Environmental management frameworks for offshore mining: the New Zealand approach

The New Zealand region contains untapped natural mineral, oil, and gas resources while also supporting globally unique and diverse faunal communities that need to be managed sustainably. In this paper key information from the international literature is reviewed that can underpin an Environmental Mining Management System which includes elements of Environmental Risk Assessment, Environmental Impact Assessment and Environmental Management Planning. This paper focuses on four developing areas of seafloor mining activities presently being undertaken or planned in the New Zealand region: hydrocarbons (oil and gas), minerals, ironsands and phosphorite nodules. A number of issues with the implementation of environmental management systems are identified including the difficulty of assessing new marine activities or technologies and the need for standardised reporting metrics. Finally, the development of ecosystem-based management and marine spatial planning is discussed which will be required to enhance environmental mining management frameworks in New Zealand.     

闽江河口区湿地生态旅游环境容量研究

本文讨论了生态旅游环境容量的定义及内涵，分析了生态旅游环境容量的特征及构成，在此基础上估算了闽江河口区湿地生态旅游环境容量．结果表明：闽江河口区湿地生态旅游环境容量的限制因子是鳝鱼滩自然保护区生态旅游环境空间容量．鳝鱼滩旅游步行道可分成南路和北路，北路为水路游线，南路为陆路游线．北路游线环境空间日容量为800人次／d，南路游线环境空间日容量为1144人次／d．鳝鱼滩湿地生态旅游环境空间年容量为451202人次／a．这一环境容量可作为闽江河口区湿地生态旅游活动环境容量的最高限制量．     

Seston transport and deposition in Pelorus sound,south Island,New Zealand

Transport of seston (suspended sediment) in Pelorus Sound is controlled by tides and freshwater inflow. During high freshwater inflow, a moderately stratified estuarine circulation may be superimposed on the tidal circulation, but the latter dominates and transports seston seawards and landwards with the ebb and flood phases respectively. With extreme freshwater inflow, the estuarine circulation gains impetus and most seston is rapidly transported seaward in the low saline surface layer.

Irrespective of circulation there is a persistent trend in seston concentrations. Highest values occur at the sound's head because of the influence of nearby Pelorus and Kaituna Rivers and because of resuspension of bottom sediment by strong tidal currents. Seston concentrations wane along the sound until near the entrance, where values increase as a result of greater production of biogenic seston and because additional seston is brought in from Cook Strait with the flood tide. This trend parallels variability in the thicknesses of muddy bottom sediments. Muds are thick at the head where an extensive delta extends from the river mouths; muds gradually thin seaward and then thicken markedly in the vicinity of the sound entrance.

Seston weight and composition patterns and 3.5 kHz seismic profiles indicate Pelorus Sound acts as a double‐ended sediment trap. The upper reaches receive and retain river‐derived seston, whereas the sound entrance traps seston derived from Cook Strait. This situation appears to hold for both high and extremely high influxes of sediment.     

LEADAT: a MATLAB-based program for lead-210 data analysis of sediment cores

1Introduction Tracking the history of man s impact on the en-vironment, it is clear that in many places the periodof greatest impact and most dramatic transformationlies within the last 150 a (Oldfield and Appleby,1984). Many aspects of this impact can be…     

Protracted Environmental Issues on a Proposed Titanium Minerals Development in Kenya's South Coast

This study takes cognizance of the fact that the TIOMIN (TIOMIN Resources Inc. of Canada) project has resulted in controversy over its handling of environmental issues and especially the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA). The authors address many of the protracted issues that have slowed the development of the mining project in Kwale. The main emphasis is on the impacts of the mining and mineral separation processes on the environment, including the governing legislation, the role of consultation and public participation, and socioeconomic issues. In their public documents TIOMIN has specified neither the type of minerals it wants to extract from the area nor their chemical composition. It is well known, however that the titanium minerals and zircon targeted have impurities of iron, thorium and uranium. In the absence of an Environmental Management Plan, the effects of stockpiling radioactive wastes and other impurities that could possibly lead to environmental degradation in both the terrestrial and marine environments have not been publically addressed. The measures proposed to mitigate ecological damage as a result of the establishment of a minerals processing plant in the area seem inadequate. Pollution resulting from accidental spillage or breakage could have significant impact on marine life and residents living near the mining site. Other issues that have not been addressed satisfactorily pertain to the use of surface and underground water. The area already faces a huge water deficit and the calculations presented on aquifer recharge and stream flow rates do not indicate the large quantities of water that would be required in the mineral processing plant. The project, if approved in its present state, risks violation of international conventions. Furthermore, it could cause a conflict between Kenya and Tanzania in the event of an oil spill at the proposed ship loading facility at Shimoni. The proposed mining area includes the district's most fertile land, is home to many fisherfolk and is a major tourist destination. An analysis of the effects of this project on other available opportunities must be thoroughly understood to ascertain the economic and environmental benefits and costs of the mining venture. The proposed compensation rate of $1,000 per acre, for resettlement for example, appears to be grossly inadequate. Compensation should take into account family size and structure family assets and the cost of relocation.     

长江口及其邻近陆架区夏季网采浮游植物及其影响因素

2009年6、8月长江口及其邻近陆架区的网采样品中检出浮游植物9门395种(含223种硅藻与125种甲藻)。浮游植物丰度8月(3 077.15×104 cells/m3)显著高于6月(107.80×104 cells/m3)。随长江冲淡水势力增强,位于长江口的丰度高值区8月较6月更偏外侧。种类丰富度8月高于6月,但多样性和均匀度指数略低于6月。6月尖刺伪菱形藻和三角角藻占绝对优势,8月优势种主要有尖刺伪菱形藻、笔尖形根管藻和铁氏束毛藻。骨条藻虽非优势种,但在长江冲淡水区丰度较高。相似性分析和多维尺度分析表明,浮游植物群落组成时空差异显著。典范对应分析表明,温度和盐度是分别影响6、8月群落分布的首要因子。根据水动力和化学参数,该区浮游植物群落分布与环流变化和水团消长密切相关。     

渤海地区平台结构设计环境条件选取分析

随着平台的使用年限增长,环境条件随着海洋环境的变化而变得日益恶劣,对于渤海地区,提出了是否采用100年一遇环境条件替换50年一遇环境条件进行结构设计.经过对渤海地区的部分中心平台和井口平台50年/100年环境条件对比分析,提出了对于渤海地区海上平台结构采用100年一遇环境条件替换50年一遇环境条件.     

渤海莱州湾地区晚更新世以来有孔虫特征反映的古环境变化

Controlled by climate changes, there were three large-scale transgressions and regressions around the Bohai Sea during the late Quaternary, which were accepted by most geologists. However, a big controversy still exists about the time when the transgressions occurred separately. In order to find out the process of the paleoenvironmental changes around the Bohai Sea in the late Quaternary, the foraminifera assemblages from a new borehole Lz908 in the southern coast of the Laizhou Bay were studied, and then the transgressive strata were indentified. Combined with accelerator mass spectrometry radiocarbon 14C（AMS14C） and optically stimulated luminescence（OSL） ages, the occurrence time of these transgressions were re-determined. The result showed that three major large-scale transgressions occurred separately at the beginning of marine isotopic stage 7（MIS7）, the last interglacial period（MIS5） and the Holocene. In addition, a small-scale transgression occurred in the mid-MIS6, and the corresponding transgressive stratum was deposited. The transgressive deposition of MIS3 was also discovered in this study. However, the characteristics of the foraminifera indicated the environment during this period was colder than that in the MIS5. By comparison with the global sea-level changes, the paleoenvironmental changes around the Bohai Sea in the late Quaternary can be consistent with the global climate changes.     

蛤蜊岗滩涂贝类分布及其与环境因子的关系

为探明辽东湾蛤蜊岗潮间带滩涂贝类的物种组成、分布密度和生物量的变化状况,于2011年5月对蛤蜊岗滩涂贝类资源进行了现场调查,采集共获得滩涂贝类16种,其中文蛤、泥螺、四角蛤蜊、托氏琩螺为蛤蜊岗滩涂贝类优势种,青蛤和光滑河蓝蛤为常见种。托氏琩螺的分布密度最高,为83个/m2,四角蛤蜊的平均生物量最大,为178.51 g/m2。蛤蜊岗滩涂贝类的分布呈现从滩涂北部向南部逐渐减少的趋势,滩涂四周的分布密度大于滩涂中间区域。对滩涂贝类分布密度和生物量与底质粒度、有机物含量等环境因子进行相关分析的结果显示:文蛤分布与底质中值粒径呈极显著的负相关性;托氏琩螺分布与底质中有机质含量呈显著的正相关性,而泥螺、四角蛤蜊则与环境因子的关系不显著。调查结果表明,蛤蜊岗滩涂贝类资源丰富,但应加强文蛤自然资源的保护和恢复,同时应加强对托氏琩螺资源的合理开发利用。     

辽东湾中部海域春季大型底栖生物的群落结构及影响因子

2013年5月对辽东湾中部的大型底栖生物进行了调查,分析了该海域底栖生物的种类组成、丰度、生物量、群落结构及其与环境因子的关系。调查海域共发现大型底栖生物70种,包括多毛类24种,甲壳类18种,软体动物20种,棘皮动物7种,纽虫1种。相对重要性指数大于100的种类有14种,排名前3位的分别是日本游泳水虱、毛蚶、日本长尾虫。底栖动物丰度平均值为244.2个/m~2,生物量为52.52 g/m~2,棘皮动物是生物量的重要贡献者。多样性指数平均值为3.24,丰度生物量比较曲线分析结果认为调查海域大型底栖动物群落未受到干扰,底栖生物群落的结构相似性较低,在20%的相似程度上可分为5个组。底层水中溶解氧含量是影响底栖生物的主要因素,不同底质条件是影响底栖生物生物量和群落结构的重要因素。