclosure of the industry’s water use and management.
Q: What can we expect from your contribution at the 2022 Water in Mining Global Summit?
A: I will be presenting on global best practice for water reporting and stewardship, providing leadership examples from across the globe.
Q: Tell us about an exciting project or change you’ve been working on to improve water management or stewardship in the industry
A: The objective of the ICMM water work programme is to demonstrate mining’s contribution to water stewardship at the operational and catchment levels through practical implementation.
Q: Why is it important for the industry to come together at the Water in Mining Global Summit?
A: To connect and learn from each other based on past experiences and to keep up to date on leading practices.
Q: What element are you most looking forward to when you attend the Water in Mining Global Summit?
A: Connecting with others who have the same ambition of ensuring that mining is done responsibly.
Jason Dunlop
Principal Technical Advisor
Office of the Queensland Mine Rehabilitation Commission, Department of Environment and Science
Q: Why does the industry need to improve the way they manage, treat and source water?
A: Good long term outcomes rarely happen by accident. Proactive water management is needed to improve outcomes for industry, the environment and regional communities.
Q: What can we expect from your contribution at the 2022 Water in Mining Global Summit?
A: You will hear about the research being undertaken to improve mine void management in Queensland and a call for your involvement in helping define best practice.
Q: Tell us about an exciting project or change you’ve been working on to improve water management or stewardship in the industry
A: We are working on two projects on mine voids at present, the first will describe ways to model pit water quality and hydrology to improve rehabilitation planning and the second will map out the factors to consider in making decisions about post mine uses for voids at different stages of mine life.
Q: Why is it important for the industry to come together at the Water in Mining Global Summit
A: It is important to hear from everyone about the issues being faced across the industry and to work together on finding solutions that can work.
Q: What element are you most looking forward to when you attend the Water in Mining Global Summit?
A: Looking forward to hearing about a range of international experiences of mine water management particularly during rehabilitation and closure.
Q: Why does the industry need to improve the way they manage, treat and source water?
A: Water is scarce in some areas and abundant in others and support a variety of habitats and usages. In order to be able to share adequately the resource with our neighbours and preserve it for natural habitat and future usage, the industry needs to be up to speed with technologies that allow for the best water management, treatment and minimal intake to support their activities.
Q: What can we expect from your contribution at the 2022 Water in Mining Global Summit?
A: A general presentation of the challenges we face on water management and monitoring on mining legacy sites.
Q: Tell us about an exciting project or change you’ve been working on to improve water management or stewardship in the industry
A: Having clear Corporate water management policy and standards and also Corporate policy for critical infrastructures.
Q: Why is it important for the industry to come together at the Water in Mining Global Summit
A: Definitely to Share experiences and knowledge.
Q: What element are you most looking forward to when you attend the Water in Mining Global Summit?
A: The shared experiences with other companies.
Sandra Choquesillo
Legal Specialist Level I - General Directorate of Mining Environmental Affairs
Ministry of Energy and Mining
Q: Why does the industry need to improve the way they manage, treat and source water?
A: Peru is known worldwide for its enormous mineral resource potential, which develops exploration and mining projects as one of its main economic activities. However, the management and treatment of water from sources around mines and in mining operations can be a major challenge. Mining operations can indirectly impact water quality, quantity and opportunities. Therefore, this can have repercussions on other economic activities, communities, ecosystems and populations.
In this sense, in order to have a lesser impact on water sources, the mining industry studies factors such as availability and temporal and spatial distribution with respect to water demands. In the case of mining units located on the Peruvian coast, companies use desalinated seawater in their mining operations.
In addition, the mining industry in Peru has implemented some efficient water management technologies in its mining operations, such as recirculation and reuse in activities, to reduce negative impacts on water sources and avoid social conflicts.
As a government, Peru enacted the Water Resources Law in 2009 to ensure the sustainable use of water resources. In addition, Peru has a National Water Resources Policy and Strategy that defines national objectives to adequately manage water resources. With these regulations, Peru aims to promote the protection and recovery of the quality of water sources.
Q: What can we expect from your contribution at the 2022 Water in Mining Global Summit?
A:
- To provide our experience in the Mining environmental liabilities management, which are categorize as high or very high risk based on the effluents they generate.
- Give information about some good practices in water management, such as recirculation y reuse, implemented by the Peruvian mining industry.
- On the ground of the environmental quality standards and specific maximum permissible limits, the Peruvian Government has enacted quality water regulation.
Q: Tell us about an exciting project or change you’ve been working on to improve water management or stewardship in the industry
A: Peru has successful water management experiences in mining operations. In the south part of Peru, few mining companies use domestic wastewater in their operation mining. First, they treat the wastewater, which is used in the operation of the mine. Once it is used in the mining operation, the water is again treated before being discharged into the river with an appropriate quality.
On the other hand, the Ministry of Energy and Mining is executing projects for the remediation of mining environmental liabilities. Through these projects, the Peruvian Government is remediating abandoned mines. Moreover, treats acid water and hydrological stability of abandoned tailings.
The General Directorate of Mining Environmental Affairs of the Ministry of Energy and Mining is in charge of the review of the Mine Closure Plans and Mine Environmental Liability Closure Plans. These plans are needed to remediate the areas used by the mining activity and recover water resources, for example, the hydrological stability of tailings deposits near rivers in the final closure stage.
The Ministry of Energy and Mining is collaborating with the National Water Authority to elaborate a new National Water Resources Policy and Strategy. This new policy is looking to implement new policy axes and to be aligned with the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.
Q: Why is it important for the industry to come together at the Water in Mining Global Summit
A:
- It will allow us to learn about good practices developed by other countries in the mining sector and share our own, as well as learn lessons learned, projects and unsuccessful projects, which will help us improve our own in the Peruvian state.
- To learn about experiences on the circular economy in the mining sector that allows the mining activity to be a sustainable development industry.
Q: What element are you most looking forward to when you attend the Water in Mining Global Summit?
A:
- To receive information about new techniques in the management of water resources in the mining sector, both regulatory and technical.
- Gain knowledge about the treatment of acid waters and the optimization of technologies to provide solutions to projects involving acid waters that affect communities.
- To learn about experiences on methodologies and techniques for the treatment of mining tailings.
- To pick up actions or regulations of environmental control on water treatment in the mining sector.
- To collect experiences of sustainable development in mining companies and about regulations established in other countries that promote the reuse and recirculation of the water and the use of technologies for the remediation of mining areas.
- To learn about the alternative use regarding the closure of mining environmental liabilities, especially those with effluents and tailings, in order to reduce water use, create a smaller environmental footprint and reduce the long-term risks of mining environmental liabilities.