Buller Coal Escarpment Mine - Operations Management plans

Challenge

Buller Coal was in the process of obtaining approval for the Buller Coal Escarpment Mine Project. The project proposed to use open cut methods to extract the coal with greater than 60% of the proposed pit area to mine through old shallow underground workings that go back to the early 1900’s. Mining of approximately 6 Megatonne (Mt) of coal at a rate of up to 1.5 Mt per annum is proposed.

Solution

SLR’s role was to prepare the Mining Operations Management Plans required under the Resource Consent and Access Agreement for the mine, and Principal Hazard Management Plans required under the Health and Safety in Employment (Mining Operations and Quarrying Operations) Regulations 2013. Our proposal included the management of sub-consultants delivering the Construction and Earthworks, Traffic, Engineered Landform, and Water Management Plans.

Our role on the project included:

• Environmental Management System framework Document
• Mining Operations Management Plan Overview Document
• Management Plans for: Construction and Earthworks, Engineered Landform, Water, Traffic, Waste, Hazardous Substances, Noise Dust and Lighting, Visual and Landscape Amenity, and Fire
• Annual Work Plan
• Principal Hazard Management Plans for Surface Mobile Plant; Strata Control, Blasting and Explosives; Tips, Voids, and Dams
• Emergency Response Plan
• Incident Investigation Standard
• Risk Management Standard
• Critical Incidence Response Manual
• Training Needs Analysis; and Associated Risk Assessments, Procedures, and Training Packages.