Facilitating rapid problem-solving and implementing changes with a special focus on:
Tailings Management
Our focus is working through processes to help tailings management teams review, understand, and assess the levels of risk, so that they can take action and address their weak spots.
Advancing Sustainability
We work directly with your teams, engaging them to gain an understanding of the complexity of the system that they are managing, in order to co-develop improved management strategies.
Mining Circularity
Advancing circularity in mining to make all mining developments not just responsible, but going above and beyond to create value for all stakeholders involved in, and impacted by industry.
Solution Finding
Collaborating to develop solutions to your unique challenges and facilitating implementation
Collaborative ideation
Proactive problem solving
Co-designing solutions
Co-developing plans for implementation
Operationalizing Sustainability
Advancing solutions to complex challenges with waste management in mining
Reducing waste production
Reducing environmental impact
Reducing operational costs
Reducing risk and responsibility
Examples of Success
Earth-fill Tailings Dam Construction
Review of dam design and seasonal construction rates,
Planning and execution of testing alternate construction techniques,
Management of Quality Assurance and Control field staff activities.
Oilsands Tailings Deposit Profile
Planning and execution of traffic-ability testing on soft tailings beaches,
Planning, development and execution of drilling procurement contracts,
Assessment and testing of beach capping strategies.
Tailings Impoundment Siting
Front-end data compilation and stakeholder comprehensive engagement,
Planning and management of tailings facility siting options studies,
Planning of field drilling investigations.
“Karen supported site with numerous environmental projects, including facilitating a team to clarify the direction for a project to reclaim the existing above ground tailings facility.”
Industry Contributions
Taking a Circular Approach to Mining Operations, interview by CIM Magazine 2022.
Towards a Circular Economy Approach to Mining Operations, co-authored by Alan Young & Maria Laura Barreto, Materials Efficiency Research Group, and Karen Chovan, Enviro Integration Strategies Inc. 2021. Executive Summary also available in English or French.
Mining Project Evaluation – Are We Telling the Whole Story?, What is the Future of the Mining Business Model?, CIM Virtual Series 2020
A Practical Approach to Implementing Sustainable Engineering, co-presented with Donna Beneteau from University of Saskatchewan (accompanying paper published in CIM Journal), CIM Academy 2020
Reducing Project Risks: Sustainability & Systems Integration, University of Saskatchewan 2019-2021
Culture Shifts Required for Success: Breaking Silos, Building Inclusivity & Collaboration, CIM Convention 2019
Maximizing Value-Add of Mining Developments, CIM Environmental & Social Responsibility Society 2018
Karen Chovan, CEO & Founder
Words From CEO
Our aim is to give you the support you need, whether you are an executive leader, a manager, a project managers, or a member of a multi-disciplinary team. We will help you find the most applicable strategies, techniques, technologies and tools to make a difference to the outcomes of your projects, developments and change initiatives.