Mining and sustainable development

If someone asks what is the first of the chicken or the egg, probably not find a quick response. What is clear is that nature was made to be exploited by man, albeit with minimum negative impact because first there's the man and then the conditions primary for their survival. Is under this premise that today the man takes its mineral resources based on high technology and demanding international standards of environment and financial.

To this bet the extractive industry in Dominican Republic. Recognizes that there is an impact against nature and therefore works to look for balance in conjunction with surrounding communities.

Mining Xstrata Nickel (Dominican Falconbridge); Dominican Mining Corporation (Cormidom), and Barrick Gold, located in the communities of Monseñor Nouel (Bonao); and Bobwhite, are in this process. Falcondo operates at 50% of its capacity, and the u000aremaining 50% for mined part is recovered in principle with one Australian species called "casuarina", very similar to pine, which is then replaced by native species (pine, and others). The recovery of the mined area becomes forest reforested in a time of six to seven years, according to the explanations provided by the director of Falcondo mine, Giovanni Bloise. "There is an impact, but the industry is improving, provides the raw material to withstand all the technology, including the environmental.

Barrick projects bring to the State US$ 7,000 MM
La Barrick Gold plans to start producing gold and silver in the middle of July and contribute to the Dominican State more than $7,000 million in the next 25 years. The value is affected with the Troy ounce of gold (unit of measure) prices that today exceed the US$ 1, 700.

the State will receive 50% net of cash flows. I.e. a 3.2 per cent of the total volume that is u000aVenda, from the first day; 25% of income, after utilities tax, "and is probably in the middle of the second year, because throughput as that are talking, probably will have utilities in the short-term", said Jorge Esteva, Barrick Communications Manager.

Mine is located in the Sánchez Ramírez province and demand of 160 MW (fuel). In local purchases the mining spends US$ 790 million, said Esteva.

To minimize the environmental impact the mine brought the country four autoclaves (a kind of giant pressure cooker), to process the gold. As part of its project of environmental remediation industry has a nursery with 200,000 native plants (Creole mahogany, good bread, pine, and others). It also has two breeders of insects and species in captivity. Tomorrow Thursday carried out a workshop at the National Zoo as part of the commitment of protection to the u000aenvironment and biodiversity, "and ensure that the operations of old town are better placed as we find them when we began our operations". Part of the production process involves an operation that goes from the extraction of the ore which is turned into mud after crushing stones and is sent to the autoclave where is cooked at a temperature of 240 degrees Celsius.

Cerro Maimon uses a process hidrometalúrgico (rain water)
E n mine Cerro Maimon which operates the Dominican Mining Corporation (Cormidom), open sky, under the law 146, mining, the municipality benefited from RD$ 72 million (5% of law in five years).

Similarly, the benefits to the Dominican State in the past two years reached RD$ 400 million alone for income tax.

, environmental Manager, and Marino Báez, community public relations manager of the u000amining, claim that the industry has 1,700 employees, of whom 90% to 91% is the community.

In the mining environment direct jobs are calculated one by four, which means that for every direct employment generated four indirect. Monthly payroll is Rd $25 million, they explained.

Is a mining of medium-scale with a staff of 400 employees in the area of the root, El Copey and Los Martínez, Maimon, Monseñor Nouel province, that in more than three years of operation reflects effective enforcement in reducing the illiteracy rate of the area through an agreement with the school Santa Maria and the National Institute for vocational training (Infotep), according to its managers.

Is the parent company of the mine Hill Maimon Perilya Limited. oxide plant handles 700 tonnes of oxide. They are milled from 7,000 to 9,000 tons of ore.

Currently, processed gold, silver and copper concentrate. The u000a90% is concentrated copper, and the other gold and silver, which sold mainly to China for elaboprar wires.

In the area, the demand for jobs is high, but her complement with training programmes and micro-credit through the Cormidom Foundation and the hope Foundation.

Every six months the industry executives presented an environmental report and are regularly visited by students from universities which receive environmental practices, it is a hidrometalúrgico process (using rainwater for your industrial process), which is reusada in the treatment plant.

Cordimon also has lakes with FRY and ducks.

Falconbridge seeks to reinsure more than 20 years in the country
Xstrata Nickel seeks to be sustainable for the next 25 years. Located in Bonao Falconbridge mine development plan covers three essential steps: rerun the 50% capacity, what he is doing; achieve u000acheap energy and permits to extend the life of the mine for 20 years more through your Loma Miranda project.

The third step involves converting the electric plant of fuel oil, which is an expensive fuel, natural gas, to reinsure their future.

In 40 years of operation, Falcondo has stopped six times its operations. Giovanni Bloise, director of mines, and Gabriel Rodriguez, explained in details the operability of Falcondo, after a journey made on Saturday by Falcondo, Cormidon, and Barrick Gold, under the auspices of the mining Chamber and oil of Dominican Republic.

Including Loma Miranda, Falcondo has an area within its mining concession established with the Dominican State of 5,000 hectares, in which remote areas are being recovered. According to the director of mines, Bloise, the species "casuarina" creates an organic mattress on the floor, what u000aIt ensures that 25 years will be 80% of biodiversity (the variety of species and ecosystems) of the original forest.

La Falconbridge began operations in 1971 at loma La Peguera in Bonao. Its concession area comprises long, Loma Ortega, Fraser, Peguera, Taíno and La Guardarraya. The mine extracted ferronickel, which is a mixture of iron and copper, used by the stainless steel industry. Opera by 50% in equal parts with the Dominican State since 1992.

In Loma Miranda, Falcondo has identified reserves of 22.9 million tons of nickel, for which the exploitation of this deposit will allow to extend its stay in the area. Executives say that with his speech River Jagüey shall have its flora and fauna.

Raisa to his work life changed
Raisa is a woman out of the ordinary. His work was the work of his house as his wife, of an employee coming out to comply with their working day in a supermarket u000aa community near Cotuí, until that one day submitted you an application form to work in the mining industry. He opted to apply to guide a truck at the Barrick Gold.

By filling out the form did not know if her they call or not, because I only knew guide pasolas and spin bike, but she said she was called to submit to Barrick Gold to receive training for the job for which he had applied.

Today, said that it was more than a "stroke of luck", because not had never driven a car. He learned and was placed in the position in which works 12 hours four days a week.

Went on to have a better way of life, because labour better remumerado has served much.

A journal of eight hours each day, and a paid of RD$ 8,000 per month, Raisa is now accrue a salary less than RD$ 40,000 each month guiding nothing more and nothing less than a truck in extreme height and with u000aa great capacity to carry 190 tons of material to mine.

Every week charged Rd $8,000 to RD$ 10, 000. "He earned before, RD$ 8,000 per month", said. This type of trucks of 190 tons of material are removed about 6 ounces of gold, which at the current price is invoiced in US$ 10, 000.

Raisa like other 15 women in the area work managing this type of trucks in the mining industry. A method that uses Chile, where a high proportion of such personnel are women.

The truck uses 16 cylinders. Tyres (tires) has a great height, almost twice as a person of 5.8 feet.

Share this article

Digg it!

del.icio.us

MySpace

Facebook

Fark

Reddit

Newsvine