Construction of the waste rock embankments is carried out by the mining contractor, under the supervision of Newmont Waihi Gold personnel, with the assistance of the design engineer and surveyors as necessary. Company personnel assist the contractor in planning construction, observe all construction activities and undertake control testing of fill placed in the embankments.
Regular surveys of the embankments are carried out to measure movements. The embankments are instrumented with a network of piezometers that measure pore water pressure and provide information necessary to assess the stability of the embankment. Water quality and flows are measured for both the surface water and underdrainage systems. Modelling and monitoring of the performance of the cap (zones G, H and topsoil) is an important component of the monitoring programme.
The consent conditions stipulate the requirements for the reporting of data to the appropriate regulatory authorities. The design engineer prepares an annual inspection report to confirm that the embankments are in a safe and stable condition. An independent peer review panel, consisting of experts in the fields of geotechnical engineering, geochemistry, hydrogeology and rehabilitation, also carry out inspections on a regular basis. They review data and reports, and they themselves provide reports to the regulatory agencies. They have a supervisory role over the construction of facilities.
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