FINAL REPORT International Council on Mining and Metals Good Practice Guidance for Mining and Biodiversity May 2005 Environmental Resources Management Australia Building C, 33 Saunders Street Pyrmont, NSW 2009 Telephone +61 2 8584 8888 Facsimile +61 2 8584 8800 www.erm.com FINAL REPORT International Council on Mining and Metals Good Practice Guidance for Mining and Biodiversity May 2005 Reference: 0022627 For and on behalf of Environmental Resources Management Australia Approved by: _________________________ Signed: ______________________________ Position: _____________________________ Date __________________________________ CONTENTS 1 INTRODUCTION 1.1 SUMMARY 1 1.2 BACKGROUND 2 1.3 PRINCIPLES OF BIODIVERSITY MANAGEMENT AND WHY IT IS VALUABLE 3 1.3.1 DEFINITION OF BIODIVERSITY 3 1.3.2 WHY IS BIODIVERSITY VALUABLE? 4 1.3.3 BIODIVERSITY MANAGEMENT IS IMPORTANT TO NEW AND EXISTING OPERATIONS? 6 1.4 BIODIVERSITY PLANNING AND MANAGEMENT OBJECTIVES 7 1.4.1 CONSERVATION OF BIODIVERSITY 9 1.4.2 PRECAUTIONARY PRINCIPLE 10 1.4.3 EQUITABLE SHARING OF BIODIVERSITY BENEFITS 10 1.5 THE IMPORTANCE OF COMMUNITIES IN BIODIVERSITY PLANNING AND IMPLEMENTING MANAGEMENT 11 1.6 SCOPE OF THE GOOD PRACTICE GUIDANCE AND OVERALL APPROACH AND STRUCTURE 11 1.6.1 PRINCIPLES OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT 11 1.6.2 APPROACH AND STRUCTURE OF THE GPG 13 2 MODULE 1: INTEGRATING BIODIVERSITY INTO PROJECT DEVELOPMENT THROUGH FEASABILITY STUDIES AND ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL IMPACT ASSESSMENTS 2.1 INTRODUCTION 18 2.2 BACKGROUND 19 2.3 THE ESIA FRAMEWORK 25 2.3.1 INTRODUCTION TO THE ESIA FRAMEWORK 25 2.3.2 BIODIVERSITY ISSUES TO INCORPORATE IN THE ESIA FRAMEWORK 26 2.3.3 BIODIVERSITY IN THE ESIA FRAMEWORK 27 2.4 SCREENING: INTEGRATING BIODIVERSITY IN THE EXPLORATION STAGE 27 2.4.1 EARLY CONSIDERATION OF BIODIVERSITY VALUES 29 2.4.2 PRE-FIELDWORK PHASE 30 2.4.3 POTENTIAL EXPLORATION TARGETS 32 2.4.4 FIELDWORK PHASES 35 2.4.5 REVIEW OF LEGISLATION PROVISIONS RELATING TO BIODIVERSITY 40 2.4.6 PERMISSIBILITY OF MINING 41 2.4.7 IMPORTANCE OF INTEGRATING BIODIVERSITY INTO THE SITE SELECTION PROCESS 41 2.5 SCOPING AND STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT: INTEGRATING BIODIVERSITY IN THE CONCEPTUAL DESIGN STAGE 43 2.5.1 SCOPING 43 2.5.2 STAKEHOLDER ENGANGEMENT 45 CONTENTS 2.6 BASELINE CONDITIONS: INTEGRATING BIODIVERSITY AT THE MINE DESIGN STAGE 51 2.6.1 DESIGN 52 2.6.2 CONFIRMING THE BIODIVERSITY CONTEXT OF A SITE 53 2.6.3 ESTABLISHING BASELINE AND REFERENCE AREAS 55 2.6.4 MEASURING AND INTERPRETING CHANGE IN BIODIVERSITY 56 2.6.5 ESTABLISHING A MONITORING PROGRAM 58 2.7 BIODIVERSITY IMPACT PREDICTION AND ASSESSMENT: INTEGRATING BIODIVERSITY AT THE MINE DESIGN STAGE 58 2.7.1 NATURE AND LEVEL OF IMPACTS 59 2.7.2 ASSESSMENT OF IMPACTS 62 2.8 MITIGATION AND ENHANCEMENT: INTEGRATING BIODIVERSITY AT THE MINE DESIGN STAGE 63 2.8.1 OPTIONS FOR MANAGEMENT OF BIODIVERSITY IMPACTS 63 2.9 MONITORING, EMP AND AUDITING: INTEGRATING BIODIVERSITY INTO THE MINE DEVELOPMENT STAGE 65 2.9.1 INTRODUCTION 65 2.9.2 MONITORING, EVALUATION AND AUDITING OF MITIGATION MEASURES 66 3 MODULE 2: INTEGRATING BIODIVERSITY INTO OPERATIONS THROUGH ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMMES 3.1 INTRODUCTION 73 3.2 BACKGROUND 74 3.3 INTEGRATING BIODIVERSITY INTO THE EMS FRAMEWORK 77 3.3.1 EMS – WHAT IS IT? 77 3.3.2 INTEGRATE BIODIVERSITY INTO THE ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY 79 3.3.3 DOCUMENT AND ASSESS LOCAL BIODIVERSITY IN CONSULTATION WITH APPROPRIATE STAKEHOLDERS 81 3.3.4 UNDERTAKE IDENTIFICATION OF ACTIVITIES AND ASSESSMENT OF BIODIVERSITY ASPECTS AND IMPACTS 82 3.3.5 IMPLEMENT PREVENTATIVE AND MITIGATIVE RESPONSES TO IDENTIFIED BIODIVERSITY ASPECTS 86 3.3.6 MONITOR, MEASURE AND REPORT PERFORMANCE ON BIODIVERSITY MANAGEMENT 90 3.3.7 MANAGEMENT REVIEW 92 3.3.8 CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT 92 3.4 INTEGRATING BIODIVERSITY INTO COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMMES 93 3.4.1 INTRODUCTION 93 3.4.2 KEY STEPS IN DEVELOPING A SUCCESSFUL PARTICIPATORY COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME 93 3.4.3 BIODIVERSITY IN SOCIAL SUSTAINABILITY 94 CONTENTS 3.5 COMMUNITY AND STAKEHOLDER CONSULTATION 95 3.5.1 COLLABORATIVE APPROACHES 95 4 MODULE 3 - INTEGRATING BIODIVERSITY INTO MINE REHABILITATION AND CLOSURE 4.1 INTRODUCTION 106 4.2 PLANNING 107 4.2.1 COMPREHENSIVE CLOSURE STRATEGY AND PLAN 108 4.2.2 OBJECTIVES AND TARGETS 109 4.2.3 REHABILITATION PLAN 120 4.3 SITE PREPARATION 122 4.3.1 DETAILED REVEGETATION PROGRAMME 123 4.3.2 EFFECTIVE SITE PREPARATION 123 4.4 REHABILITATION OPERATIONS 126 4.4.1 INTRODUCTION 127 4.4.2 TOPSOIL HANDLING 127 4.4.3 PEST PLANT AND ANIMAL MANAGEMENT 129 4.4.4 PLANT ESTABLISHMENT 130 4.4.5 SEEDING 130 4.4.6 HYDROSEEDING 131 4.4.7 PLANTING OF SEEDLINGS 132 4.4.8 TISSUE CULTURE, CUTTINGS AND OTHER METHODS 135 4.4.9 TRANSPLANTING 135 4.4.10 NATURAL RECOLONISATION 136 4.4.11 PROVISION OF FAUNA HABITAT 136 4.4.12 REHABILITATION MAINTENANCE AND MANAGEMENT 138 4.5 MONITORING AND RESEARCH 139 4.5.1 INTRODUCTION 139 4.6 CLOSURE AND COMPLETION CRITERIA 142 4.6.1 THE MINE CLOSURE PROCESS 142 4.6.2 DEVELOPMENT OF COMPLETION CRITERIA 143 4.7 LINKS INTO THE EMS AND THE OVERALL ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT PROGRAMME 144 4.8 OTHER SOURCES OF INFORMATION 146 LIST OF TABLES TABLE 3.1 EXAMPLES OF MINING ACTIVITIES, ASPECTS AND BIODIVERSITY IMPACTS 83 TABLE A.1 KEY SOURCES OF INFORMATION ON BIODIVERSITY, (FROM RIO TINTO, 2004) A1 TABLE B.1 OVERVIEW OF THE POTENTIAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS ASSOCIATED WITH DIFFERENT PHASES OF MINING ACTIVITIES. [INFORMATION ADAPTED FROM ENVIRONMENT CANADA (1969) AND AUSTRALIAN ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (1995- 1996)]. FROM MMSD SOUTHERN AFRICA RESEARCH TOPIC 4 B1 TABLE C.1 EXAMPLE SUITE OF BIODIVERSITY INDICATORS AND POTENTIAL MEASURES C1 LIST OF FIGURES FIGURE 1.1 INTEGRATING BIODIVERSITY INTO THE MINE CYCLE 12 FIGURE 2.1 INTEGRATING BIODIVERSITY INTO THE MINE CYCLE USING ESIA – MODULE 1 19 FIGURE 2.2 FRAMEWORK FOR INTEGRATION OF BIODIVERSITY ISSUES IN ESIA FOR MINING 28 FIGURE 3.1 INTEGRATING BIODIVERSITY INTO THE MINE CYCLE USING EMS AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMMES 74 FIGURE 4.1 INTEGRATING BIODIVERSITY INTO THE MINE CYCLE DURING MINE REHABILITATION AND CLOSURE – MODULE 3 108 ANNEX A KEY SOURCE OF INFORMATION ON BIODIVERSITY ANNEX B TABLE OF POTENTIAL BIODIVERSITY IMPACTS ANNEX C EXAMPLES OF BIODIVERSITY INDICATORS 1 INTRODUCTION 1.1 SUMMARY Mining operations have the potential to significantly impact biodiversity both negatively and positively. Poor management of biodiversity by mining companies is likely to result in: · Loss of access to exploration opportunities; · Costly delays in project approvals; · Increasing costs to rectify poor performance from the past; · Higher cost of capital; · Increase scrutiny from investors(and potential loss of access to capital); · Greater exposure to environmental risks (eg flooding and landslides); and · Protests, damaged reputation and legal consequences. Debate over the importance of biodiversity is increasing due to greater awareness of the need to protect biodiversity, the increasing presence of larger mining operations in remote, undeveloped locations, and in particular, the significantly increasing demands and pressures on biodiversity through an expanding population. The mining industry needs to improve its management of impacts on biodiversity through: · Acknowledging the importance of biodiversity as a central component of successful mine operations and managing it accordingly; · Understanding the biodiversity on and around mine sites and designing in controls through sound Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) processes; · Protecting areas of high conservation value; · Recognising and managing off-site as well as on-site impacts; · Ensuring that communities are actively engaged in discussions affecting them including biodiversity management; · Building credibility of the work through effective communication and strong external review of plans and outcomes; · Planning for closure from the outset; and · Addressing legacy issues. This Good Practice Guidance provides the mining industry with an outline of the steps required to improve biodiversity management throughout the mine cycle. Ultimately, through implementation of this guidance, mining companies should minimise the likelihood of negative impacts on biodiversity, project delays and damage to their reputations. ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCES MANAGEMENT AUSTRALIA 0022627/FINAL 1 The performance of many in the mining industry has improved markedly, however, better and more consistent performance in minimising biodiversity impacts and achieving positive outcomes is required to counteract the historically poor management of the past and to demonstrate that the industry does have credibility in regards to biodiversity management. Good biodiversity management has many benefits including: · Increased investor confidence and loyalty; · Shorter and les contentious permit cycles; · Easier access to finance; · Better relations with regulators; · Improved community relations; · Strong supportive partnerships with NGOs; · Engagement with employees; · Strong credentials for products; and · Reduced risks and liabilities. 1.2 BACKGROUND Humanity faces the challenge of meeting the development needs of a growing population from a depleting natural resource base (IUCN/ICMM 2004). Achieving a balance between continued improved living standards and conserving our environmental resources requires an appreciation of sustainable development approach. There has been increased debate around this topic during the last decade, and it is now widely recognised that the basic understanding of sustainable development