Objectives

The objectives of MINEO are:

Scientific achievements

Very encouraging results have been obtained in the contribution of airborne imaging spectroscopy to the study and monitoring of mining environments, despite the very challenging but problematic abundance of vegetation characterising the European environments. Hyperspectral imagery has proven invaluable capabilities in mapping mining-related contamination and/or impacts. Promising results have been obtained in combining those resulting maps with other relevant information under GIS for modelling contamination, pollution risk, site rehabilitation or change detection

The possible generic character of the procedures and algorithms used has been examined, in particular through site cross-validation approaches, in view of their applicability and reproducibility in Europe and other parts of the world. Despite based only on six test site, this large diversity of results and approaches show that imaging spectroscopy can bring an invaluable contribution to very diverse environmental concerns, in a large variety of mining environments and in different morpho-climatic contexts. This opens large encouraging perspectives in meeting the ultimate objectives of the project described above, despite it is clear that this very innovative method still is to be matured before reaching a real operational status.

A specific spectral database application (MINEO Spectral Library or MSL) has been developed in the course of the project. Fed with more than 1500 representative spectra from either laboratory spectrometry of field samples, or field spectroradiometry, or hyperspectral image endmembers, MSL constitutes now an innovative extensive spectral library of contaminated or impacted areas from the six test sites. MSL has functionality that facilitate the management, comparison, search and retrieve of spectra, according to spectral characteristics, type of surface feature or target investigated, location, climatic conditions, etc. Spectra can be directly displayed into the image-processing software environment for immediate use in hyperspectral image processing for environmental impact mapping. It could be used in other similar projects for contamination and impact mapping. The application can also be used in imaging spectrometry projects to create their own-related spectral database

Socio-economic relevance and policy implications

The European mining and extractive industry is facing increasing environmental pressure and regulatory controls. Industrialists and decision-makers need innovative and cost-effective tools for environmental data acquisition and processing that provide the sound basis for a dialogue with organisations in charge of environmental control and regulation enforcement ensuring the sustainable economic development of the mineral industry.

Though not producing such a system, MINEO thus falls into environmental risk and emergency management system requirements as it intends to develop system elements such as tools and methods to provide data for assessing environment baseline and monitoring ongoing processes along with generic GIS tools and models for pollution-dissemination (contamination), pollution risk, site rehabilitation or change detection monitoring and forecasting

Directive on mining wastes

EU Soil Policy Development and Soil Strategy from DG ENV, in particular soil monitoring

Conclusions

The project and its outputs have shown the high potential of hyperspectral imagery in remotely mapping mining-related impact over vegetated environments, either by direct mapping of potentially contaminating minerals and/or rocks or by indirect mapping through the stress on vegetation.

MINEO has produced results, which can be used in the process of acknowledging this innovative technology to environmental authorities and regulatory bodies as well as extractive industry.

Despite the technique still has to be matured, its opens new perspectives towards a regular mapping and monitoring of large parts of the territories to regularly update thematic layers for environmental database related to mining areas. These updated layers can be further used in the regular monitoring and control of mining environments by regulatory bodies, but also serve mining companies conducting Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA) and Environmental Management Plans (EMP).

Eventually, MINEO constitute a good starting point for further RTD projects in the frame of a growing interest for imaging spectroscopy in environmental studies (15 HyMap flight campaigns foreseen in summer 2003 in Europe) and initiated an increasing interest of the international scientific community for mining-related remote sensing studies.

The MINEO project can also be seen as the initial point for forming a EU-wide reclamation task force responsible for

See for instance "Land Reclamation and Revegetation Task force" http://www.wvu.edu/~agexten/landrec/land.htm#Prediction

Independent international experts should carry out a site specific risk assessment and suggest remediation measures.

Keywords