Regulatory Requirements specific to Management of Slimes Dams
GAVIN MOREIRA, Member Services Manager of the CMPA provides an extract from the Slimes Management Guideline.
Overview
Regulatory requirements for the management of slimes dams are set out in the Environmental Guidelines for Management of Small Tailings Storage Facilities 2006 or the Design and Management of Tailings Storage Facilities 2017.
Both documents are published by ERR and are available online from the ERR website www.earthresources.vic.gov.au
Common requirements to all sites are to:
• Continuously minimise waste;
• Identify and assess safety and environmental risks presented by slimes dams;
• Manage these risks appropriately to ensure that slimes dams are safe, both during operation and after closure, and that environmental impacts are minimised;
• Design new slimes dams to reduce risks to acceptable limits; and
• Ensure that slimes dams are appropriately rehabilitated after closure to minimise long term risks to the environment, social impacts, future land use and visual amenity.
To obtain a Work Authority and comply with regulatory requirements operators of slimes dams must provide ERR with the required documentation.
Required documentation includes a Work Plan accurately describing all the aspects of the operation, risks, controls and performance criteria.
The requirements for having a Work Plan approved; one of many steps in gaining a Work Authority are outlined in the Mineral Resources (Sustainable Development) Act 1990:
• Division 2 – Work Plans and Extractive Industry Work Authorities
• Section 77G – Work Plan
• Section 77I – Extractive Industry Work Authorities
Work Plan Requirements
The Work Plan is the primary document describing the permitted activities to be undertaken on a Work Authority. It is intended to provide guidance to operations staff at the quarry as well as informing other readers such as council or government officers in order to facilitate decisions, approvals,
compliance, and enforcement functions.
Information in regards to the preparation of Work Plans is provided in the document titled “Preparation of Work Plans and Work Plan Variations, Guideline for Extractive Industry Projects, December 2018”.
The Work Plan must be clear, concise and contain sufficient detail to enable a reader to understand the activities proposed to be undertaken at the site, their potential risks and impacts, and the control or management actions required.
Slimes Management Plan (SMP)
The CMPA recommends the establishment and implementation of a SMP to ensure all of the requirements are met.
The SMP provides the basis for ensuring that the Work Plan objectives are converted into appropriate on-site actions and that all workers are informed of standard procedures, processes and performance measures that form part of their roles and responsibilities.
The SMP may be an attachment to the existing or proposed Work Plan or Work Plan variation and would be inclusive of but not limited to the following content:
• Objective and scope;
• Management and worker roles and responsibilities;
• Hazard Identification and control;
• Description of methods for slimes conveyance, e.g. pipelines, open drains;
• Description of slimes treatment, e.g. dam structures and process, alternative technologies;
• General Procedures for:
• • Management of native flora and fauna;
• • General Security inclusive of authorised/ unauthorised access;
• • General inspection / audit regime;
• • Structural integrity monitoring, e.g. cracking, slumping, seepage;
• • Maintenance;
• • Slimes dam water levels;
• • Removal and placement of slimes/cakes;
• • Emergency response plan;
• • Incident reporting and management;
• • Rehabilitation plan.
The SMP should be a live document that can be amended as required without triggering a Work Plan variation.
If the risks are increased as a result of changes to site actions, procedures, process etc. then a work Plan Variation will be required. If this situation arises the CMPA recommends seeking advice from the ERR.
This Guideline provides a template for CMPA Members to establish a SMP.
https://cmpa.com.au/product/slimes-management-
guidelines/
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