Environmental Incident Classification Criteria
1 Number of Incidents Reported to Corporate
Event type
1. Loss of containment
Includes releases of
process water, saline
water, hydrocarbons,
reagents, wastewater or
tailings material outside of
designated containment
areas.
Sub-categories:
a) Process water spill
b) Hydrocarbon spill
c) Tailings spill
d) Other spills, e.g.
reagents, saline water,
sewage spill.
Note: If a continuous
discharge occurs due to
the same cause, it is
classed as a single event.
2. Unauthorised land
disturbance
Includes land clearance
and landslides caused by
AGA activities.
1
Reportable incidents as a result of cyanide are also reportable to the ICMI via the Corporate Environmental Office.
2
Excluding WAD cyanide.
3
For the purposes of this standard, priority species are Critically Endangered or Endangered species on the IUCN Red List (www.iucnredlist.org) or those so designated
by an appropriate government agency.
Incident Details Reported to Corporate Office
Office
Extreme Major High Moderate Minor
Release where Release: Release: Release: Release:
the volume and • where the volume and • where the volume and • where the volume and • outside of
concentration of concentration of concentration of concentration of designated
2 2
contaminants contaminants result in a contaminants result in a contaminants result in a containment
result in an Major classification in High classification in Table 1; Moderate classification in areas but inside
Extreme Table 1; or Table 1; AGA access-
classification in or • on unsecured AGA property or controlled
Table 1. • that causes the loss of where supernatant water • on unsecured AGA operational area
3
priority flora populations; exceeds 50mg/l of WAD CN; property where and where the
or or supernatant water does volume is greater
• becomes potentially • that causes the loss of native not exceed 50mg/l of than 20 L;
detrimental to human vegetation including WAD CN; or
health, through, for
3
incidental priority flora ; or • where the volume
example, contamination or • that impacts on and concentration
of the human food chain; • that requires in-situ undisturbed soils and of contaminants
or remediation of growth native vegetation but result in a Minor
• that requires replacement medium resources. does not affect priority classification in
3
of growth medium flora species . Table 1.
resources (topsoil). or
• that causes a reversible
impact on growth medium
resources.
Unauthorised Unauthorised land Unauthorised land disturbance Unauthorised land Unauthorised land
land disturbance disturbance that: that: disturbance that: disturbance that
that has • leads to the loss of priority • leads to the loss of priority • impacts an impacts native
3 3
widespread flora threatening flora species ; environmentally sensitive vegetation but does
ecosystem and population survival; or area but does not lead to not impact
3
human socio- or • requires in-situ remediation the loss of priority flora ; environmentally
economic • requires replacement of of growth medium resources. or sensitive areas.
impacts. growth medium resources • causes a reversible
(topsoil). impact on growth medium
resources.
 1 Number of Incidents Reported to Corporate
Incident Details Reported to Corporate Office
Office
Event type Extreme Major High Moderate Minor
3. Unauthorised waste Disposal of waste Disposal of waste outside of Disposal of waste outside of a Disposal of waste outside of Disposal of waste
disposal that has a designated area leading to: designated area leading to: a designated area leading to: outside of a
widespread • impacts on native • soil quality impacts requiring • reversible soil designated area that
human health vegetation with a loss of in-situ soil remediation; contamination over an does not impact on
3 2
impacts or priority flora population or area >2500m ; soil, surface water or
ecosystem over an area <10 • impacts on native vegetation or groundwater.
• alteration of receiving
3
impacts. hectares; including priority flora over
or an area <1 hectare; water quality parameters
• irreversible impacts on or by <5%.
soil quality requiring soil • alteration of receiving
replacement over an area surface water or
2
>2500m ; groundwater quality
or parameters between 5% and
• alteration of receiving 10%.
surface water or
groundwater quality
parameters by >10%
or
• human health impacts.
4. Unauthorised or Unauthorised air Unauthorised air emission Unauthorised air emission event Unauthorised air emission Unauthorised air
unplanned air emissions emission that has event that: that exceeds regulatory event that exceeds point emission event that
(including dust and widespread • results in significant public standards for: source air quality standards does not exceed air
gases) human health complaints; • point sources; but not ambient air quality quality or regulatory
impacts or and and standards. standards and has
ecosystem • exceeds point source and • ambient air quality. no potential for public
impacts. ambient air quality health impact.
regulatory standards.
5. Fauna injury and Extinction of AGA activities that lead to: AGA activities that lead to: AGA activities that lead to AGA activities that
3
deaths priority fauna . • multiple fauna deaths • multiple fauna deaths and multiple fauna deaths without lead to isolated
over an extensive area impact on local fauna displacing local populations injuries or death of
Includes fauna events at from a single event; populations; and with no loss of priority fauna that are
3
tailings dams. or or species . incidental to local
• multiple deaths of a • incidental deaths of priority populations.
3 3
priority species impacting species .
on local populations.
6. Incident remediation Greater than Greater than US$10 million Greater than US$1 million but Greater than US$100,000 Greater than
cost US$50 million. but less than US$50 million. less than US$10 million. but less than US$1 million. US$10,000 but less
than US$100,000.
 1 Number of Incidents Reported to Corporate
Incident Details Reported to Corporate Office
Office
Event type Extreme Major High Moderate Minor
7. Legal and regulatory The operation’s An incident that results in an • Incident of non-compliance • Incident of non- A fine greater than
compliance regulatory licence injunction against continuing to regulatory or licence compliance which must US$10,000.
to operate is operations. conditions resulting in written be reported to the
Includes exceedance and suspended or threat of action against the regulatory authorities;
violation of permit revoked. operation by regulatory or
conditions. bodies; • a fine greater than
or US$50,000.
• a fine of US$100,000 or
more.
 4
Table 1. Release Classification Matrix Table 2. Selected IFC Effluent Guidelines
Concentration
Pollutant Units Guideline Value
Greater than Total Suspended Solids mg/L 50
High Major Extreme Extreme Extreme
10x Limit COD mg/L 150
Between 5x BOD5 mg/L 50
High Major Major Major Extreme
and 10x Limit Oil and Grease mg/L 10
Between 1x Arsenic mg/L 0.1
High High High High Major
and 5x Limit Cadmium mg/L 0.05
Between ¾ x Chromium (VI) mg/L 0.1
Moderate Moderate Moderate Moderate High
and 1X Limit Copper mg/L 0.3
Between ½ and Cyanide Free mg/L 0.1
Minor Minor Minor Moderate Moderate Iron (total) mg/L 2.0
¾ of Limit
Less than ½ of Lead mg/L 0.2
Minor Minor Minor Minor Minor Nickel mg/L 0.5
Limit
Zinc mg/L 0.5
500m3< Vol ≤
0.2 m3 < Vol

1000m3< Vol

5000m3< Vol
≤ 10,000m3
≤ 5000m3

10,000m3
≤ 500m3

1000m3

Note: Metals concentrations represent total metals.

Vol >

Note: Use the applicable regulatory concentration limit for contaminants of concern. Where regulatory limits are
not available, use the IFC effluent guideline value provided in Table 2. Where multiple contaminants of concern
are present, use the highest classification obtained.

4
International Finance Corporation, Environmental, Health and Safety Guidelines: Mining, 2007, p26.