Mines are coming under increased scrutiny and environmental regulation. They need to report on groundwater, surface water, air and soil measurements on a regular basis with data coming from a number of sources.

ERIMS takes data from any number of sources and combines them to produce reports, graphs, tables, and maps. Data can be entered manually, uploaded electronically, pulled from other systems, or even emailed into ERIMS.

Multi-facility coal mining companies benefit from being able to see permit requirements, review the data collected and generate reports for regulators all from one comprehensive system.

The system stores submitted reports and other electronic documents, and can send email notifications of upcoming dates, potential issues, and required activities.

ERIMS also tracks action items, submittal history, and revisions.

Many clients, Golden said, report large returns on investment – some tenfold or more – through ERIMS’ ability to lessen the amount of time their staff spend handling and reporting on environmental data.

“Reduced costs associated with managing environmental data is the most important benefit reported by our mining clients,” he said.

Decreasing errors and resubmittals, eliminating fines, and improving communication and corporate environmental status are other benefits frequently mentioned.

“ERIMS is a powerful database engine and as a web-based software-as-a-service offering, has no size limitations.

Having a single-system solution is very cost-effective and a valuable corporate asset, assisting in risk management and decision support.”

Golden said WSP is continually working to enhance ERIMS to provide the most comprehensive capabilities for their clients.

A new dashboard feature provides a quick snapshot view of data for executives. Updates to the system address new greenhouse gas mandatory reporting rules, as well as corporate sustainability performance, which is receiving more and more attention around the world.

The Consol connection

Six years ago, Consol Energy brought to WSP a complex problem – how to most efficiently manage the company’s enormous amount of field and laboratory-generated data and keep their mines compliant with state and federal regulations.

It also was highly committed to ensuring its facilities were operating in an environmentally responsible manner.

“Data comes from thousands of sampling locations,” Golden said. “Managing the data inputs, analyzing the data, acting swiftly on information derived from the data, and then reporting to authorities in the correct format with accurate and timely data are significant challenges.”

ERIMS is now an integral part of Consol’s oversight of environmental compliance, allowing the company to monitor details and manage and report on data for facilities across the US.

The system helps personnel keep all of that data organized and available in a single location. Among the users are company environmental managers, consultants, and third-party laboratories, each able to provide or access specific information.

“ERIMS currently supports the monitoring of over 9000 sample points, generating millions of analytical records, groundwater elevations, and stream flow results. [It] is used 24/7 all year round by over 100 users, producing over 5 million internet page requests per year,” Golden said.

“Consol generates over 5000 regulatory reports a year using ERIMS. They report that the business processes and reporting alert systems within ERIMS result in cost savings exceeding $500,000 per year. That is a pretty cost-effective environmental compliance solution.”

Published in the December 2011 Coal USA Magazine