1. Environmental Support
for Mineral Extraction
and Mining

2. 2012- 13 and ESI has assisted several large UK aggregates
Environmental Impact companies with an audit of sites to determine work required
to achieve compliance in advance of the new scheme.
Assessments ESI supports sites that require permanent or temporary
discharge consents (Environmental Permit) associated with
mineral processing, site drainage or dewatering and designs
the required mitigation measures to meet water quality
conditions relating to silt settlement, hydrocarbons and other
potential contaminants.
Groundwater Control and
Dewatering
Planning constraints on lateral extensions for quarries has put
increased pressure for deepening of existing sites below the
water table. The energy cost of dewatering has become a
Minimising the impact of a proposed development on the
significant operational factor. ESI’s approach is focussed on
surrounding water environment is key to obtaining planning
high efficiency with low operating costs. Environmental
permission and maximising the available resource. ESI
constraints, such as drawdown beneath sensitive receptors,
supports the initial scoping requests, site investigations,
are often critical to the feasibility of these schemes.
environmental impact assessments and the environmental
statement through an integrated understanding of all aspects
of the water environment encompassing groundwater, surface
water and ecology.
Clients have benefited from ESI's pragmatic and technically
robust approach and excellent working relationships with
contacts in all regions of the Environment Agency to
negotiate an effective outcome.
Regulatory Permitting –
Abstraction and Discharge
ESI has extensive experience of handling all aspects of
efficient dewatering and are currently developing and
operating groundwater models of some of the largest
dewatering schemes in the UK. ESI’s approach in all projects
is to work closely with clients to determine the most
appropriate level of assessment required, ensuring a cost
effective solution is achieved in all cases.
Many extractive developments require permits for abstraction
licensing and discharge consenting regimes. The UK Water
Act (2003) requires that many mineral dewatering
programmes will require regulation and abstraction licences
Groundwater Modelling
that should be renewed every 15 years. During renewal it is Groundwater models are the most effective and accurate
likely that a detailed Environmental Assessment is carried out. method of developing an understanding of how aquifer
ESI quickly and efficiently provides the regulators with systems behave and can be used to make predictions about
applications that meet their requirements. Transfer abstraction the system’s future behaviour. Specific questions that can be
licences are due be introduced by the Environment Agency in addressed using a groundwater model include:

3. • How might a change in quarry depth impact on aquifer potential site after uses, including sustainable development,
properties? aquaculture, water supply and treatment, flood alleviation and
• What will the drawdown be beneath a sensitive receptor? nature conservation.
• Will increased abstraction cause saline intrusion?
• How might changes in abstraction affect groundwater
quality? Waste Management and
In order to produce a groundwater model that can be used
as a reliable management tool, it is essential to base it on a Landfill
carefully worked conceptual model. ESI’s leading modelling
capability supports the selection of the right groundwater
modelling approach for the problem being faced.
Site Water Management
Plans and Water Audits
ESI delivers a leading capability in landfill management.
Under the Environmental Permitting (EP) Regulations
(2010), the development of a conceptual model and the
preparation of environmental risk assessments are required
for all sites prior to a permit being issued. ESI provides
support in preparing applications, reviewing permit
conditions, evaluating the success of sites in achieving
compliance criteria and negotiating permit issues with
Effective control of the site water management system, regulatory authorities.
including both groundwater and surface water components,
is necessary to minimise costs and environmental risk during
the operational phase and are included in the site plan. The Hydroecology
plans enable effective site management from the operational
through to the restoration phase and post closure. ESI
combines a practical approach with modelling of the site
water balance to ensure adequate controls are in place to
manage the water efficiently and provide the resource
requirements for mineral processing. ESI also offers a site
water audit looking at the requirements for abstraction,
discharge, processing and water treatment.
Site Restoration
ESI regularly works with landscape architects and ecologists
to devise appropriate restoration proposals advising on
groundwater and surface water interactions and predictions Over the last decade ESI has been working with a range of
of the final water levels. Input is provided to the design of clients, particularly in the extractive and water industry, to
practical water control measures such as outfall design. ESI develop more targeted and efficient ways of defining the
has very strong capabilities in the field of landfill permitting impact of industry on water sensitive ecology (hydro-
and can provide information on integrating landfilling ecology). ESI works alongside other specialists (e.g. in
opportunities into the proposed restoration design. ESI has aquatic ecology and hydrology) as part of a team to deliver
worked with UK water companies to identify potential quarry clear answers to these problems. Assessments combine the
voids that could be used for water storage. ESI’s team broad, catchment scale, approach with a more detailed local
members have undertaken research (funded through the understanding of the water level, flow and quality
Aggregates Levy Sustainability Fund) into a wide range of requirements of the target habitat or species.

4. Flood Risk Assessments Water Quality and
Contaminant Assessment
Assessment of site discharge water quality will be required
to ensure regulatory compliance; ESI can devise appropriate
water quality monitoring procedures to provide the
necessary data. Mitigation measures may be necessary to
achieve water quality objectives and advice on silt
settlement lagoons and water management facilities is
provided. Site specific issues can include elevated metal
concentrations and acid drainage related to weathering of
metal sulphides. Control strategies can be devised in
conjunction with the site management to minimise the
impact on water quality from this source. ESI has an in
depth knowledge of modelling contaminant fate and
transport issues within the groundwater system.
ESI offers a combined understanding of flood risk with the
other groundwater and surface water issues on mineral
extraction sites to provide optimal cost effective solutions. New
developments will usually require a flood risk assessment
Monitoring & Environmental
according to statutory requirements. A risk assessment is also
recommended for existing sites when assessing the operational
Data Management
impact of flood risk to the site from adjacent water courses and
rainfall run-off. An understanding of the flood risk posed by the
site to other receptors may be incorporated within the site
water management plan to ensure site discharge is regulated
to acceptable levels and sufficient storage is available to cope
with significant storm events.
Water Supply and Borehole
Drilling
ESI designs and implements suitable mitigation measures on
major infrastructure projects including mines, tunnels and
highways as well as aggregates and other quarrying
schemes. Using quantitative assessment methods, alongside
robust environmental monitoring, demonstrates the nature
and extent of environmental impacts of such schemes on the
water environment. ESI has expertise in designing
hydrometric monitoring programs for both groundwater and
surface water systems to achieve compliance with permit
conditions.
ESI provides customised environmental data management
systems and services designed to enforce data quality and
Site water supply is of key strategic importance in ensuring meet statistical analysis requirements. ESI can deliver
the site can continue to operate at all times including drought environmental data as spreadsheets, databases or web
conditions. ESI offers both groundwater and surface water reports in the form of downloadable data and graphs.
resource assessments from initial feasibility studies, through
detailed inlet design or borehole testing, to permit
negotiations and obtaining the final abstraction licence. ESI
Expert Witness
works for many of the major UK water utility companies and Senior members of the consultancy team are able to provide
also provides bespoke site specific water supply solutions for legal support, testimonies and act as Expert Witness’ in
industrial applications. support of public enquiries and court cases.

5. Environmental Support for Mineral
Extraction and Mining
ESI delivers technical, specialist services and advice to support mineral extraction and mining
clients to develop their opportunities, whilst understanding and complying with environmental
legislation and managing their risks. ESI has a strong team of scientists with a good balance
between pragmatic field experience and in-depth quantitative skills for analysis of field results.
ESI has completed work on a large number of mineral
extraction sites in a range of settings including, clay,
sand and gravel pits, hard rock quarries, coal and
Case Studies
metalliferous mines in various UK and international
locations. ESI provides ongoing support to sites with
practical advice on day to day water management
Hydrogeological impact
issues and monitoring reviews as well as input to long
term strategic plans. ESI also provides a high level
assessment for a proposed
groundwater modelling capability, which is often a
cost effective way of proving environmental
extension
compliance. A detailed hydrogeological impact assessment of a proposed
extension of a sand and gravel quarry near Lincoln was
The range of services provided includes: carried out in support of a planning application. A significant
• Environmental impact assessments body of data on the geology, hydrogeology and hydrology of
• Regulatory permitting – water abstraction and discharge the site was collected and reviewed in order to develop a
• Groundwater control and dewatering good conceptual understanding of the local flow systems. This
• Groundwater modelling was used to identify the baseline hydrogeology of the area and
• Site water management plans and water audits potential impacts on relevant receptors and the development
of appropriate monitoring and mitigation measures.
• Site restoration
• Hydroecology A number of SSSI’s were identified in close proximity to the
• Flood risk assessments site and were considered to be potentially sensitive to a
• Waste management and landfill reduction in groundwater levels. To ensure that there would
• Water supply and borehole drilling be no significant effect on these SSSI’s an extensive clay
• Water quality and contaminant assessment bund was proposed as mitigation with a recharge trench to
• Monitoring and environmental data Management ensure no short term impact during clay bund emplacement.
The hydrogeological assessment was accepted by the
UK Extractive Industry Environment Agency and planning permission was granted.
Since 1996 ESI has developed an excellent understanding
of the regulators' changing requirements ensuring advice
Groundwater modelling:
on the exact scope of work required to achieve approval Lisheen Lead-Zinc Mine,
for new plans and developments is delivered within agreed
timescales. A focussed approach of achieving compliance Ireland
whilst ensuring the methodologies developed and used are ESI developed a regional 3D transient MODFLOW model of the
cost effective and reliable. ESI provides services to major Carboniferous Limestone aquifer to predict future impact of
producers such as CEMEX, Tarmac and Hanson as well various abstraction regimes under differing recharge conditions.
as specialist operators including Sibelco and Bathgate A four layer model was developed to represent this complex
Silica Sands. multilayer aquifer system, drawing on extensive regional
monitoring data and specific field investigations. Systematic
International Mining and calibration of the model, initially to steady state conditions, and
subsequently to transient conditions, was undertaken, along
with a sensitivity analysis. The model was subsequently applied
Mineral Extraction to the prediction of drawdown zone extent, resources
assessment and the evaluation of water quality issues.
ESI team members have extensive international experience
within Europe, Africa, Asia and the Middle East and have
completed environmental impact assessments and due Al Kamil Coal Mine, Oman
diligence work on open pit and underground operations. A detailed field investigation was designed and implemented
Projects have included coal mines and metaliferous mines, using borehole drilling, pumping tests, packer tests,
large scale aggregate extraction, cement production and hydrochemical sampling and analysis to characterise critical
oil refineries. ESI offers the supervision of field data hydrogeological parameters as the basis for dewatering
collection, combined with detailed modelling to provide design. Predictions were made of the likely extent of surface
cost effective solutions. water depletion resulting from the abstractions.

6. Water balance for Cornelly Group of Quarries
Freemans Quarry
ESI had assisted CEMEX UK Materials Ltd over a number of The planning permissions for the Cornelly Group of Quarries
years in preparing annual reviews of the hydrological were subject to review under the provisions of the
monitoring data for Freemans Quarry. In 2009 CEMEX Environment Act 1995(ROMP). The National Assembly for
instructed ESI to prepare a hydrogeological impact Wales (NAW) had concerns about the potential impacts of
assessment to support the planned increased depth of further working of the quarries.
working, and subsequent restoration of Freemans Quarry.
The report concluded that only occasional, limited dewatering The NAW requested Environmental Statements to assist in the
would be required to work the next bench and that any minor determination of the ROMP submissions. Tarmac appointed
impacts from working the final bench could be mitigated by ESI to carry out a hydrogeological investigation and impact
discharge of the water to local soakaways. assessments, the work involved field investigations
(construction of 20 new monitoring boreholes and borehole
In reviewing the report, the Environment Agency offered to and surface geophysics), monitoring (level, flow and quality),
provide outputs from its regional water resources study to allow tracer tests, data reviewand analysis, development of a
a more quantitative approach to be adopted. ESI therefore conceptual model and preparation of the Environmental
used the outputs from the Agency’s 4R recharge-runoff model Statement. Negotiation and technical discussion with the
to develop transient water balances for the local area in order regulators was a central part of the assessment due to the
to quantify the quarry dewatering more accurately. This work complexity of the local hydrogeology and the potential degree
supported the findings of the original investigation. of uncertainty in any predictions that could be made.
ESI Ltd.
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