Malas Foundation’s Post

The USA is looking to revive its Bureau of Mines. Today, mining policy is decided by multiple agencies, including the Bureau of Land Management, the Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Mine Safety and Health Administration. Supporters argue that the Bureau would bring more accountability, transparency, and efficiency when it comes to decisions made relating to mining in the US. #Mining #Policy #USA #CriticalMinerals https://lnkd.in/ghxnMEGb

Be careful out there, there is a severe thunderstorm watch today for most of the Central Interior of BC. In the July 18th newsletter: exploration program and diamond drilling updates in BC and the YT, with some core photos of quartz veins. Did you know that Nicola Mining's Merritt Mill is the only facility in the Province of British Columbia permitted to accept third-party gold and silver mill feed from throughout the province? - More in their news release. Some info not included: Yukon Government provided a technical briefing on in-valley heap leach failure at Victoria Gold's Eagle Gold Mine, Mayo, YT, Na-Cho Nyäk Dun - relevant links in comments - no new samples off-site are reporting cyanide - daily sample collection is implemented (was every 2 days) - on-site contaminated water storage and filtering are being upgraded by the company - Na-Cho Nyäk Dun calls for more information, transparency, and a pause on all mining activity in their Territory to ensure that the necessary checks and balances are in place to protect these lands and waters, wildlife and people. - in response, Yukon.ca is setting up a website for updates to the public, after government consultation with Na-Cho Nyäk Dun, CoreGeo is hired as an independent consultant, and a review is being implemented of all rights and obligations under Canadian and Territorial law. The newsletter link is in the comments! #BritishColumbia #Yukon #MineralExploration #Mining #NewsReleases

🚨 Critical issues in Mapanzure! 🌍 Below is a picture of one of several abandoned chrome pits left by previous miners, leaving the area littered with unsightly holes. What role do local chiefs play in ensuring mining returns benefit their areas? What mandatory developments should miners undertake in the regions where their mines are located? Can the government direct investment towards factories for beneficiation in these areas? What can be done to improve the livelihoods of local communities? #SustainableMining #CommunityDevelopment #Reclamation #FutureOfMining #ZimbabweResources #ChromeMining #MiningImpact #CommunityEmpowerment

Last week, there was a heap leach failure and landslide at the Victoria gold mine near Mayo, in the traditional territory of Na-Cho Nyäk Dun First Nation, in the Yukon. 2 million tonnes of materials spilled from containment, with the potential for more to follow. Huge volumes of cyanide have escaped into the environment, with potentially devastating consequences for people and wildlife. The full ramifications of this disaster are, as of yet, unknown. The First Nation of Na-Cho Nyäk Dun First Nation has called for a halt on all mining in their traditional territory. This mine was held up as the gold star for mining done right in the Yukon, but that seems to be a fairly low bar. As far as I am aware, there has not been a single hard rock mine in the Yukon that has been fully remediated and closed without leaving a toxic legacy on the environment, huge tax payer cleanups or both. Meanwhile, most of the profits move to shareholders who don't have to live with the impacts. I realize we need to mine, but we cannot afford for any industry to supersede the rights of Indigenous people, local communities and the environment. To prevent the likelihood of future disasters moving forward: 1) Mining operations should be held to the highest environmental standards. If it's not financially viable for them to do that, then the mine is not financially viable. 2) Mining has to be limited to the right locations (determined through consultative processes like land relationship planning) to maximize benefits and minimize negative environmental, community and cultural impacts. 3) Mining should only proceed with the free, prior and informed consent of any impacted Indigenous Nations.

And yet another mining project that needs all our eyes on it: the proposed Copper Creek Mine by Faraday, which was featured recently in Arizona Luminaria: https://ow.ly/JPl250SY0xE. The company has its sights set on an area near Mammoth, Arizona, where Copper Creek meets the San Pedro River in the Galiuro Mountains. This is also where one of our FotoFauna volunteers, Melissa Crytzer Fry (featured in the article), lives. According to her trail cam, there are at least 57 species that call this area home, from black bears and bobcats to green-tailed towhees and spotted owls. The project is still in an exploratory phase to see if it’s even economically feasible, but red flags are already on the ground. Consultation before initial drilling did not happen with the San Carlos Apache Tribe (see letter from their chairman: https://ow.ly/llyn50SX9BS). Sensitive species are in the area. And the underlying aquifers run a real risk of dewatering due to outdated mining laws. Get full details in the article, spread the word, and stay tuned for chances to weigh in with the public process and help protect this area of the Sky Islands. Photo of Sombrero Butte in the Galiuros by Ben Lepley/Flickr. #SkyIslands #MiningReform

Its important to realise that many of these mines, once closed, revert to Native Title Determined Lands. The life-long management of the mine and the quality of the closure plan will have an enormous impact on Native Title Holders rights to the land. I am deeply concerned that NTP rights are being destroyed with little thought to the inter-generational impact this has on their connection to Country, and their right to use the land inperpetuity through arbitraty decisions about final landform, contaminated sites locations and rehabilitation metrics. How can we do this better?? I feel Closure Plans need to be developed, not just with some ‘engagement’ with relevant stakeholders. There needs to be feasibility and landuse assesments completed, and long term landuse plans developed led by Native Title Parties, facilitated and produced by mining companies through closure plans. This will ensure that the private sector, who have profited greatly from significant destruction, close the gap and set the future land use up for success!

Water is critical to the mining industry. Without water, mines don’t function. However, water must be managed appropriately as it's also one of the primary drivers of slope failures and slope instability. In his latest article, CM&G Director Tim Cartledge examines why groundwater and surface water management is imperative to the geotechnical performance of a mine site. From understanding the nature of water on site to implementing the right solution, he shares that with some planning and forethought, managing water can be done effectively. Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/gszcbKGD #cmandg #GeotechnicalEngineering #WaterManagement #SlopeStability

🌞 𝗙𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗨𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗢𝗽𝗲𝗻 𝗔𝗶𝗿: 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗪𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝗧𝗼 𝗛𝗮𝗿𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗦𝗮𝗹𝘁 Ever wondered how different the world of salt mining can be? While my colleagues at K+S Group in Germany are navigating the depths to move massive amounts of rock salt, here at K+S Salt Australia, it looks completely different with our Ashburton Salt project in the Shire of Ashburton. Our method? Using the power of the sun🌞 and wind to produce salt. It's a simple, yet effective way to make use of Australia’s abundant natural resources. The process involves letting seawater 🌊 evaporate in large ponds, which is quite a contrast to the complex underground operations! In K+S Group’s mines in Germany a lot of the action takes place hundreds of meters underground. It's fascinating to see a loader expertly maneuvering backwards with 20 tonnes of salt through the narrow underground passages ( 📺 check the video!). That requires a lot of skill and training!   At the end of the evaporation process at Ashburton Salt we will also use machines and trucks to harvest the salt. But they will only need to drive forward. 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗱𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸? 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗹𝗲 𝗱𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻 𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗲 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁? #KplusUs #Mining #Salt #faszinationbergbau #Pilbara

The impact of ISDS on environmental protection is evident as a US mining firm sues Mexico for billions. It's time to rethink the role of ISDS, and here’s how we exit:

Natural resources are owned by the people of Australia, but mining companies don’t like paying us for the resources they take out of the ground. And when they look like having to pay more, their response is swift and brutal. It is now beyond time for the corporations that have made so much from the natural resources Australia owns to pay a fairer share. The longer that is delayed, the more the rip-off will continue and the worse essential services will become. More in Pearls & Irritations #auspol > https://loom.ly/mPCy4xA