Rehabilitation
We consider the impact of our operations on local landscapes across the life cycle of a site, from initial exploration to decommissioning and closure.
At the feasibility or exploration phase of projects, we conduct baseline biodiversity and landscape function studies, or as soon as practicable for acquired operations that lack an appropriate baseline study. These studies help us to address any topographic maintenance, runoff prevention and soil quality issues. In addition, environmental risk assessments associated with impacts on biodiversity and landscape functions are undertaken for new operations and for major changes to existing operations. These studies:
- Establish existing conditions of biodiversity and landscape function (e.g. watershed management, control of soil erosion and microclimate creation);
- Identify the potential impacts of proposed activities and operations that create risks to biodiversity and landscape functions;
- Identify relevant standards to be applied or used as benchmarks; and
- Identify opportunities for improvements.
The information acquired from the baseline and risk-related studies is used, in consultation with affected and concerned stakeholders, for the development and implementation of biodiversity and landscape function management systems and programmes as well as site closure plans.
Site closure plans
All our sites must develop, maintain and implement closure plans. Reviewing these plans annually allows us to:
- assess closure and rehabilitation cost estimates
- review environmental, social and legal circumstances
- identify potential commercial opportunities for reusing the site.
Working closely with other stakeholders such as local communities and authorities, we aim to leave the site in a state suitable for residential or agricultural use, or a complete return to its natural state.
Site rehabilitation
Each year, we estimate the future costs of rehabilitating our sites over the life of the operation. In certain cases, we provide the government of a particular country with a bond (usually a bank guarantee) that would cover these costs.
There are differences inherent in the way our mining operations conduct site rehabilitation. At open cut coal mines, the extent of disturbed land is usually larger than at a metallurgical mine, as the extraction moves from area to area within a land lease. Xstrata Coal operations progressively rehabilitate portions of the mined area that are no longer in use, as they continue mining in the next area.
Metallurgical mines typically have a more contained area of disturbance that expands as the mine grows, but does not move around. Site rehabilitation generally involves contouring and capping piles of overburden (soil layered over rock). The objective of rehabilitation efforts is to prevent acid rock drainage and match the original local ecosystems and topography. We also remediate historic contamination from previous activity at our sites, in partnership with local authorities and other companies.
