Project Name

• Review of Environmental Monitoring Program

Client

• Porgera Joint Venture

Description of Project

Review of environmental monitoring program, which serves to ensure that the Porgera gold mine does not adversely impact on the downstream river system (Lagiap, Strickland and Fly Rivers).

The current monitoring program includes monitoring of biota, water quality, sediments and metal contamination in fish.

The review program will assess the usefulness of the current program within an environmental risk assessment framework.  This review will provide three important outcomes, it will:

(a) allow the total program to be assessed in terms of its ability to report on the risk to the ecological health of the downstream river system from the Porgera mine,

(b) identify important components that are currently not being monitored but should be, and equally will identify any components currently being monitored that are not adding value,

(c) identify key knowledge gaps that need to be filled by additional targeted investigations.

Relevance of key outputs to AusAID interests or Australian Aid?

This project will develop a new methodology that will be useful for assessing environmental quality monitoring programs, within a risk-based framework.  This should assist in providing clear focus on why the monitoring is being undertaken (to ensure the ecological health of the environment is being protected) and what components of the environment (e.g. water quality, biota, contamination) are best to monitor.