Sustainable Mining With A Long-Term Vision

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Sustainable Development Goals (SDGS)

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Sustainable Development Goals (SDGS)

The mining industry is very conscious of the damage caused by open-pit mining and any associated activities. Efforts are therefore being made to approach such projects with a coordinated and sustainable longer-term vision.

Companies and governments are pulling their resources to restore former mining sites and, whilst doing so, take full advantage of the restoration process to try and improve the biodiversity of the affected area.

Restoring open pit mines

One example of mine restoration is the Gillervattnet reclamation project run by Boliden. The former tailings pond is undergoing reclamation work to stabilise the sulphur-rich sand, and transform the part of the site into a wetland habitat for wildlife. The company has taken on this challenge with a long-term view of trying to imagine what the mined area should be like in 1000 years time – a true landscape vision.
More about this project – Watch the movie Thanks for the loan

Creating nature reserves

Rio Tinto Kennecott has transformed acreage once dominated by over-grazed lands, salt evaporation ponds and illegal dumps into a 3,670-acre shorebird and waterfowl reserve along the south shore of Great Salt Lake. In 2004, the area became an Important Bird Area (IBA) and is now part of BirdLife International’s IBA Program. The purpose of the program is to identify, monitor and protect a global network of IBAs to conserve birds and other biodiversity – birds being one of the most vital indicators of a healthy environment.
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Protecting the desert

The Gobi desert is one of the world’s last great deserts, home to abundant wildlife and people with a strong connection to the land. Change is coming quickly to Mongolia, especially the South Gobi. The region’s rich natural resources have made the country increasingly attractive for many mineral development projects. This creates tremendous opportunity for the people and their standard of living. However, it also places significant pressures on the natural environment. The region’s mining and infrastructure projects are supporting economic development, but they also have the potential to impact wildlife and traditional communities that live off the land. Decisions are being made today that will affect this landscape forever and addressing this challenge in a piecemeal way, project by project, is not enough. What’s needed to support a more sustainable Gobi is a vision that takes into account the full scope of potential projects and their cumulative impacts to the landscape.
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“In Mongolia, we need to find a way to collaborate with industry, government and communities so we can create a balance between conservation and development. Development by Design gives us a solution to this dilemma.”

Gala Davaa, the director of conservation for the Conservancy’s Mongolia programme

Restoring water quality and woodland

Another example of a company with a long-term sustainable vision is KGHM.KGHM is carrying out several activities related to the reclamation of mining areas. Carlota mine (Arizona, U.S.) has reclaimed waste rock facilities and participated in a study on the development of soils on waste rock piles and enhancing vegetation growth. Carlota is actively managing the development of wetlands. Robinson mine (Nevada, U.S.) also protects water quality through the safe management of its waste rock facilities. Robinson has implemented award-winning corrective measures to historic mine practices, dating back to the mid-1860s.

02 January 2018

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