Detailed and accurate monitoring of environmental impacts by assessing water, sediment and aquatic macro-invertebrates is essential for detecting and managing potential impacts as early as possible, and before they become regulatory non-compliance issues.

Baseline monitoring is critical for characterizing the existing environment and demonstrating effective compliance. While it may not always be possible to obtain baseline monitoring for existing operations, RBC Environmental can evaluate baseline conditions from analogous environments within the same regional setting to provide the required evidence to avoid potentially costly and time consuming regulatory compliance action. We offer:

• Baseline monitoring prior to project implementation.
• Development of Receiving Environment Monitoring Programs (REMPs).
• Periodic monitoring requirements for water, sediment and aquatic invertebrates.
• Development of monitoring databases to accurately store and access data.
• Annual REMP reports to review data.
• Liaison with regulators to amend impractical license conditions or technical non-compliances.

RBC Environmental have the qualifications and experience to meet the requirements of a Suitably Qualified Person for the purposes of carrying out land contamination surveys. We can undertake geochemical characterisation of ore, waste rock and process residues and develop the required waste rock management plans including progressive characterisation and kinetic waste trials to develop a high level of certainty for material handling and longer term environmental outcomes.

Our combination of technical expertise, regulatory experience and industry practice means that RBC Environmental is uniquely skilled to provide whatever permitting support your company needs. We offer:

• Progressive rehabilitation and closure plans and associated Estimated rehabilitation cost.
• Development of waste, water, air, waste rock and erosion and sediment control plans.
• Permitting support including environmental authority applications and amendments; development approvals; notifiable road-use agreements; plan of operations; financial assurance calculators; closure and rehabilitation plans; and EPBC approvals.

It’s important to ensure closure requirements are identified and expertly handled, preferably at the project planning stage. RBC Environmental has a wealth of experience in development and management of complex rehabilitation activities at a number of sites. We use the latest technology such as hand-held XRF to effectively assess and manage site rehabilitation activities without the delays of laboratory analysis and associated costly equipment stand-down rates. We offer:

• Development of detailed closure plans.
• Assessment of financial assurance (FA) requirements and development of FA calculators.
• Development and management of site rehabilitation plans

Doing your due diligence is easier when you engage experienced consultants that bring a fresh and independent perspective to your project. RBC Environmental has strong regulatory background combined with practical industry experience which can provide a unique perspective on identifying and effectively managing compliance issues. We offer regulatory compliance audits to assess current levels of compliance, to highlight potential future issues and to develop practical solutions to any identified issues.

Drone imaging provides invaluable supporting information for environmental management. RTK flight control combined with surveyed ground control points provides highly accurate RGB, near infrared (NIR) and thermal images. Overlaid images can be used for highly precise measurements of areas and volumes for rehabilitation management or monitoring. Combined with the environmental expertise of the operators, this service can be applied to:

• Assessment of vegetation projective cover with NIR and normalised vegetation difference index (NVDI).
• Assessment of erosion losses and subsidence from rehabilitated landforms.
• Thermal mapping of sulphide contaminant halos.
• Development of erosion and sediment control plans.
• Void and stockpile volume calculations for rehabilitation planning.