Minerals Case studies

Bingham Canyon - Positive social impacts

Development of supplementary sustainable communities for mine workers

Bingham Canyon - negative social impacts

Health issues

Bingham Canyon - positive environmental impacts

$2.5B into environmental mintigation and cleanup management strategies, 2019 a coal power station was shut down - mine now uses efficient renewable energy - won a clean air award

Bingham Canyon - Negative environmental impacts

High land take and landscape disruption, water pollution, vegetation removed, damage to fish and wildlife habitats, air quality threat, 2nd most polluting mine in the USA - site of hazardous waste

Konkola Copper Mine - details

Zambia, ran by Vendanta, open pit mining, 82000 metric tonnes of copper produced in 2024, 65% of Zambias exports are from mining

Konkola Copper Mine - Positive economic impacts

Employs 12,000, Zambia exported $6.6B in copper in 2023 - 11% national gdp in mining, 16% revenews and 65% exports

Konkola Copper Mine - negative economic impacts

Primart product dependancy

Konkola Copper Mine - positive social impacts

Settlement paid out, 2 modern hospitals and 14 health clinics built, education for primary and secondary students

Konkola Copper Mine - negative social impacts

Poisoning of water sources and pollution, TNC exploitation

Konkola Copper Mine - positive environmental impacts

Good plans on paper but never materialised

Konkola Copper Mine - negative environmental impacts

Air pollution, calls for 17 major and minor actions to stop spillage, 77mT waste rock, 40m T of slag

Konkola Copper Mine - management strategies

Regulatory framework provides environmental protection and pollution control against waste, planted ~9000 trees to offset

Copper Recycling details

Doesn’t degrade - 80-90% less energy intensive than primary production, accounted for 1/3 of copper demand in 2009-2018 - points towards a circular economy

Coppe Recycling requirements

Public compliance, stopping of landfill use and long lifespan in products

Bingham Canyon - EIA

not until 90s with operation starting in 1906, cleanup operation using all management strategies, not 100% effective as there are still spills

Konkola Copper Mines - EIA

Was required and completed with lack of supervision, correct instructions but sub-par implementation

Bingham Canyon Lifespan - Exploration

Ore discovered in 1848, North Rim Skarn discovered in 1980s

Bingham Canyon Lifespan - EIA

no EIA at the time, $400m on clean up, laws now in place

Bingham Canyon Lifespan - Construction

Still being developed, first in 1863 on a small scale

Bingham Canyon Lifespan - Operation

1906 - present

Bingham Canyon Lifespan - Closure

Open pit set to close in 2028, but been extended due to changing resource peak

Bingham Canyon Lifespan - Reclamation and Monitoring

Rio tinto cleaned up mine and surrounding area in 1990s

Bingham Canyon - New resources discovered at North Rim Skarn

0.73mT copper, 1m ounces gold, 13m ounces silveer

Bingham Canyon - North Rim Skarn

Strip mine for higher grade ore - 3.7% compared to 0.94%

Bingham Canyon - Investment following North Rim Skarn discovery

$165m to exploration

Bingham Canyon - Details

Rio Tinto owned, largest copper mine in USA, located in Kennecott, Utah SW of Salt lake city, 4.5km wide and 1.2km deep, running from 1906-present

Bingham Canyon - positive economic impacts

generates $1.8B every year from 19m T of copper, 2000 workers employed by the mine

Bingham Canyon - Negative economic impacts

320T hual trucks cost $25000 in maintenance, $450m on historic clearing