As a result of the increasingly strict regulations and the need for a social license to operate, current environmental management should be part of any mining project. In order to share their experiences on the subject, industry professionals and academics in the area will gather at the 3rd International Seminar on Environmental Issues in Mining, Enviromine 2013, to be held from December 4-6 in Santiago, Chile.
A highlight of the technical program is a presentation that addresses a guanaco conservation program. The guanaco is a critically endangered species, especially in the III and IV regions in Chile, and in 1998 the Los Pelambres mine implemented a monitoring program in order to analyze the population dynamics and reproduction behaviors of the guanacos that live in the mountains of the IV Region. The presentation will reflect on information gathered over a 15 year monitoring period.
Another relevant presentation will be given jointly by authors from Chile and Australia who will analyze issues related to sustainable remediation and the critical factors involved in applying these principles to exploitation and abandoned mines. The study is based on the requirements that the urban land and groundwater regulations impose on businesses, something that is a critical issue facing mine closure and the rehabilitation of running plants.
A biological system used to eliminate heavy metals from mining waste waters will also be showcased in the Enviromine technical program. Chilean authors will demonstrate how biotechnology offers new possibilities to remove metal ions by using different bacteria and other microorganisms.
The seminar is chaired by Jorge Chávez, Regional Environmental Director at Compañía MInera Barrick, Chile and organized by The Sustainable Minerals Institute, University of Queensland, and Gecamin. The technical program is made up of 76 presentations by authors from 19 countries, two professional development courses and a field trip to Antofagasta Minerals’ Punta Chungo Port.
