2018
ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
and STEWARDSHIP
Allan Cramm
llan Cramm is the Vice President,
Innovation and Development, Anaconda
Mining, focusing on key strategic projects
to maximise the company’s assets. He also is
part of the development team for new mines
and operations. Prior to his promotion, Allan
was the General Manager of Anaconda’s Point
Rousse Project in Baie Verte, Newfoundland and
Labrador. He was responsible for the overall
operation of the project including permitting,
construction, production and special projects.
Cramm has been involved in various
management and supervisory roles associated
with mining for the past 25 years (both open pit
and underground) including Project
Coordinator/General Manager of two
underground mines in Newfoundland, Nugget
Pond and Hammerdown, that used a central-
processing facility. He has a high regard for
environmental protection with some associated
projects having been recognised provincially
and nationally for their attention to
environmental stewardship.
Cramm was recently recognised with
Honorary Membership in the organisation of
Professional Engineers and Geoscientists
Newfoundland & Labrador (PEGNL). The PEGNL
Board of Directors may confer Honorary
Membership in PEGNL upon any person who,
through his/her own initiative and leadership,
has rendered eminent service allied with the
profession resulting in the betterment of society
through the development of new material,
equipment, techniques, philosophy or
management related to engineering or geoscience.
Dustin Angelo, President & CEO, Anaconda
Mining Inc. “Cramm embodies the ideals
represented in an Honorary Membership in
PEGNL. He is an innovative leader and an 'out-
of-the-box' thinker who has been at the
forefront of the growth and development of our
Point Rousse project. His leadership has taken
pioneering ideas, such as selling the waste rock
from our gold mining operation as a
construction aggregate product, and made them
a reality. I'm pleased to be able to witness how
one person's ingenuity can effect such positive
change, not just for our company but for the
mining industry. On behalf of the board of
directors and the management team of
Anaconda, I want to congratulate Allan on this
well-deserved recognition.” ~ Dustin Angelo,
President & CEO, Anaconda Mining.
A
“Cramm is recognised as a purveyor of
innovation within the mining industry, from his
early days at the Baie Verte asbestos mine to
his current role with Anaconda Mining. Through
his leadership he has seen many young workers
move back to the Baie Verte region and has
found ways of challenging them to grow the
local economy. Mentors like Allan Cramm are
critical to advancing the mining industry in
Newfoundland and Labrador.” ~ Geoff Emberley,
CEO & Registrar, PEGNL.
PEGNL is mandated to regulate the practice
of engineering and geoscience in the public
interest, as outlined in the Engineers and
Geoscientists Act (2008) of Newfoundland and
Labrador. PEGNL exists so that there will be
competent and ethical practice of engineering
and geoscience in Newfoundland and Labrador,
and to ensure public confidence in, sustainability
of, and stewardship of the professions.
In 2015 and 2016, Cramm turned a big idea
into a very unique project that was a revenue
generator while significantly advancing
Anaconda’s goal of Environmental Sustainability.
Anaconda worked with Shore Line
Aggregates, a subsidiary of its contract miner,
Guy J Bailey Ltd, and Phoenix Bulk Carriers, to
supply approximately 3.5 Mt of construction
aggregate, using Anaconda’s waste rock from its
gold mining operation, for a construction project
on the eastern seaboard of the US. Using the
Baie Verte harbour, one of the deepest in
Atlantic Canada, it is suitable for the type of
ships required to move such a large quantity of
material. Ships on this route measure 199 m
and can carry up to 60,000 t of aggregate per
trip. The transportation of waste rock from Baie
Verte is now a competitive product in the
aggregates market, resulting in an additional
revenue stream for Anaconda, while also reducing
mining costs. The shipment of aggregates for this
venture reduces the need for waste rock disposal
on site and decreases the overall environmental
footprint of the Point Rousse project.
The aggregate shipped under this project
would otherwise require approximately 100,000
tri-axle tractor trailer loads if
transported over land. The
marine shipping option
makes it a safe, green and competitive means to
move vast amounts of product. The companies
involved continue to explore other market
opportunities. The company generated other
income of C$938,089 from this agreement
during fiscal year 2017. Over half of these
people are under 35 years of age. Businesses
throughout the Baie Verte Peninsula region are
also feeling the benefits of this work.
Anaconda takes pride in innovation. It took an
obstacle and turned it into an opportunity both
for the company and the broader community.
Over 70 direct jobs were created, with 60 people
hired by Shore Line for onshore operations, and
an additional 12 employees by Sealand
Shipping Services, as tug operators, harbour
pilots, and hand-lining services.
The addition to the aggregates venture, and
the approval of an in-pit tailings facility by the
Department of Natural Resources, strengthens
Anaconda’s infrastructure at the Point Rousse
Project and fortifies its platform to support
growth initiatives in Atlantic Canada. Anaconda
has generated over C$140 million ($103 million)
revenue from its Pine Cove deposit, and now the
potential tailings capacity will continue to
generate significant financial and strategic
value. Given the high cost of permitting hurdles
of constructed tailings facilities, the Pine Cove
Pit is a tremendous, low-cost asset, providing
storage capacity of approximately 15 years. A
long life, in-pit storage facility is the perfect
complement to Anaconda’s 1,300 t/d mill and
deep-water port.
Unlike tailing facilities with engineered walls,
with the in-pit tailings facility, there are less
technical and environmental risks than in
conventional constructed facilities. The
company estimates this facility is saving
approximately C$35 million - C$70 million in
capital expenditure related to tailings storage
based on 7 Mt of capacity.
This is just one of the many innovative
projects that have been spearheaded by Cramm.
Supplement International Mining | JUNE 2019 HoF 3