Before Mining Begins

Environmental protection starts at the earliest stages of mine exploration, long before the first ore is extracted. During this stage, companies make every effort to minimize the impact of prospecting, drilling, trenching, road building and other related activities. Exploration activities usually affect the environment only temporarily and, work can be carried out with minimal disturbance to land, vegetation and wildlife habitats with proper planning. Even then, companies have learned that it is important to keep local communities informed about their activities. This consultation process sets the stage for good community relations once mine planning has begun.

To keep public support, mining companies must demonstrate respect for the ecosystem in which they are working and adopt a extense range of protective measures. The drilling fluids and lubricants used in diamond drilling can seep into the water used to bring cuttings to surface. This water must be appropriately contained and disposed of so that it does not contaminate the groundwater. Drill holes often have to be sealed with impermeable concrete or bentonite which is a clay material to ensure that the drill hole cannot act as a channelway for contaminants to reach the groundwater from the surface.

Another consideration in the exploration of minerals is the safe handling of camp wastes. This means much more than just being careful not to litter, as isolated exploration camps must make sure that they handle fuels and dispose of human wastes in ways that do not contaminate the natural environment.

It is common for governments to demand that exploration crews have permits to work, setting down limits on what the crew can do in very sensitive areas, such as tundra regions. Respect for wildlife must be shown at all times. With proper planning, forethought and good housekeeping, all of the impacts of an exploration campaign can be minimized.

Once a deposit of economic interest has been outlined, studies and sampling programs are carried out to provide data that are used to shape the design of a project. Specialists research all aspects of the environment to establish basic data, against which future test results will be evaluated and compared. A few of the various areas investigated are: soil composition; the concentrations of metals in water-courses which are nearby; the populations of animal and plant species that live nearby; climate and air quality; cultural and historical sites; and a variety of other pieces of data that permit regulators to determine if the mine, once in operation, is causing adverse changes to the environment.