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MINE ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES |
The mining industry today faces a difficult challenge in profitably operating its existing mines and managing its inactive mines and land holdings. Environmental affairs managers in the mining industry are faced with increasing regulations and limited resources which are directed to production. It is important for these environmental managers to locate consulting and contracting firms which can ensure compliance. Although there are a multitude of environmental service firms in the market place, the vast majority have no mining experience. Mining company representatives are often required to spend valuable time training consultants and contractors in the course of completing a work scope.
Governmental agencies must also face the challenge of dealing with historical mining operations on public lands which are impacting the environment. With the increased public pressure to mitigate problems and reclaim historical mining operations, there is a need for qualified environmental professionals with a sound knowledge of the mining industry and its associated environmental issues.
Olympus Technical Services' proffesionals are experienced in a variety of mine environmental concerns. We offer the following services for active, inactive and proposed mining sites:
- acid rock drainage (ARD) and water characterization and ARD source identification for adit/shaft waters and seepage zones
- waste management planning and mine waste characterization, acid-base accounting evaluation
- surface water hydrology including: surface water modeling, basin analysis, stream/seepage/spring flow, gauging station siting/design/installation, storm water management design, water quality sampling and interpretation including National Pollutant Elimination Discharge System (NPDES) permit monitoring
- permitting including: Clean Water Act NPDES and storm water pollution prevention plans, and Spill Pevention Control and Countermeasures (SPCC) plans
- site reclamation including: reclamation evaluation and design, safety hazard mitigation (shaft/adit closure, pit highwall control, and access controls), tailings/waste rock closure (reclamation alternatives, contour design, erosion and sedimentation control, runon/runoff water control, stream channel restoration, revegetation, treatment and capping, and repository design, building and structure demolition), and construction oversight
- site closure planning and cost estimation
- mine environmental auditing
- site characterization including: hydrogeologic investigations, geochemistry surveys and interpretation, and hydrologic impacts assessment for mining permits
