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，能源和矿业部门每年为政府提供约250亿加元的收入，这些收入用于支持医疗保健、教育和公共养老金等关键社会项目。在未来十年，计划推进600多个重大资源项目，价值超过6 500亿美元。加拿大对可持续和最佳地开发和利用其矿产资源负有全球责任。拟议的研究与加拿大自然资源部的协作领导下的绿色采矿倡议保持一致，以开发可持续自然资源开发的绿色技术和知识。拟议的研究计划建立在我们过去的研究结果，以制定一个综合的矿山系统规划，从而在所需的市场规格，对环境的不利影响最小，最大的经济回报，并在可接受的社会，法律的和监管限制的矿物提取和制备。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的知识和创新技术，将环境影响因素纳入资源开发所需的矿山寿命规划优化，只留下恢复的景观和健康的生态系统。预计这项研究的成果将有助于负责任的资源开发，通过资源行业的原型开放源码软件应用程序向从业人员和最终用户转让知识。这项研究将产生适用于其他领域的新技术，并将培养高素质的采矿专业人员。该研究还将提供一种手段，以提高资源的经济效益和产品供应，减轻主要的土地和水相关的环境影响，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准备时间，以尽可能少的移动次数取代最终位置的扰动材料，并尽量减少矿山寿命期间的土地扰动。

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.