Gold and Diamonds: Gold and Diamonds: The Social and The Social and Environmental Impacts Environmental Impacts of Mining for the of Mining for the Diamond Ring Diamond Ring Katharina Marcin BA, MPA Candidate 2007 Katharina Marcin BA, MPA Candidate 2007 Nicholas Ruder BA .H., MPA Candidate 2007 Nicholas Ruder BA .H., MPA Candidate 2007
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Gold and Diamonds: The Social and Environmental Impacts of Mining for the Diamond Ring Katharina Marcin BA, MPA Candidate 2007 Nicholas Ruder BA.H., MPA.
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Gold and Diamonds:Gold and Diamonds:
The Social and Environmental The Social and Environmental Impacts of Mining for the Impacts of Mining for the
Diamond RingDiamond Ring
Katharina Marcin BA, MPA Candidate 2007Katharina Marcin BA, MPA Candidate 2007
Nicholas Ruder BA .H., MPA Candidate 2007Nicholas Ruder BA .H., MPA Candidate 2007
AgendaAgenda
• Life Cycle Assessment of the Diamond Ring• International Mining Sustainability Initiatives• Canadian Regulations• The Leader and Laggard of the industry• Gold and Diamond Mining in Canada• Mine reclamation projects• Options for a sustainable future
• Outputs: air emissions, water contaminants, solid waste
• Environmental Impacts: water contamination, local air quality, land resource use, solid waste, global warming
Mining InefficiencyMining Inefficiency
• To extract enough gold for a single wedding band, 18 tons of waste-ore are produced
• 0.00001 percent of ore (by weight) can be refined into gold; everything else is waste
• The amount of waste from the mining industry in the US is 9 times the amount produced by US towns and cities combined
• In 2001, metals mines produced 1,300 tons of toxic waste—46 percent of the total for all US industry combined—including 96 percent of all reported arsenic emissions, and 76 percent of all lead emissions
ProcessingProcessing
• Processes: smelting, concentrating, separating
• Inputs: water, energy, chemicals
• Outputs: waste water and chemical sludge, air contaminants
• Impacts: toxic waste disposal, local air quality, water contamination, land resource use, global warming
These Regulations are adopted under the Fisheries Act in 1979.
“They impose limits on releases of cyanide, metals, and suspended solids, and prohibit the discharge of effluent that is acutely lethal to fish. The Regulations also require metal mines to conduct Environmental Effects Monitoring programs to identify any adverse effects of their effluent on fish, fish habitat, and the use of fisheries resources.”
Issued by the Government of British Columbia, on July 8th, 2004 to integrate and replace the previous Environmental Management Act and the Waste Management Act. The Waste Discharge Regulation Implementation Guide (WDRIG), only allows certain industries to release waste into the environment, and regulates the amount of waste that these industries can release.
• Set the highest standards of community development initiatives and environmental stewardship
• They are: - A founding member of the International Council
on Mining and Metals (ICMM) - A founding member of the Council for Responsible Jewellery Practices - Adherents of the UN Global Compact 10
Principles - Signers of the International Cyanide Code
NGO Report: GhanaNGO Report: Ghana
• Involuntary displacement of subsistence farmers threatens food security in the region
• Although they assure transparency, no disclosure of potential significant acid generation from mine’s waste rock
• EIA: - Acid mine drainage not addressed- No assurance of financial backing for mine
cleanup and reclamation
NGO Report: IndonesiaNGO Report: Indonesia
• Dumping of mine wastes directly into the ocean causing fishing families to relocate for reasons including the pollutants from this practice
• 120,000 tons of tailings dumped per day (this dumping is illegal in Canada and the US)
• Water shortages in surrounding villages because of the damming of 2 rivers
• Exploration threatens protected forest and the livelihood of rural communities who depend on the forest
NGO Report: PeruNGO Report: Peru
• Several mercury spill victims still awaiting response and official health assessment from Newmont Mines
• 6 years after the spill, victims still experiencing memory loss and skin irritation, and children have learning disabilities
NGO Report: RomaniaNGO Report: Romania
• Historic area with estimated archaeological value comparable to that of Pompeii
• If mine operations go ahead, the densely populated Rosia Montana Valley will have 4 open-pit mines, and the neighboring Corna Valley will hold an unlined cyanide storage pond
• It will cause the relocation of 2000 people and the tearing down of 900 homes
• There is mass opposition from the Romanian people and government, and the government of Hungary
NGO Report: NevadaNGO Report: Nevada
• Western Shoshone Nation are not compensated or asked permission for the use of their land
• Land scarring, water and air pollution from mercury and other emissions threaten peoples’ health in Nevada and neighbouring states
• No monitoring of mercury emissions, a neurotoxin, is currently done
The Leader – BHP BillitonThe Leader – BHP Billiton
The Leader – BHP BillitonThe Leader – BHP Billiton
• 38,000 employees
• 100 operations in 25 countries
• Aluminum, coal, copper, manganese, iron ore, uranium, nickel, silver and titanium, substantial interests in oil, gas, liquefied natural gas and diamonds
• 2006 profit of US$10.2 billion and net operating cash flow of US$10.5 billion