Sustainable Resource Development - A Theoretical Framework for Integrating Environmental Impact Assessment into Life-of-Mine Planning Optimization

根据加拿大的经济行动计划，能源和采矿业每年为政府提供大约250亿美元的收入，这些钱用于支持医疗保健、教育和公共养老金等关键的社会项目。未来10年，600多个重大资源项目计划开工，总投资超过6500亿美元。加拿大负有以可持续和最佳方式开发和利用其矿产资源的全球责任。拟议的研究与加拿大自然资源部合作领导的绿色采矿倡议相一致，目的是为可持续的自然资源开发开发绿色技术和知识。拟议的研究计划建立在我们过去的研究结果的基础上，以制定一个综合的矿山系统规划，其中矿物的提取和制备符合所需的市场规格，对环境的不利影响最小；最大经济效益；在可接受的社会、法律和监管约束下。本研究的重点是运筹学在自然资源可持续发展中的应用。这项研究直接有助于创造新知识和创新技术，将环境影响因素纳入资源开发所需的矿山生命周期规划优化，从而只留下恢复的景观和健康的生态系统。预计这项研究的结果将通过资源行业的原型开源软件应用程序将知识传递给从业者和最终用户，从而有助于负责任的资源开发。这项研究将产生适用于其他领域的新技术，并将训练高度合格的采矿专业人员。这项研究还将提供一种手段，以提高资源经济效益和产品供应，减轻与土地和水有关的主要环境影响，使有效的逐步复垦成为可能，尽量减少采矿和开始复垦之间的间隔时间，以尽可能少的移动次数在其最终位置替换受到干扰的材料，并尽量减少在矿山寿命期间对土地的干扰。

According to Canada's Economic Action Plan the energy and mining sector provides approximately $25 billion a year in revenue to governments - money that supports critical social programs such as health care, education and public pensions. Over the next decade, more than 600 major resource projects, worth over $650 billion, are planned to move ahead. Canada has a global responsibility to develop and utilize its mineral resources sustainably and optimally. The proposed research is aligned with the Green Mining Initiative, under the collaborative leadership of Natural Resources Canada, in order to develop green technologies and knowledge for sustainable natural resources development. The proposed research program builds on our past findings to develop an integrated mine systems planning, whereby a mineral is extracted and prepared at a desired market specification, with the minimum adverse effect on the environment; maximum economic return; and within acceptable social, legal and regulatory constraints. This research is focused on applications of operations research in the sustainable development of natural resources. This research directly contributes to the creation of new knowledge, and innovative technologies for the integration of environmental impact factors into life-of-mine planning optimization required for resource development to leave behind only rehabilitated landscapes and healthy ecosystems. It is anticipated that the outcome of this research will contribute to responsible resource development by transferring knowledge to practitioners and end-users through prototype open-source software applications in the resources industry. This research will generate new technologies that are applicable to other areas and will also train highly qualified mining professionals. The research will also provide a means to enhance resource economic performance and product supply, mitigate major land- and water-related environmental impacts, make efficient progressive reclamation possible, minimize the lead-time between mining and start of reclamation, replace the disturbed materials in its final location with minimum number of moves possible, and minimize land disturbance during mine-life.