Terms of Reference

Environmental Impact monitoring at Calimani and Baia de Aries

Background

The Consultant shall prepare an Environmental Monitoring Plan for assessing the environmental consequences of mine closure works for two of the most difficult mines within the Project.

This package’s rationale is that there has never been a concern for monitoring the mine closure process of sites with a special environmental impact.

From all mines to be closed under the Project, two are of a particular importance:

Calimani Negoiu Open Pit, Suceava County

The main activity of Calimani Negoiu Open Pit was the extraction of sulphur by open pit and underground methods. It affected a surface of 375 hectares, including mine curtilages, waste tips, tailing storage facilities and other ancillary activities. The activity ceased in 1997. Associated with former mining operations there are 6 waste tips, containing 3.5 million cubic meters of mine waste. Waste material's pH ranges between 3 and 5.5 having high content of sulphur, copper and Manganese. Near the site there is an area containing Pinus Cembrae, a rare and protected species of pine tree (for which reason the area was classified as natural reservation). Mine water has a flow rate of 116 l/sec, pH of 4.5 and content of Sulphur, Iron Oxides and Heavy metals.

Baia de Aries - Mine, Alba County

The main activity of Baia de Aries mine was the mining of gold, silver and copper ore by underground methods. The ore was treated in a preparation plant. The activity ceased in 2003. Associated with former mining operations there are waste tips, tailing dams and water mines. Impact monitoring is necessary for this mine because there has never been an impact monitoring of the remediation works for tailing dams. When the preparation plant was shut down, the cyanide was not neutralized. A downstream work should be necessary to monitor the mine waters.

For both mines, water treatment facilities will be constructed under mine closure contracts.

Objectives

The objectives of Environmental Monitoring Plan are to:

· Prepare an environmental monitoring plan to asses the environmental impact of the two mine closure in the two locations for: ARD, soil, air, noise and vibration, safety survey for tailings damps & waste dumps and land survey in the area were there are ground mines

· Define the institutional needs (training, monitoring equipment, small works to be executed etc.) for the monitoring plan, including bidding documents for necessary procurement

· Monitoring the identified parameters during the execution of the mine closure works

Work Program and Activity Schedule

Task 1: Preparation of an environmental monitoring plan (including a safety survey plan) to asses the environmental impact of mine closure works.

The Consultant should first review the Environmental Assessment and the Expertise of the Safety for Tailings Dams & Waste Dumps (part of the Mine Closure Technical Plan). Based upon this review the Consultant should identify the potential environmental impacts and should make recommendation for any further studies to be conducted for filling the gaps. The consultant will develop technical specification for new site investigation as necessary. The output should be an environmental monitoring and safety survey plan that will include the monitoring requirements.

The consultant should identify appropriate environmental performance and safety survey indicators to be monitored. As a minimum, the monitoring (water, drainage, ARD, noise & vibration, air, soil) and safety survey program should specify:

• What parameters are to be monitored
• The monitoring method(s) (if there is one technique generally accepted for a particular task, the consultant should describe all reasonable alternatives and provide advantages and disadvantages of each)
• Any associated equipment (the monitoring plan shall include monitoring costs for purchase and operation of any monitoring equipment)
• Where monitoring is take in place
• Monitoring frequency;
• Institution/authorities responsible for performing the monitoring.

Based on monitoring requirements, the Consultant will indicate the equipment and small works necessary for the implementation of the plan.

The consultant will develop technical specifications for equipment and will elaborate the bidding documents for procurement of goods, indicating also the training course to be provide by the supplier of the equipment.

Task 1-Part A is related to Calimani mine and is estimated to commence in April 2006.

Task 1-Part B is related to Baia de Aries mine and is estimated to commence in April 2006.

Task II Design all the small works that may be necessary to monitor the impact and safety survey of mine closure works.

The Client has identified the need of small works to allow water monitoring scheme for:

• Pluvial water (for rehabilitated surfaces and for drainage systems);
• Water flow rate from underground works (construction of pilot water treatment plant). According to Romanian regulations, the monitoring process has to cover a period of least 12 months. Only after such period, the design of water treatment plant is possible. The type of data required for the design of a water treatment plant is to be provided by the Client.
• The Client has identified the need of small works to create a safety survey system for the tailings dams & waste dumps and land in the area were there are ground mines.

Task II is also to be divided into two parts, correlated to the respective mines.

Task III: Monitoring the identified parameters during the execution of mine closure contracts

The mine closure contract for Calimani is estimated to commence in September 2006 and to be completed in 2009.

The mine closure contract for Baia de Aries is estimated to commence in August 2006 and to be completed in 2007.

Specification and procurement of Laboratory and Monitoring Equipment

The requirements for monitoring equipment and laboratory facilities are to be identified during implementation of Task 1. The parameters must be readily measurable and monitoring methodology able to be effectively implemented. The identification of measurable parameters will, in Task 1, also define the level of precision of measurement, the frequency and method of sampling or measurement, and the analytical standards required to provide valid verifiable records in accordance with recognized in EU and international practice.

Task 1 will define the duty specification of the equipment for monitoring tasks and laboratory equipment. Then the Consultant must translate the duty specification into technical specifications and elaborate bidding documents for procurement of monitoring equipment.

The inventory of equipment identified to allow the proposed monitoring and laboratory functions will be subject of review by the Client. Procurement of equipment will be subsequently performed by the Client.

Training needs analysis

All entities involved in the environmental monitoring plan will need training on environmental management (including pollution control, remediation and emergency response), monitoring, sampling and laboratory duties. Consultations in Bucharest will identify a list of staff positions in each of the principal operating companies and regulatory agencies, with a summary of training or experience requirements for each position. This information will be subject of analysis by the Consultant in the home-office in order to design the training programs. Training programs will be proposed with the intended purpose of achieving a practical response for the optimum benefit. The Consultants will draw on their extensive experience in the provision of such courses and programs. For each proposed course clear objectives and scope will be identified and supported with a cost estimate.

The Analysis of Training Needs, including proposed numbers for training sessions, synopsis of proposed courses and cost estimates, will be submitted to the Client for approval, as a separate part of the monitoring plan.