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EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS IN MINING - APELL

Background to APELL (Awareness and Preparedness for Emergencies at Local Level) in Mining

Many design and operational measures are available to reduce the chance of industrial accidents, but there is no zero risk. A contingency plan is needed for all facilities that have a significant potential impact if they should fail, even if the risk of failure is low. Hazards from mines may include the release of toxic effluents (eg cyanides, heavy metals), leaks or spills from chemical transport and storage (eg fuel, cyanide, ammonia, sulphuric acid), as well as physical hazards from the collapse of structures.

(There may also be lower-level risks from routine, planned releases, however here we will be dealing with unplanned events which can be described as "accidents".)

To note especially:

  1. Recent accidents have shown that at many sites the arrangements for emergency response were insufficient to effectively respond to an accident that spilled beyond the boundary of the site.

  2. The public and local authorities are generally unaware of the potential hazards (human and environmental) from nearby mining activities.

  3. Public apprehension is at a high level after an accident, and the subsequent general air of mistrust limits the credibility of both industry and government organisations and their response efforts.

A contingency plan should have two major elements:

(i) understanding by the public and by public authorities, of what to do in case of an accident.

(ii) a co-ordinated, timely and effective disaster response plan.

Both are important, but in many cases industry has focussed more strongly on item (ii) (see Buenos Aires proceedings for example), and has not fully embraced item(i).

But public communication is already practised by many companies on other issues. Hazard communication and emergency preparedness now needs to be added as a topic for consultative committees, as well as public reports and monitoring information.

APELL - Awareness and Preparedness for Emergencies at Local Level - is a procedure for implementing both (i) and (ii) through the same mechanism - a multi-stakeholder consultative committee to review the hazards, and prepare a contingency plan.

Why multi-stakeholder?

Without a clear understanding of hazards and risks, the public (and even industry) response to an accident is often ineffective, and/or not accepted by the public as being sufficient. All stakeholders need to have agreed on the importance of the risks and the response actions before and not after an accident. The APELL process and various implementation tools are described in UNEP documents.

Some indicators of a successful emergency preparedness and response plan

  1. existence of partner links and/or public liaison group on risk management

  2. co-ordinated emergency response plan (inventory, addresses, joint practice, meetings)

  3. community information on hazards

  4. published hazard evaluation for the local community

  5. hazardous substances transport and storage code for operators

  6. regular company public reporting of workplace and community hazards

SAFETY AT TAILINGS DAMS AT MINE SITES

Following some serious accidents in recent years (ref.: ICOLD Bulletin 121, 2001), the safety at tailings dams has come under closer review by governments, and by the industry itself. There is now a large body of literature, good expertise in the industry, and effective models of safety regulation. Given the large number of tailings dams at mines around the world, a very high level of management control is needed to ensure that these requirements are followed at each mine. Many mine sites around the world have still to be brought into conformity with what we now understand as "best practice".

UNEP has been working with governments and the International Council on Metals and the Environment (ICME) to ensure a wider application of good practice. UNEP has published or co-published numerous technical guides, organised international symposia, and incorporated the guides into training courses and workshops. Government officials have participated in this programme in order to improve the effectiveness of the implementation of this information at the national level. This did not happen in all countries.

A remaining challenge for the industry is the full application of effective emergency, prevention as well as preparedness and response procedures into its operational plans. The APELL (Awareness and Preparedness for Emergencies at Local Level) procedure developed by UNEP is a useful model for this, and UNEP has been stressing to mining companies and associations the importance of a wider application of APELL in mine management. After an initial joint workshop with ICME in Argentina in 1998 (proceedings available form ICME), a further programme of seminars and training is planned for 2000/2001. These are planned to include community preparedness as well as emergency response at the site.