Resource Road Reclamation

摘要

Resource industries depend on access roads to move equipment, supplies and people in and resources out. Individually, resource roads have a relatively small footprint. Cumulatively, however, the hundreds of thousands of kilometres of active and abandoned roads arguably have the largest and most significant environmental effects on resource extraction activities. The effects of resource roads on the environment are varied and depend on a number of local factors including climate, geology, ecosystem sensitivity, road design and location, and standard of construction. The main direct effects of roads are related to surface and groundwater hydrology, water quality, wildlife and geomorphology. Indirectly, roads also provide human access to remote areas.