Mine rehabilitation
Environmental awareness and the need for mining companies to respond to environmental requirements has accelerated in the past three decades.
Today it is widely recognised that all mining areas should be treated so that their post-mining condition is essentially indistinguishable from their pre-mining condition. This requires consideration of fauna and flora, soil, water and air contamination as well as the needs of the local inhabitants.
IAI bauxite mine rehabilitation surveys
The International Aluminium Institute's first Bauxite Mine Rehabilitation Survey was carried out in 1991 with the aim of collecting definitive data on a wide range of key topics relating to the environmental impacts of bauxite mines and their rehabilitation. The survey described the impact of programmes in place at 18 mining locations, representing 65% of total world bauxite production.
The survey was repeated (in 1998, 2002 and 2006). The latest report, published in 2009 using 2006 data, covers 14 major mining operations responsible for 66% of the world’s total bauxite production.
Globally, bauxite mining disturbed around 30 km2 in 2006, an area equivalent in size to one half of Manhattan Island, NY. In the same year, an equivalent area of mined land was rehabilitated. Bauxite mining has therefore reached a steady state in which newly mined areas are offset by rehabilitation of existing mining areas. The reporting mines have plans to rehabilitate more than 90% of the total area that was used for bauxite mining and infrastructure since operations commenced almost 70 years ago.
Almost 80% of the surveyed mines are ISO 14001 certified for environmental management and all operations have clearly defined rehabilitation objectives, fully integrated rehabilitation programmes and written rehabilitation procedures. More than 80% have a long-term or completion plan for their mining area, which aims to leave a self-sustaining system with realistic land-use options in place after mining activities have been completed.
