Last week, Dr Mansour Edraki from SMI-CMLR, attended a Technical Committee meeting at the headquarters of International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in Vienna, to provide the agency with key information and direction for formulating guidelines for the application of integrated hydrological, geochemical, and isotopic tools in mining operations.
The Technical Committee comprising representatives from 11 countries met from 25-28 June. Topics discussed included water source identification/characterisation, water management, contaminant assessment, the restoration phase, and abandoned mine management.
A draft document was prepared, structured around the “Mine Life Cycle” as an overarching concept, to integrate environmental planning considerations with mine planning, operation, closure, remediation, and post-closure monitoring.
The final guidelines will help IAEA member states with characterisation, monitoring, and remediation of mine sites.
