2011
AMBATOVY SUSTAINABILITY REPORT
24
Environmental Performance
Water
Ambatovy’s comprehensive Water Management Plan is
designed to:
3
Ensure that project construction, maintenance and
operations do not adversely affect surface and
groundwater quality, and that any wastewater complies
with environmental standards.
3
Monitor the flow rate and quality of surface and
groundwater downstream of mining activities to detect
any abnormalities.
3
Ensure that the Torotorofotsy Wetlands and sensitive
aquatic ecosystems are not adversely affected by the
activities at the mine or along the pipeline.
3
Communicate with downstream users to ensure
their water needs are met and propose solutions if
problems arise.
3
Ensure that domestic water supply and sewage
treatment meet the criteria of applicable water quality
regulations and guidelines.
The mine’s Operational Plan is
designed to ensure that runoff from
mining excavations flows into sediment
retention basins, lowering potential
impacts on the sensitive watersheds
around the mine. Water runoff collection
ponds and flow allowances are
designed to meet the World Bank and
Malagasy regulations on water quality. Indicators monitored at
17 sites around the mine in 2011 included such measurements
as total suspended solids, pH, heavy metals and coliform
bacteria.
Annual water requirements for ore preparation at the mine
represent about 0.5% of the mean annual flow of the Mangoro
River. Water is mixed with ore to create slurry for transport
down the pipeline.
At the plant site, the principal source is water recovered
from dewatering the ore slurry, which will be augmented
with withdrawals from the Ivondro River. A portion of the
effluent discharge from the tailings facility (up to 300 m
3
/hr
or approximately 9% of our total estimated withdrawals) is
available to be utilized in the process if required. The use of
processed water at the plant would be primarily for cooling
water and boiler-feed water.
Much smaller extractions will be made from the Andranovery
River for human consumption at the mine site. This water will
be processed at a treatment plant.
These amounts of water withdrawal will not significantly affect
the sources. Ambatovy’s Water Management Plan, coupled
with strict environmental regulations, ensures that no water
withdrawal will have any impact on the health of aquatic
ecosystems.
Water Withdrawals during Operations
Estimated Annual
Actual Average Actual Amount 2011
SOURCE
Amount (m
3
/hr)
Amount 2011 (m
3
/hr)
(m
3
)
Mangoro River
1,800
1,000
1,952,258
Andranovery River
N/A
7
58,133
Ivondro River
1,375
561
4,912,138
Total
3,175
1,568
6,922,529
