URANIUM EXPLORATION

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URANIUM EXPLORATION

• Danielle Risbey (Northern Regional Manager)
• - 30 July 2009 -

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Overview

• Programme of Work requirements
• Environmental requirements in Radiation
  Management Plan
• Reporting requirements
• DMP Rehabilitation standards
• DMPs inspection of uranium exploration sites

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Mining Act 1978 Tenement Condition

• Requirement for Programme of Work (PoW)
• Unless the written approval of the Environmental
  Officer, DMP is first obtained, the use of
  drilling rigs, scrapers, graders, bulldozers or
  other mechanised equipment for surface
  disturbance or the excavation of costeans is
  prohibited.
• Current form on website (http//www.dmp.wa.gov.au
  /documents/PoW_Application_Form.doc)

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Key Elements of PoW

• Tenement holder details
• Proposed activities (incl. area tonnage
  disturbance need to consider tonnage limits)
• Environmental management rehabilitation
  commitments
• Tenure (eg. surface rights, aboriginal heritage)
• Hazardous material (eg. radioactive or fibrous
  material)
• Map (tenements, access, location of drilling)
• Tenement conditions to be addressed
• Signed (provides corporate endorsement)

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Environmental Management(for all exploration)

• Limit number of tracks
• Minimise size of pads width of tracks
• Avoid major trees densely vegetated areas
• Place sumps away from trees (esp. if groundwater
  is saline, avoid root disruption)
• Lined sumps must have fauna egress points
• Blade up clearing
• Topsoil management (separately stockpiled)
• Hydrocarbon management (lined bunds, etc.)
• Rubbish removal (bags, drums, O rings, foam)
• Camps (waste management, require approval)

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Radiation Management Plan (RMP)

• RMP covers both safety and environmental
  issues.
• Safety issues regulated by Mine Safety Branch,
  Resource Safety Division of DMP
• Environmental issues - regulated by Minerals
  Branch, Environment Division of DMP

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Radiation Management Plan (RMP)

• Needs to be submitted to accepted by
• Senior Scientific Officer - Radiation
• Mine Safety Branch
• Resource Safety Division
• Department of Mines Petroleum
• 303 Sevenoaks Street
• CANNINGTON WA 6107
• PRIOR to lodging PoW with Minerals Branch
• (Copy of letter of acceptance to be attached to
  PoW)

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Environmental Aspects of RMP

• Baseline studies of background radiation
• Use of sumps to contain drilling fluids
• Use sample bags to prevent dispersion
• Spoil samples to be buried (lt1.5m deep)
• Avoid water courses
• Dust management (drill wet)
• Cleaning down machinery

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Environmental Bonds

• Unconditional Performance Bonds
• Calculation based on area (ha) of disturbance
• Generally 2,000/ha (minimum is 10,000)
• Bonds are specific to a tenement
• Bonds must be lodged prior to approval
• Bonds retired when rehabilitation complete to DMP
  standards (DMP inspection required)

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Reporting Requirements

• Stated on p.5 of PoW
• A report outlining rehabilitation undertaken
  at the completion of the drilling programme is
  required within 90 days of completing the
  rehabilitation.

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Elements of Report

• Baseline post-drilling radiation levels
• Before and after drilling photographs
• Samples buried in sumps (gt1.5m) or down drill
  hole
• Drill holes securely plugged gt400mm deep
• Tracks rehabilitated blocked access
• All rubbish and markers removed

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• DMPs Rehabilitation Standards

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Legal Requirement to Rehabilitate

• Standard tenement condition states
• All costeans and other disturbances to the
  surface of the land made as a result of
  exploration, including drill pads, grid lines and
  access tracks being backfilled and rehabilitated
  to the satisfaction of the Environmental Officer,
  DMP. Backfilling and rehabilitation being
  required no later than 6 months after excavation
  unless otherwise approved in writing by the
  Environmental Officer, DMP.

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Rehabilitation

• Two main phases to rehabilitation
• Immediate upon completion of drilling the hole
• Secondary - within 6 months of completion of
  drilling the hole

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Immediate Rehabilitation

• Immediately plug hole at surface once drilled
• Remove any hydrocarbon spills as they occur
• Progressively remove any rubbish (incl. O rings,
  drillers foam, plastic drums, PVC etc.)

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Secondary rehab. (within 6 months)

• Securely plug hole min. depth 400 mm below ground
• Remove sample bags
• Backfill sumps respread topsoil and veg.
• Scarify compacted areas (eg. pads, tracks,
  laydown areas)
• Remove markers (eg. flagging tape, stakes, etc.)
• Block off tracks
• (Seek written approval from DMP if extension
• in time can be justified (eg. troglofauna
  surveys)

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Types of drill hole plugs (1)

• Concrete conical plug (works the best)

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Types of drill hole plugs (2)

• Octoplug (only to be used with grout)
• Ozex plastic plugs
• Foam plugs (prone to insect damage)
• Onus is on tenement holder to ensure holes
  remain securely plugged
• Monitor! Self audit! Tracking system!

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Warning on Using Ozex Plugs
Can become fauna traps themselves when not used
correctly!
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Must Securely Plug Drill Holes
To prevent subsidence
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Environmental Safety hazard
Extreme Subsidence
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Rehabilitating Drill Site
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Rehabilitating Grid Line
Appropriate width of track (minimised clearing)
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Good Rehabilitation
leads to bond retirement, good reputation,
healthy environment happy regulators!
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DMP Inspections

• Committed to inspecting all uranium exploration
  sites within 12 months of drilling
• May inspect during drilling, but always after
  rehabilitation (bonds reviewed).
• Risk rate all PoWs at time of assessment (all
  uranium PoWs are rated high risk to trigger
  inspection tracked in EARS)
• Inspection findings to date indicate high level
  of compliance at uranium exploration sites

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Penalties Under Mining Act 1978

• Fine in lieu of forfeiture (up to 50,000)
• Direction to modify
• Stop Work Order

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Whole of Life Mine Phases

• Exploration
• ?
• Feasibility
• ?
• Planning Design
• ?
• Construction
• ?
• Operations (Progressive Rehab.)
• ?
• Decommissioning Closure

(Taken from Mine Closure Completion, DITR 2006)
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Life of Mine Planning

• Exploration phase provides opportunities
• Engagement of stakeholders
• Information collection commences (eg. C S,
  fibrous)
• Estimate volumes of materials (landform design)
• Weed management
• Consider mine layout (eg. landform placement)
• Develop understanding of seasonal conditions

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Tips for smooth approval timeline

• Plan ahead - Need to allow at least 30 working
  days for assessment (receive over 2000 PoWs per
  year)
• Quality - Incomplete applications hinder
  efficiency so are rejected (eg. not signed, poor
  map, incomplete PoW form)
• Other agencies/Divisions- Need to comply with
  tenement conditions prior to lodgement (eg.
  seeking DEC agreement for DEC managed areas,
  Radiation Management Plan to Resources Safety
  Div. DMP)
• Tenure consider tonnage limit on Exploration
  Licences, proposed activities must be
  exploration.

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Take home messages

• Exploration involving radioactive material
  requires PoW plus RMP (RMP to be accepted by RSD
  before Environmental assessment)
• High quality PoW applications efficient
  assessment timelines
• Apply leading practice in environmental
  management rehabilitation
• DMP inspect all uranium exploration

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Thankyou for your attention

• Danielle Risbey (Northern Regional Manager)
• 100 Plain Street, East Perth
• danielle.risbey_at_dmp.wa.gov.au
• Ph. [phone]

Inspectorate map on website www.dmp.wa.gov.au