Establishing a sustainable mining operation: an overview

Laurence, David

doi:10.1016/j.jclepro.2010.08.019

Cited by 253 publications

(150 citation statements)

References 17 publications

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“…1 illustrates the extraction process from the mine studied: Virgen del Carmen Mine. As a consequence of mining, the application of tools inducing to a more sustainable approach is recommended, this includes being more efficient and having cleaner and safer operations that benefit neighboring communities and profit generation through practices that foster miners' well-being and the environment's protection, of course [13], [14]. …”

Section: A Occupational Risks In the Mining Industrymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In accordance with [16], before introducing tools like cleaner production, they should be defined for the mining industry. Furthermore, in [14] it is mentioned that cleaner production in the mining context refers to the organization and management aiming at minimizing or reducing problems derived from mineral extraction processes. Reinforcing this idea, [17] suggests that a mine that includes within their operations tools such as cleaner production belongs to a higher development category where efficient management techniques are implemented in order to control health hazards while allowing the reduction of occupational risks.…”

Section: B Cleaner Production In the Mining Industrymentioning

confidence: 99%

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Sustainable Production Program in the Mexican Mining Industry: Occupational Risks

Reyna¹,

Duarte²,

Ibarra³

et al. 2015

Inge cuc

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Abstract-Speaking of mining and sustainability sounds contradictory, as the environmental impact generated by resource extraction is well known. However, there are mining companies that are working to be safe and environmentally friendly. An example of this is presented in this study aimed at identifying occupational risks generated by the activities of a smallscale gold and silver mine located in northwestern Mexico. The methodology followed was a Sustainable Production Program (SPP) based on a continuous cycle of five steps in which the tools of cleaner production and pollution prevention are adapted. As a result of this project, it was possible to implement SPP activities: training for workers, use of personal protective equipment and adequate handling of chemicals. As a conclusion, it was verified that SPP application helped this mining company move towards sustainable patterns of production.Keywords-Small-scale Mining, Sustainable Production, Occupational Risks, Northwest of Mexico.Resumen-Hablar de minería y sustentabilidad suena contradictorio, ya que es bien sabido el impacto ambiental que se genera por la extracción de recursos. Sin embargo, existen empresas mineras que están trabajando para ser seguras y amigables con el ambiente. Un ejemplo de lo anterior se presenta en este estudio, cuyo objetivo fue identificar los riesgos ocupacionales generados por las actividades de una pequeña mina de oro y plata ubicada en el noroeste de México. La metodología que se siguió fue un Programa de Producción Sustentable (PPS), basado en un ciclo continuo de cinco pasos, en el cual se adaptan las herramientas de producción más limpias y prevención de la contaminación. Como resultado de este proyecto, se logró implementar el PPS en actividades de: capacitación a los trabajadores, uso de equipo de protección personal y manejo de sustancias químicas. A manera de conclusión, se establece que la aplicación del PPS coadyuva a transitar hacia patrones sustentables de producción.

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Section: A Occupational Risks In the Mining Industrymentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: B Cleaner Production In the Mining Industrymentioning

confidence: 99%

Sustainable Production Program in the Mexican Mining Industry: Occupational Risks

Reyna¹,

Duarte²,

Ibarra³

et al. 2015

Inge cuc

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…No contexto da mineração, Laurence [2] considera que aquela definição precisa ser repensada, com o intuito de incluir outras duas importantes dimensões que estão sendo mal abordadas. A primeira está relacionada com o cumprimento de elevados padrões de segurança, por meio da incorporação de boas práticas de segurança, de adequados sistemas de comunicação, de treinamento e de educação dentro da companhia.…”

Section: Introductionunclassified

Eco-Eficiência No Projeto De Circuitos De Cominuição: O Caso Brasileiro

Segura-Salazar¹,

Tavares²

2017

Anais Dos Seminários De Redução, Minério De Ferro E Aglomeração

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ResumoAlgumas estratégias vêm sendo incorporadas na cominuição de minérios, voltadas para reduzir os custos operacionais (OPEX) e garantir o funcionamento de suas operações no longo prazo. Paralelamente, elas permitem reduzir os impactos ambientais desta operação sob a ótica da sustentabilidade, devido às melhorias na eficiência de uso dos recursos e na mitigação das mudanças climáticas. Porém, a incorporação dessas estratégias é restrita pelo tipo de tecnologia empregada e pelo layout da usina e, portanto, o maior potencial de minimização dos impactos econômicos e ambientais encontra-se principalmente na etapa de projeto dos circuitos. Este potencial muitas vezes é desperdiçado, sendo ainda poucas as implementações sistemáticas adotadas na indústria mineral, visando melhorar a ecoeficiência dos processos. Neste trabalho é proposta uma metodologia fundamentada em princípios de sustentabilidade e aplicável ao beneficiamento de minérios, usando uma abordagem simplificada da Avaliação de Ciclo de Vida (ACV). A metodologia é focada na cominuição de minérios brasileiros, tendo sido aplicada ao beneficiamento de Itabiritos, os quais estão se tornando estratégicos no Brasil. Palavras-chave: Eco-eficiência; Cominuição; Simulação de processos; Itabiritos. ECO-EFFICIENCY IN THE DESIGN OF COMMINUTION CIRCUITS: THE BRAZILIAN CASE STUDY AbstractA number of strategies are being incorporated in the comminution of ores in order to ensure the functioning of its operations in the long term, mainly focused on reducing operating costs (OPEX). In addition, these strategies support the minimization of environmental impacts in comminution operations from the sustainability standpoint, due to improvements in the resource use efficiency, as well as in climate change mitigation. However, the adoption of these principles is restricted by the type of technology used and by the plant layout. Therefore, the greatest opportunity in minimizing these economic and environmental impacts is primarily in the plant design stage. In spite of this potential, only a few experiences and systematic implementations based on eco-efficiency principles have been undertaken in the minerals industry. The present paper proposes a methodology based on sustainability principles applied to beneficiation operations, using a simplified Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) approach. The proposed methodology has emphasis on comminution of Brazilian ores, having been applied to itabirite iron ores, whose beneficiation is becoming strategic for current and future projects in Brazil.

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“…'Sustainable mining' strikes some commentators as oxymoronic (Rajaram, Dutta, & Parameswaran, 2005;Horowitz, 2006) in that the non-renewable character of mined resources implies that mining "fails to qualify as sustainable development sensu stricto" (Amezaga, Rötting, & Younger, 2011, p. 21). Others see in sustainable mining a reference to corporate profits and economic development that will provide lasting value beyond the life of mining projects (Laurence, 2011), perceived yet again by others as a "corporate strategy to conceal harm and neutralize critique" (Kirsch, 2010, p. 87). While noting this debate, for the purposes of this paper the emphasis will be placed on the contribution of mining to sustainable development sensu lato; understood here in terms of the way in which the sector balances social, economic and environmental interests (Rajaram et al, 2005) and contributes positively to development and community well-being.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%