KWAME NKRUMAH UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE

VACATION TRAINING (ATTACHMENT) REPORT @

PERSEUS MINING (GHANA) LIMITED

ENVIRONMENTAL DEPARTMENT

1

KOOMSON EDMOND

17TH JUNE, 2013. – 17TH AUGUST, 2013.

CONTENTS

CHAPTER 1

I. CLEARANCE FORM

II. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

III. LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS

IV. INTRODUCTION

V. ABSTRACT

CHAPTER 2

LABORATORY SECTION

CHAPTER 3

MONITORING SECTION

CHAPTER 4

ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

CHAPTER 5

RHABILITATION AND RE-VEGETATION SECTION

CHAPTER 6

COMPLIANCE

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CHAPTER 1

I. CLEARANCE FORM

STUDENT ------------------------- -----

----------------------

Signature Name/DATE

ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGER ------------------

-----------------------------

SIGNATURE NAME/ DATE

HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGER ----------------------

----------------------------

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SIGNATURE NAME/DATE

LABORATORY SUPERINTENDENT -----------------------

---------------------------

SIGNATURE NAME/DATE

MONITORING SUPERVISOR ---------------------------

---------------------------

SIGNATURE NAME/DATE

REHABILITATION SUPERVISOR --------------------------

--------------------------

SIGNATURE NAME/DATE

4

COMPLIANCE SUPERVISOR -------------------------

-------------------------

SIGNATURE NAME/DATE

EMS COODINATOR -------------------------------

--------------------------

SIGNATURE NAME/DATE

II. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

The success of my training was as a result of the support and

cooperation of some staffs that helped me to gain more knowledge

than I expected. I am most grateful to all and I would like to

thank the;

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Human Resource and the Environmental Manager for first of

all giving me the opportunity to have my training in this

company,

Various Superintendents of the environmental department,

Supervisors of all the various sections of the department,

Environmental officers and the junior staffs of the

department.

I really appreciate all of you for the impartations of knowledge.

I must say that I have learnt a lot about the environment through

this training and it is all your doing. I will always be indebted

to you. Thank you and God bless you.

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III. LIST OF ABBREVIATION

EPA Environmental Protection Agency

EMP Environmental Management Plan

EMS Environmental Management System

PMGL Perseus Mining Ghana Limited

SOP Standard Operating Procedure

PM10 Particulate Matter 10

TSP Total Suspended Particles

A-F GAP Abenabena Fobinso Gap

FTSF Flotation Tailing Storage Facility

CTSF Cyanide Tailing Storage Facility

WRC Water Resource Commission

MinCOM Mining Commission

AGA AngloGold Ashanti

COC Chain of Custody

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IV. INTRODUCTION

The first recorded exploration and gold production in the

Ayanfuri area dates back to 1906. More recently, between 1994 and

2001, the Ayanfuri gold mine produced over 300,000oz of gold from

23 shallow oxide open pits and heap leach processing with most of

the production from six granite hosted ore bodies. There were

three principle phases of exploration undertaken at Ayanfuri

since 1988. The first was initial discovery and predevelopment

drilling undertaken by Cluff Mining (“Cluff”). The second was the

exploration of secondary targets to locate additional ore feed

undertaken by Ashanti Goldfields Corporation Limited (“AGC”)

after it acquired Cluff and the third phase was the post mine

closure exploration undertaken by Perseus Mining Limited (PMGL)

during the acquisition from AngloGold Ashanti Limited (“AGA”).

Perseus Mining Ghana Limited (PMGL) is developing the Edikan Gold

Mine, near Ayanfuri in the Central Region of Ghana. It is an open

pit mine and CIL processing plant for the gold-bearing ore. The

treatment plant will process combinations of oxide, transition

and primary ores from the various pits at a nominal capacity of

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5.5Mtpa. Consequently, these activities will affect the

environment with which the mine interacts. PMGL recognizes the

importance of protecting the integrity and wealth of the

environment for current and future users.

PMGL’s commitment to sound environmental management is set out in

its Environmental Policy including commitments to minimizing and

managing any environmental impacts, maintaining legal compliance

and continual improvement, training and orientation of both

employees and contractors to be competent in their areas of

operation and promote a high sense of responsibility towards

environmental management. PMGL Environmental Policy is supported

by its Environmental Management System (EMS), which is designed

to give full effect to the policy and will operate on the

principles of an international standard for environmental

management systems, ISO14001:2004.

PMGL is wholly owned by Perseus Mining Limited, an Australian

company. Perseus Mining Limited is listed on both the Australian

and Toronto Stock Exchanges. The Perseus Group undertakes gold

exploration in Ghana through Sun Gold Resources Limited (SGRL)

and gold production by Perseus Mining Ghana Limited (PMGL) Edikan

Mine. PMGL has reserves of 2.1 million ounces of gold, plus

1.2Moz of measured and indicated gold resources. Production began

in August 2011 and the plant was commissioned in May 2012.

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V. ABSTRACT

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This report gives a brief summary of the activities undertaken by

PMGL’s Environmental Department and also what I studied during my

industrial training (attachment). PMGL is committed to protecting

the environment whilst contributing to the economic development

of the countries in which it operates. All of the Company

stakeholders, including employees, the local communities, and

others have a right to expect the company to take a responsible

and environmentally sustainable approach to their activities. It

is the responsibility of the PMGL Environmental department to

ensure that the environmental policy is obliged in any section of

the company. The environmental department consists of five

sections namely; Environmental Laboratory, Compliance,

Monitoring, EMS, and Rehabilitation and Re-vegetation.

The Environmental Laboratory is where samples from surface water

bodies and ground water bodies or portable water in the catchment

communities, observable boreholes, and the process plant effluent

are analyzed. The samples are analyzed after they have been

handed over (COC) by the monitoring section for physical

parameters (PH, Total Dissolved Solids, Conductivity, Dissolved

Oxygen, Turbidity, True Color, Apparent Color, Chlorine and

Alkalinity), nutrients ( nitrate, nitrite, phosphate, etc.),

metals (Pb, Fe, Cu, Ca, Al, Zn, Cd, etc.) and microbiology (E.

coli and Total Coliforms).

The Monitoring Section monitor and do sampling of surface water

bodies and ground water bodies or portable water in the catchment

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communities, observable boreholes, and the process plant effluent

to be analyzed in the laboratory. The section also monitors dust,

noise blast, and rainfall levels in PMGL concession and in the

catchment communities. The section does this to access whether

the operations of the mine is affecting the environment or not.

The Environmental management system also ensures that all the

requirements of the permit is obliged. This section also develops

training programs (competency and awareness) to assess the

performance of the workers. Internal auditing is also carried out

by this section.

The Compliance sections and the EMS have conflicting duties. The

compliance also ensures that PMGL workers work according to the

requirements of the Permit. Specifically, PMGL’s Environmental

compliance section carries out waste managements on site, annual

environmental monitoring report, and others.

The rehabilitation and re-vegetation section ensures that the

land is restored to its natural structure during and after the

operations of the mine. This section also controls erosion.

All these sections come together to make sure that the

environment is safe for it habitats and the mine operations do

not have negative impact on the environment and the catchment

communities.

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CHAPTER 2

ENVIRONMENTAL LABORATORY

I started my training at the Environmental Laboratory. The

Environmental Laboratory is where samples from surface water

bodies, ground water bodies, watershed around the mine, and the

process plant effluent are analysed. The samples are analysed

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after they have been handed over (COC) by the monitoring section

to the laboratory for Physical parameters (PH, Total Dissolved

Solids, Conductivity, Dissolved Oxygen, Turbidity, True Colour,

Apparent Colour, Chlorine and Alkalinity), Nutrients (nitrate,

nitrite, phosphate, etc.), Metals (Pb, Fe, Cu, Ca, Al, Zn, Cd,

etc.) and microbiological analysis (E. coli and Total Coliforms)

to be carried out. However, I was introduced to only the physical

aspect. The laboratory does this analysis to know or determine if

the activities of the mine is having any negative impact on the

environment (flora, fauna, soil, and water) and the neighbouring

communities.

To ensure zero injury and safety at the lab, all laboratory

analysis is done with the right instrument and appropriate

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). Also, safety is one of the

most important elements in the operation of an analytical

laboratory. PMGL Environmental Laboratory is fully committed to

providing a safe working environment and enforcing procedures

which will ensure the health and safety of each employee. All

laboratory personnel, students on attachment and visitors alike

in the laboratory are entitled to a safe and healthy working

environment. It is to this purpose that all personnel undergo

induction before commencing any work at the laboratory. The

following are some Laboratory Operating Procedures and Personal

Protective Equipment that I was introduced to ensure zero injury

and safety before I commenced working at the laboratory;

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Personal Protection Equipment (PPE)

I. Safety glasses must be worn when in the laboratory.

II. Gloves must be worn while handling chemicals or samples.

III. Lab coats must be worn when doing any analysis in the lab.

IV. Face shields and goggles must be worn while pouring

concentrated acid.

V. Face shields, goggles, and aprons must be worn during

activities involving vigorous agitation.

VI. UV protective goggles must be worn when using the AAS

equipment.

Laboratory Operating Procedures

I. Materials spilled onto the floors will be cleaned up

immediately using approved disposal protocols.

II. Obstructions from movement will not be allowed in walkways

or working areas that may cause tripping, falling, or any

harm to an individual.

III. Hazard warning signs will be posted at all locations where

there is a potential safety or health hazard.

IV. All personnel will be informed of the hazards in their work

places.

V. Hazardous materials will be handled in containment devices

such as fume hoods or fume absorbers.

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VI. Laboratory personnel will not store food, eat, drink, or

smoke in the laboratory’s designated work hazard zones.

The following are the detailed Standard Operating Procedures

for the physical aspect of water quality analysis that i

learnt during my duration at the Environmental Laboratory.

However, as part of the SOP, before any analytical work is

commenced at the laboratory, an Environmental Laboratory

Prestart Checklist should always be done. The Prestart

Checklist advices to calibrate all instruments in the

Laboratory before using them. This helps to know that the

Laboratory instruments are safe or accurate to use. It also

teaches on sanitation before starting any analysis. These

are some questions the Prestart Checklist will inquire;

Do all rooms have sufficient light and ventilation?

Are ALL room thoroughly cleaned, waste solutions

emptied into waste container and all glassware at

appropriate places?

Has DO meter been maintained and calibrated? - Write

STD Value. Etc. After meeting all the requirements of

the Prestart Checklist, it should be signed, date

written, and filed.

All these helps the laboratory assistants to arrive at a zero

injury and an accurate work done at the Laboratory.

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DETERMINATION OF DISSOLVED OXYGEN (DO) AND BIOCHEMICAL

OXYGEN DEMAND (BOD) OF SAMPLES

Dissolved oxygen is the amount of oxygen present in water, or the

number of milligrams of oxygen dissolved in a litre of water. It

is measured in milligram per litre (Mg/L). A good level of

dissolved oxygen is essential for aquatic life. Dissolved oxygen

analyses measures the amount of gaseous oxygen (O2) dissolved in

an aqueous solution. Oxygen gets into water bodies by diffusion

from the atmosphere or surrounding air, aeration (rapid movement

or flow of the water), and by photosynthetic activity of

phytoplankton in the water. Adequate dissolved oxygen is

necessary for good water quality. Deficient DO is caused when the

algae in water uses the available DO for it metabolic activities.

This leads to the extinction of the animals in the aquatic

habitat.

To determine the dissolved oxygen and BOD of samples, the

following equipment is needed;

Temperature Controlled Incubator

BOD Bottles with glass stoppers

BODTrak Apparatus

Tissue paper

Disposable hand gloves

Extech DO Meter Model DO700

Dissolved Oxygen Electrode

Distilled Water

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The following are the procedures for determining dissolved oxygen

and BOD;

Put on PPE before commencing.

Calibrate the DO metre at 8.00Mg/L. The stirrer should

always be in distilled water after calibration.

Samples should be poured into a well labelled BOD bottles

and covered with their glass stoppers respectively.

PMGL method of determining BOD is to measure the DO of each

sample for five days. The first day DO value minus the fifth

day value gives the BOD. But in all the five days, the

samples are kept in a temperature controlled incubator.

The first day reading is the dissolved oxygen.

DETERMINATION OF pH OF SAMPLES.

pH is a measure of the acidity or basicity of an aqueous

solution. Solutions with a pH less than 7 are said to be acidic

and solutions with a pH greater than 7 are basic or alkaline.

Pure water has a pH very close to 7. The pH scale is traceable to

a set of standard solutions whose pH is established by

international certified body. Primary pH standard values are

determined using a concentration cell with transference, by

measuring the potential difference between a hydrogen electrode

and a standard electrode such as the silver chloride electrode.

Measurement of pH for aqueous solutions can be done with a glass

electrode and a pH meter, or using indicators.

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pH is determined using a pH metre. At PMGL, the metre is

calibrated after the appropriate mode has been selected using

known buffer solutions before samples are read. The buffers used

are 4.00, 7.00, and 10.01. The deviation should not be less or

greater than 0.02. The following equipment’s are needed in

determining pH.

1. pH metre with a probe

2. distilled water in a beaker

3. Tissue paper

The procedures for determining pH are as follows;

1. All standards and samples must be at room temperature.

2. The instruments must first be calibrated using the

calibration standards of the pH buffers.

3. The standards are first read before the samples.

4. Each sample must be shaked before taking its reading.

5. The pH probe is inserted into the bottle containing the

sample.

6. The pH recorded after stabilization, and then the probe is

inserted into a beaker of distilled water for rinsing.

NB: PPE’s must be worn.

DETERMINATION OF CONDUCTIVITY AND TOTAL DISSOLVED SOLIDS (TDS)

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Conductivity is the ability of water to carry an electrical

current. Absolutely pure water is a poor conductor of

electricity. Water shows significant conductivity when dissolved

salts are present. Over most ranges, the amount of conductivity

is directly proportional to the amount of salts dissolved in the

water. The conductivity of water is measured in micro Siemen.

The amount of mineral and salt impurities dissolved in the water

is called total dissolved solids (TDS). TDS is measured in parts

per million. TDS tell how many units of impurities there are for

one million units of water. For example, drinking water should be

less than 500 ppm, water for agriculture should be less than 1200

ppm, and high tech manufactures often require impurity-free

water. One way to measure impurities in water is to measure the

electric conductivity of water. Half of conductivity is TDS.

To determine conductivity and TDS, the following equipment is

needed;

1. Conductivity metre

2. Beaker containing distilled water

3. Conductivity Standard solution

The following are the procedures for determining conductivity and

TDS;

1. The appropriate PPE’s must be worn.

2. The conductivity metre is switched on, appropriate mode

selected, and then calibrated with a standard solution.

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During my time at the laboratory, standard 1413 were always

used for calibration.

3. The metre probe is inserted into the sample bottle for

reading. The metre is allowed to stabilise and the value

recorded.

4. The probe is rinsed with distilled water and placed in a

beaker containing distilled water.

5. Since half of conductivity is TDS, after getting

conductivity value, the mode of the metre is changed to ppm

and the value that will be displayed is TDS.

NB: Standards readings are taken before samples.

DETERMINATION OF TURBIDITY OF SAMPLES

Turbidity is the haziness or cloudiness of water. The measurement

of turbidity is a key test of water quality. It is the measure of

the degree to which the water loses its transparency due to the

presence of suspended particulates. The more total suspended

solids in the water, the murkier it seems and the higher the

turbidity. Phytoplankton, sediments from erosion, algae growth,

etc. causes turbidity in water bodies. Turbidity is measured in

NTU: (Nephelometric Turbidity Units). The instrument used for

measuring is called nephelometer or turbidimeter, which measures

the intensity of light scattered at 90 degrees as a beam of light

passes through a water sample. The turbidity of drinking water

should not be more than 5NTU.

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The following are equipment and reagents needed;

Turbidity sample bottles (cells)

Distilled water

Turbidimeter

Tissue paper

Reference calibration standards

Calibration of the turbidimeter must be done before samples are

measured. Calibration is done with five turbidity standards (S0,

S2, S3, S4, and S5).

The appropriate PPE’s must be worn.

Take the first standard (S0) by the cap and clean with

silicone oil to remove all spot.

Press CAL and place the S0 into the instrument cell

compartment, cover it, and then press ENTER. The instrument

display counts down from 60 to 0, and then makes a

measurement (20NTU).

This is repeated for the four other standards. At the end of

the last standard reading, press CAL to calibrate. If it

reads to 4000NTU or closer to it, the meter is accurate to

read samples; else calibration has to be repeated.

Procedures for reading samples are;

Take the readings of the first three samples; this time

round, after wiping it with silicone oil and placing it into

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the cell compartment, press enter. Record the displayed

value.

After that, in addition to the samples reading, distilled

water also has to be read as a check for blank.

Shake sample gently and pour about 30ml into the turbidity

cell.

The water spot and finger print is wiped whilst holding the

cap. Finger print can add to the value.

The sample cell is placed into the cell compartment and

instrument covered.

Press enter and record the displayed value.

Do same for all samples and the distilled water.

After each reading, the turbidity cell must be rinsed with

distilled water.

NB: Put on the appropriate PPE.

DETERMINATION OF TOTAL SUSPENDED SOLIDS (TSS) IN WATER SAMPLES

TSS includes all particles suspended in water which will not pass

through a filter. As levels of TSS increase, a water body begins

to lose its ability to support a diversity of aquatic life.

Suspended solids absorb heat from sunlight, which increases the

water temperature and decreases dissolved oxygen (warmer water

holds less oxygen than cooler water). To determine the TSS, the

sample must be filtered and residue dried to get the suspended

particles

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Equipment needed is;

Measuring cylinder (500ml)

Filter paper

An oven

Petri dish

Filtering apparatus

Desiccator and sample tray

The following are the procedures;

Put on the appropriate PPE.

Filter papers are labelled according to the labels on

samples and weighed at room temperature. SWITCH OFF air

condition during this time to prevent the filter paper from

moistening. The filter paper is weighed and recorded as l1.

The sample is shaken and 100ml is poured into the filtering

apparatus setup.

After filtering, remove the filter paper gently on a tray.

Rinse the filtering apparatus with distilled water.

The filter paper on tray is placed in an oven to dry.

After drying, leave it to cool for some time and weigh

again. Record the reading as l2.

The suspended solids are calculated as;

L2-L1 / V×1000

Where;

L1------------ initial weight

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L2----------- final weight

V------------- Volume of sample taken in ml.

This is repeated for all samples.

DETERMINATION OF TRUE AND APPARENT COLOUR IN WATER SAMPLES

Apparent colour is the colour of the whole water sample, and

consists of colour from both dissolved and suspended components.

True colour is measured after filtering the water sample through

0.45um filter paper to remove all suspended components.

Equipment needed;

Distilled water

Filter membrane

Filtration setup

Sample cells

Procedure;

The spectrophometer is switched on and the test is selected.

To calibrate, an empty cell is inserted and press zero on

the screen.

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For apparent colour, fill the sample cell with 10ml of the

sample and wipe it to get rid of all finger print. But for

true colour, the sample must be filtered.

The first value that appears is recorded. Before analysing

samples, distilled water must be analysed first.

NB: When under measuring range is displayed on the screen, zero

is recorded as the value. All PPE must be worn.

DETERMINATION OF TOTAL ALKALINITY IN WATER SAMPLES

Alkalinity is the measure of the capacity of water or any

solution to neutralize or ‘buffer’ acids. The measure of acid-

neutralizing capacity is important in figuring out how ‘buffered’

the water is against sudden changes in pH. Alkalinity is caused

by the presence of carbonates, bicarbonates, hydroxides and other

dissolved salts. It is important to drinking water food and

aquatic life. This is determined by titration with a standard

solution of a strong mineral acid to an end point of about pH 4.3

using a pH meter.

Equipment;

0.001M HCL

100ml beaker

Distilled water

Tissue paper

100ml volumetric flask

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pH meter

burette

Firstly, calibration is done with distilled water. The procedure

is as follows;

The appropriate PPEs must be worn

A 0.001M HCL is prepared.

The HCL is transferred into the burette.

25ml of each sample is pipetted into different beakers

The initial volume of the HCL in the burette is recorded as

initial volume (V1)

The HCL is titrated against the sample. As the HCL is

gradually drained into the sample in the beaker, the

solution is stirred gradually with the pH probe.

When the pH meter reading reaches 4.3, the final reading is

recorded (V2)

The initial reading is subtracted from the final reading to

get the alkalinity value.

The sample is discarded and the beaker and probe are

rinsed.

This is repeated for all samples.

DETERMINATION OF CHORIDE IN SAMPLES

Almost all natural waters contain chloride ions. Its

concentration varies considerably according to the mineral

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content of the soil in any given area. In small amounts they are

not significant. In large concentrations they present problems.

In large concentrations above 250mg/l, water becomes unpleasant

to drink. Chloride is commonly found in streams and wastewater.

It may get into surface water from several sources including

wastewater from industries, agricultural runoff and others. The

equipment and reagent used to determine chloride are;

0.0O96Mol/dm3 silver nitrate solution

Distilled water

Measuring cylinder

Burette setup

5% K2Cr2O7 incubator

Beaker

10ml pipette

Distilled water is first tested as blank before the sample

analyses is being carried out.

The procedures Include;

10ml of the sample is measured into a beaker.

2 drops of the potassium dichromate is added to the sample.

The prepared silver nitrate is transferred into the burette.

The initial volume (V1) of the burette is recorded.

During titration, if the colour of the sample turns from

yellow to orange, the final volume (V2) is recorded.

The difference in volume gives the amount of chloride in the

sample.

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The same is repeated for all other samples.

NB: PPE is needed before starting the analysis.

These are the physical aspects of water quality analysis I learnt

at the environmental laboratory.

CHAPTER 3

MONITORING SECTION

According to section 4.4.3 (a) (b) of the EPA permit for the

operation of the mine, PMGL is obliged to undertake periodic

monitoring of the environment within her concession and the

adjoining lands and submit environmental monitoring returns

monthly. It is for this purpose that this section monitor water,

dust, noise, blast and acid rock drainage (ARD) in the entire

environment within and around PMGL concession and the

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neighbouring communities to know how the operations of the mine

is affecting the environment.

BLAST MONITORING

As stated vividly in the Section 5.1.2(C) and 5.2 of the Permit,

PMGL is obliged to monitor ground vibration and overpressure

during every blast period. Where limits are above acceptable

levels or EPA standards (117dBLs for ground vibrations and 2mm/s

for overpressure or air blast), the company is required to take

corrective actions to mitigate it. Blasting is done only during

the day (between 12:20hrs and 17:3hrs daily) when conditions are

suitable. Inhabitants or communities close to the pits are

informed of the blast times through the use of sign boards in

these communities. Blast is carried out at Abenabena pit, Fobinso

pit, and A-F Gap pit. At PMGL, blast monitoring is divided into

two, with monitoring done in Abenabena and Fobinso. These are the

two communities closer to the pits. The blast monitoring device

used is called Geosonic (SSU 5500). During blast, we were adviced

by our supervisors to put on our PPE and also ensure that all

safety precautions are observed.

Blast monitoring is done to ensure that Ground vibration (peak

particle velocity) and air blast or overpressure levels (PSPL)

resulting from PMGL’s blasting operations meet PMGL internal

standards and accepted international standards for protection of

property and human health.

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The following are the procedures to monitor blast;

a) Transport Geosonic (SSU 5500) to the monitoring location in

the protective case

b) Remove the geophone, microphone and accessories from the

case

c) Geophone: attach spikes to geophone. Press geophone firmly

into ground with the arrow opposite the cable toward

vibration source while ensuring that the bubble level is at

the Centre. Connect cable to instrument.

d) Microphone: attach spike to mast, insert in mounting block

and press spike into the ground. Clip microphone into mast

and install windscreen. Point toward source and connect

cable to instrument.

e) Monitoring personnel will be informed about two minutes to

the blast.

f) At this time, there should be no movement until the blast is

over. This is because; the values can be affected or

altered.

g) After the blast, the data is recorded and sent to the

office.

NOISE MONITORING

In the section 5.1.2 (a) (c) of the permit, it is required that

PMGL addresses potential significant impacts of noise. As long as

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the company continues to operate, noise pollution would be

generated. Noise pollution to some extent has great impact on the

living organisms in the environment. In view of this, noise

monitoring is done in the two main catchment communities (Fobinso

and Abenabena). Noise monitoring is done both day and night. The

equipment for monitoring is calibrated according to the

manufacturer’s specifications. In the day, it is monitored from

7:00am to 9:45pm and at night, from 10:00pm to 6:50am. The

monitoring equipment (Casella CEL-63x series) is calibrated to

monitor noise for one month. At the end of every month, data is

retrieved.

DUST MONITORING

Dust monitoring is completed in accordance with regulatory

requirements and in response to external complaints to determine

the impact of PMGL’s operations on the surrounding environment

and communities. PMGL’s Environmental Management Plan on Air

Quality management to suppress dust generation is as follows;

The use of water tankers to water haul and access roads to

the mine and all catchment communities.

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Mounting of regular speed checks and slow down signs along

all access roads to the mine and neighboring communities for

vehicles to minimize dust in populated areas and in these

communities.

Monitoring of Total Suspended Particles (TSP) and

Particulate Matter (PM10) in the catchment communities.

PMGL has put all these measures in place to ensure that dust

generated from their operations do not have impact on the fauna

and flora in the environment.

The size of Total Suspended Particles (TSP) and Particulate

Matter (PM10) largely determines the extent of environmental and

health damage caused. Particulate Matter consists of airborne

particles in solid or liquid form and has the ability to reach

the lower regions of the respiratory tract when inhaled. The

Minivol Air sampler is used to monitor dust (TSP and PM10).

Weighed Filter papers are inserted into the filter holder of the

machine to monitor dust in the catchment communities. After 24

hours, filter papers are removed and weighed again. The

difference in the initial and final reading gives the value of

TSP and PM10.

WATER QUALITY MONITORING

Water sampling is carried out on site and in all the catchment

communities. It is done weekly and monthly. The various sampling

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locations include surface water bodies, ground water or portable

water, observable boreholes, and processing plant effluents. The

under listed items are checked/prepared prior to leaving the

office to undertake the sampling exercise;

Bucket (for ground water sampling)

Cooler box

Adequate number of ice packs for cooler box

Adequate quantity of preserved/sterilize bottles

On-site measuring instrument

Flow meter (where applicable)

Sampling data recording sheet, field note book, pen, pencil

Appropriate PPE in place (Hand gloves, gum boots, goggles,

hard hat etc.)

Wash bottle filled with distilled water

Tissue paper

Cleaning/sterilizing agents (methylated spirits)

Keys to all monitoring boreholes

Generator with adequate fuel in fuel tank

Submersible pump(s), 2” and/or 3”, with all hose/pipes, etc.

Regulator for submersible pumps

Water depth indicator for sampling of boreholes

Location list

WEEKLY WATER SAMPLING

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Weekly water sampling is carried out from Monday to Thursday of

every week in a month. So the number of weeks in a month

determines the number of times weekly samples will be taken.

During weekly sampling, samples are taken from streams or surface

water in or around all catchment communities, plant effluent, and

portable bore holes in catchment communities or ground water.

Before portable boreholes are sampled, the tap is sterilized with

methylated spirit or by heating prior to turning tap on. Surface

water samples are taken in the middle of the stream not on the

banks. Sample bottles are only opened when the samples are about

to be taken. With the sample bottle oriented in the upstream

direction (against flow of stream), a reasonable quantity of

water (about 1/3 full) is obtained and the sample bottle is

rinsed three times with stream water before the actual sample is

taken. Sampling surface films are avoided as they contaminate the

sample. All surface water are labeled using PMGL as the

initials. Ground water is labeled with GPMGL as initials. After

that the number of the sampling point, then the date of sampling.

This gives a unique identity to each sample. When taking samples,

the bottle should be filled leaving no room for air. Samples are

kept in cool box after sampling.

The picture below is a weekly water sampling at Nkotimso.

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MONTHLY WATER SAMPLING

Monthly samples are taken at the first week of every month.

Actually, monthly sampling represents week one sampling of every

month. Because this sampling is of great concern to EPA, sampling

points for all surface water bodies have been divided into

Control, Compliance, and Surveillance points.

Control points are the source or closer to the source of the

stream or river. These points are not in the operational area of

the mine. As a result the activities of the mine do not have any

impact on these points. Therefore parameters like DO, pH,

conductivity, TDS, and other physical parameters are expected to

be standard. If parameters are not standard, then there might be

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illegal mining operations going on or chemicals used by some

farmers around that area is causing that.

Compliance points are on the concession or the operational area

of the mine. So the mine has full control over these points. The

activities of the mine are definitely affecting these points.

Because the mine has full control over them, it makes sure that

parameters like DO, pH, conductivity, TDS, and other physical

parameters are not above the standards of EPA. They are also

called discharge points, because from there, the water flows into

the external environment. Once the river or stream flows from

these points, it’s directly get into the external environment.

It’s to this purpose that both EPA and PMGL are interested in the

quality of these sampling points so that the external environment

is not disturbed.

Surveillance points are also not in the operational area of the

mine but their quality is dependent on the compliance points.

This is because the water flows from the compliance point before

it gets to the surveillance points. When parameters or water

quality at compliance points are right and that of surveillance

is not, then there is an assumption that is as a result of the

use of chemicals by farmers around these points or the operations

of illegal mine (galamsey).

Observable boreholes, ground water or portable water, surface

water, processing plant effluent are sampled monthly. The

observable boreholes are purged at least 24 hours before

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sampling. This is to get fresh water for analyses. Boreholes

levels are taken before and after purging. This is done to know

the difference in rise fall of the water table at that particular

point. Samples are taken and labeled as done in the weekly

sampling. In monthly sampling, observables boreholes are labeled

as OPMGL plus sample point number and date of sampling. After

sampling samples are stored in cool box and sent to the Lab.

CHAPTER FOUR

ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEM (EMS)

Environmental management system (EMS) refers to the management of

an organization's environmental programs in a comprehensive,

systematic, planned and documented manner. It includes the

organizational structure, planning and resources for developing,

implementing and maintaining policy for environmental protection.

More formally, EMS is a system and database which integrates

procedures and processes for training of personnel, monitoring,

summarizing, and reporting of specialized environmental

performance information to internal and external stakeholders of

a company. The goals of EMS are to increase compliance to the

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Permit requirement to arrive at zero injury. However, PMGL’s EMS

is typically backboned by an International Organization of

Standards (ISO14001) which helps to understand the EMS process

and improve the Environmental Management Plan (EMP) of the

company (PMGL) and also develop an Environmental Policy to guide

all workers and contractors.

The following are the operations PMGL’s EMS undertakes to ensure

that the requirement of ISO14001 and the Permit are complied by

all workers and contractors in discharging their duties;

Conducting inspections and audits at all working places or

departments (both mother company and contractors) to ensure

that the requirement of the permit is met or the right

standard operating procedures are followed in view of

protecting the environment.

Develop or come out with Environmental Management Programs

to educate all workers on working procedures and test their

competency.

Ensure that all Environmental Management Programs and

Environmental Management Plans are reviewed regularly.

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DEVELOPMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT PROGRAMMES

As required in the section 5.3 of the Permit, PMGL is obliged

to carry out Health, Safety and Environmental Training for all

employees. Records for attendance and tests on the training

are kept. The training sections include;

1. Environmental Awareness and Induction of new and annual

leave employees: Before an employee start to work, he or she

has to be trained on Health and Safety Policy, Job

Assessment, PPE usage, fire prevention and control. Likewise

is done for all permanent employees who resume from their

annual leave.

Environmental Awareness is not an individual concern but it

is a social movement regarding concerns for environmental

conservations and improvement of the health of the

environment. Having concern for the world or environment

around you is what we call environmental awareness. In view

of this, PMGL’s EMS train it employees on awareness programs

like The overall policies structure, and direction of the

company, The meaning and significance of PMGL’s

Environmental Policy, The importance of conformance with

PMGL’s environmental policy and with procedures (the EMS),

the danger of non-conformity to the environmental policy,

oil management procedures, air and water quality

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managements, top- soil conservation, waste management and

others.

2. Environmental competency: At PMGL, all people who carry out

work onsite, or on behalf of the mine, receives appropriate

training and it is ensured that they are competent to

perform their tasks. This training is done to ensure the

effective performance of an individual’s responsibilities.

That is to know the quality of being adequately or well

qualified physically and intellectually. Examples of the

competency programs are waste management procedures (both

hazardous and domestic), used battery storage and disposal,

fuel and oil management, bush clearing and topsoil

management and others.

All these training programs are done;

To ensure that best safety practices are observed.

To create awareness of environmental risk associated

with hazardous waste.

To welcome all attendees to PMGL Mine Site.

To introduce participants to PMGL company and its

activities.

To outline expectation in terms of health, safety,

environmental, social and security performance.

To recognize the responsibilities of all personnel on

site.

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CONDUCTION OF INSPECTIONS AT VARIOUS WORK PLACES

External auditors from EPA and sometimes Minerals Commission come

to PMGL site to conduct inspections to assess the performance of

the PMGL’S EMS, including activities of contractors and workers

whether work is done according to the requirement of the Permit

or not. Moreover, inspections are carried out to identify non

conformity and the required corrective actions, and assess need

for additional staff development and retraining.

Also, internal auditing is done to assess the performance and

competency of the workers in various departments. It is done to

also ensure that the requirement of the permit and ISO14001 is

adhered to. The EMS Section (EMS Coordinator) including the

Environmental Manager other environmental officers carry out this

internal audit. In case of any non-conformity, corrective and

preventive actions identified during the internal audit will be

prescribed. Below are some of the requirements or checklists of

internal auditors at PMGL during internal auditing;

Battery Storage Area

Well ventilated storage area.

“no naked light within 20m sign” posted.

Batteries stored upright and in single level only, not

stacked on top of each other.

Cell caps installed on batteries.

Storage area not overloaded with batteries.

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Used batteries disposed of to authorized vendor only.

Storage area separated from storage areas for

chemicals, oil and fuel.

Battery acid drums clearly marked.

Fire extinguishers in place, up to date inspection

record, proper type.

Fuel Tanks

Tank in bunded area with volume of 110% of largest

tank.

“No Naked Light Within 20m” sign posted.

Fuel tank filling instruction signs posted.

Fire extinguisher of proper type present nearby with up

to date inspection record.

Spillage within bund cleaned.

Sump clean.

Oil trap cleaned daily (if applicable).

Valve to oil trap kept closed and locked (if

applicable).

Absorbent/cleaning materials available.

Tank clean and free of spillage on top.

MSDS for materials being stored nearby.

Supervisor’s and worker’s understanding of proper

storage, maintenance and cleanup procedures.

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Mechanical/Electrical Workshops

MSDS sheets available nearby for all oil/fuel/chemical

products in use.

Absorbent materials available for spill/leak clean up.

Adequate number of uncontaminated waste barrels in

place, properly marked, covered with lid if open to

rain, and emptied regularly.

Proper separation of contaminated and uncontaminated

waste.

Concrete collection sumps clean and free of spillage.

Working areas bunded or trenched to capture spillage

and rainwater runoff.

Working areas connected to oil separator.

Oil Separator cleaned daily, free of contaminants.

Contaminated Materials List posted in widely visible

locations.

Emergency response procedures posted in widely visible

locations.

In addition to these and other checklists, pictures of any

unlawful or non-conformance works are taken. After the

inspection, the internal audit team will initiate an inspection

Report which points out the non-conformity and it Corrective

Action. The report is sent to the Department Heads who were

affected to know the effect of the non-conformity and correct it.

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A non-conformity form will come in when the heads of departments

do not work on the corrective actions of the auditors.

EXAMPLE OF HOW INSPECTION REPORTS ARE DONE

Above is a non-conformance pictures taken at AMS during an

inspection on 7th August, 2013. Improper way of storing used

batteries. No fire extinguishers, overloaded storage, no posted

signs like “no naked light within 20m”.

Recommendation;

It should be orderly arranged without overloading them.

Fire extinguishers should be there.

Batteries stored upright and in single level only, not

stacked on top of each other.

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A B

Above are pictures taken at AMS (B) and Total (B) during an

internal audit on 7th August, 2013.

A is disorderly arranged. It is arranged to the edge of the wall

of the bunded area. In case of spill, the hydrocarbon will

directly get into the environment. The drums can easily fall to

cause spillages.

Recommendation;

It should be orderly arranged.

It should be arranged 1m away from the wall of the

bunded area. This is to prevent any fuel from getting

onto the bare soil in case there is a spill.

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Although B is arranged above the bare ground but is not in a

bunded area. In case of any spillage, the oil will easily get

into the soil.

Recommendation;

It should be in a bunded area.

In addition, one other thing I learnt at EMS is a disturbance

form. It is a form that is filled when anyone want to disturb or

destroy any land for a particular purpose. I studied that a land

is disturbed as and when needed for a particular purpose. But

before the disturbance, the individual carrying out the

disturbance has to fill a disturbance form at the EMS section.

The map and size of the land to be disturbed should be attached

to the form and signed by the Environmental Manager after the

individual has filled his or her part. The form is filed at EMS

section for future records.

In conclusion, PMGL‘s EMS ensures that all the requirements in

the Permit are adhered to in all workplaces of the company. They

also preach on how to prevent disturbances and control

environmental aspects to any part (air, soil water, flora, and

fauna) of the environment. They also make sure that all employees

are well trained and competent to discharge their duties through

induction, awareness, and competency programs

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CHAPTER FIVE

THE REHABILITATION AND RE-VEGETATION SECTION

As required in the Section 5.1.13 of the Permit, PMGL is obliged

to address issues of rehabilitation during and after it

operations. To meet this requirement, the company is required to

develop and maintain a post closure land-use plan for the sites,

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rehabilitate areas that are no longer required for the operations

of the mine, ensure that the mine closure meets legal

requirement, undertake rehabilitation practices that protect the

environment and public health, and monitor and manage

rehabilitated areas until the vegetation is self-sustaining and

reclamation objectives achieved.

In addition, in the Section 4.8 of the Permit, PMGL is also

required to restrict vegetation clearance to areas required for

operational activities, strip, stockpile appropriately and label

topsoil for future rehabilitation. This means that disturbing of

land is done as and when needed for an operation. The use of land

clearing Permit is to limit vegetation clearing on the mine site.

Topsoil is often the most important factor in the rehabilitation

process. At PMGL, the topsoil of all disturbed lands have been

stripped, stockpiled, and labeled according to where it was

stripped. The topsoil stockpiles are been used for rehabilitation

works. To prevent the topsoil stockpile from adverse weather

conditions or drying up, erosion and to loose it soil nutrient,

pueraria seeds is spread on them to make it moisturise and rich.

Pueraria also fix nitrogen into the soil.

Before a site is vegetated, re-sloping of deposited waste rock is

done to obtain the required slopes indicated in the plan. Design

of waste rock dumps is done using flat slope angles (20-30

degrees) to reduce erosion. The final land form must be

hydrologically compatible with the surrounding area. 20-30

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degrees slope angles are used at PMGL. After that, Dumping and

spreading of oxide materials on the compacted waste rocks is

done. Topsoil is taken from a nearby stockpile and spread over

the oxide material. Oxide that is non-economical for milling will

be considered and environmental resource for capping of waste

dumps. The oxide material will be deposited on the rock and

spread to a suitable thickness based on the final land use

planned for the area. Oxide floors and compacted oxide should be

deeply ripped to ease the development of roots in the final

cover. Wherever possible, handling of oxide materials and topsoil

shall be planned for the favourable weather condition to reduce

over compaction and dust generation. All these earthworks would

be done by the mining department and supervised by the

environment department or rehabilitation officer.

Right after earthworks, rehabilitation starts. At PMGL, it starts

with grassing. This involves establishing an initial vegetative

cover to control soil erosion, which is usually planned to take

advantage of the early rains of the wet season. Re-vegetation is

initially done with species that will contribute most to the

stability and utilization of the ecosystem or farming system that

will be developed in the area. Initial Stabilization of slopes

may include Planting of Vetiver, Guinea, Brachiara and Citronella

grasses across the slope to serve as an erosion control

structures.

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When the grasses has established, seedlings of plants (viable)

nursed at the rehabilitation nursery are transplanted.

Transplanting is done with planting charts of 70% local trees and

30% exotic trees in the rainy season. The exotic ones fix

nitrogen into the soil. Examples of plants transplanted are;

Local:

• Khaya ivorensis (mahogany)

• Picnantus angulensis (otie)

• Ceiba pentandra (onyina)

• Magnifera indica (mango), etc.

Exotic:

• Piper nigrum (pepper corn)

• Cedrela odorata (cedrela)

• Milletia milletia (milletia)

• Samanea samani (rain tree/monkey pod), etc.

Below are the pictures of the rehabilitation section nursery.

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Maintenance of the rehabilitated areas is a basic requirement for

achieving productivity and the progression to the final ecosystem

of farming system. The following maintenance practices are

carried out;

• Regular weeding to rid farms of weeds and rodents;

• Tending to prevent competition for nutrients between weeds

and the plants;

• Application of fertilizer;

• Promptly repairing areas showing signs of erosion; and

• Period spraying and pruning of plants.

In conclusion, the rehabilitation section is obliged to ensure

that the land is restored to its natural structure after and

during the mine operations.

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CHAPTER SIX

THE COMPLIANCE SECTION

Compliance can be defined as either a state of being in

accordance with established guidelines, specifications, or

legislation. Environmental compliance is the process of adhering

to environmental regulations in effect, environmental policies,

and requirements of Permits. In addition, environmental

compliance means conforming to environmental laws, regulations,

standards and other requirements.

The aim of the Environmental compliance section at PMGL is to

ensure that all employees or workers discharge their

responsibilities according to the requirement of the Permits

(EPA, MinCOM, WRC, and others) and the environmental policies.

In the section 3.7 and 4.2 of the EPA Permit, PMGL can apply for

the renewal of their permit. Renewal of permit is done when the

existing one is about outdating. If the company wants to make

changes in its environmental monitoring point locations or

changes in pit and waste dump designs, the company has to notify

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EPA of such changes, seek approval before implementation. This is

one of the duties of the Compliance section.

Below are some of the activities carried out in this section;

Timely submission of compliance reports to MinCOM, EPA and

WRC.

Waste segregation and management across site.

Dust suppression across site and catchment communities.

Update of standard operating procedures and policies.

Incident investigation and corrective actions.

Follow on community complains.

DUST SUPRESSION ACROSS SITE AND CATCHMENT COMMUNITIES

PMGL’s Environmental Management Plan on Air Quality management to

suppress dust generation is as follows;

The use of water tankers to water haul and access roads

to the mine and all catchment communities.

Mounting of regular speed checks and slow down signs

along all access roads to the mine and neighboring

communities for vehicles to minimize dust in populated

areas and in these communities.

Monitoring of Total Suspended Particles (TSP) and

Particulate Matter (PM10) in the catchment communities.

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PMGL has put all these measures in place to ensure that dust

generated from their operations do not have impact on the fauna

and flora, air, and water in the environment.

WASTE SEGREGATION AND MANAGEMENT ACROSS SITE

In the section 5.2 of the EPA permit, PMGL is obliged to

segregate it solid waste generated onsite before disposing. It is

to this purpose that the company has placed separate waste bins

(domestic waste bin, hazardous waste bin, and plastic waste bins)

at vantage points. Inspections are also conducted to determine

when these bins require replacement. Non-hazardous wastes are

disposed in a land fill site constructed on site. In the same

vein, hazardous wastes are also disposed of in a HDPE and clay

lined land fill. All the landfill sites on site are inspected by

the compliance section regularly to ensure that they are properly

maintained.

For the effective compliance of waste management procedures on

site, employees are trained about that during induction or

awareness training periods. In the training sections, all

personnel, including contractors are taught on how waste are

placed into the allocated containers clearly marked on site.

Also, workers are trained for management of on-site landfill and

management of all new recruits on waste management plan during

induction.

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FOLLOW ON COMMUNITY COMPLAINS

If catchment communities complain that the operations of the mine

are adversely affecting their environment, it is the

responsibility of the Compliance section to investigate the

issue. For instance, when a community complain that their source

of drinking water is being polluted, this section would have to

investigate whether the mine is causing that or not. With this

complain, certain parameters like TDS, TSS, DO, BOD, and others

of that water body will be analyzed. The results will be compared

with the current monthly or weekly water analysis of that water

body. If the mining is causing that, corrective actions will be

taken. All these investigations are done because some illegal

mining (galamsey) operations cause or chemicals used by farmers

around that water body can cause that. This is done for all other

complains.

On the whole this section ensures that all the requirements of

the Permits are obliged by all and sundry in the company.

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REFERENCES

I. SOP’s of all the sections in PMGL’s Environmental

Department.

II. www.chesapeakebay.net/discovery/bayecosystem/dissolvedoxygen

III. www.lenntech.com/turbidity.htm

IV. www.state.ky.us/nrepc/water/wcpdo.htm

V. www.lenntech.com/why_the_oxygen_dissolved_is_important.htm

VI. www.ret.gov.au/resources/Documents/LPSDP/BPEMRehab.pdf

VII. www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Environmental_compliance

VIII. www.praxiom.com/iso-14001-definitions.htm

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