July 27, 2008 – Republic of Mining

Global Prosperity to Impact on Mining – Dr. David Robinson

April 5, 2015July 27, 2008

The Sudbury Mining Solutions Journal gave Republic of Mining.com permission to post Dr. David Robinson’s column. This Sudbury-based magazine showcases the mining expertise of North Bay, Timmins and Sudbury. (This article was originally published last winter.)

It is Christmas in the mining industry. Rio Tinto is handing out money to Alcan shareholders. China just signed a three billion dollar iron deal with Gabon. Xstrata has a $3.1 billion takeover offer for Perth-based Jubilee mines.

Talk of a takeover by BHP Billiton in September sent Rio Tinto shares up close to 18 per cent in just over a week.

South Korea is setting up a $22 billion fund to invest in global oil and gas projects, vying with China, Japan and India for resources as prices soar.

Where is all the money coming from? In a sense, it all comes from the imagination. The entire world is looking to a global society with a rich China, a rich India, rich Eastern Europe, and maybe even a rich Africa. The value of today’s ore deposits depends on whether you think they will be needed tomorrow.

OMA joined by MiningWatch Canada to Support Voluntary Rehabilitation Provisions in Ontario Mining Act

August 7, 2008July 27, 2008

This article was provided by the Ontario Mining Association (OMA), an organization that was established in 1920 to represent the mining industry of the province.

The Ontario Mining Association is finding allies in its support for a proposal to amend the Mining Act to include voluntary, or Good Samaritan, provisions for the reclamation of abandoned Crown-owned mine sites. “We commend the Ontario Government for removing the legal barriers to the industry´s hands-on participation in the voluntary rehabilitation of Crown-held abandoned mine hazards by amending the Mining Act and proposing regulations that establish clear rules for undertaking voluntary rehabilitation projects,” said Adrianna Stech, OMA Manager of Environment and Sustainability.

While it does include some qualifications, it is interesting to note that MiningWatch Canada has also come out in support of this proposed amendment. “MiningWatch Canada is very concerned about this legacy and supports efforts that will see abandoned mine sites secured and rehabilitated so that current impacts and future risks are minimized,” said Ramsey Hart, Canada Program Coordinator for MiningWatch. “The proposed regulation to amend (a specific section of the Mining Act) O.Reg. 240/00 is intended to facilitate voluntary rehabilitation of mine sites by companies that have no legal requirement to do so. We feel this is a helpful step in addressing a daunting challenge and welcome all contributions that the industry can make towards cleaning up its legacy of abandoned mines.”

Encouraging Smelter Plans Dashed by Lack of Support Outside Village of Sudbury – by Gary Peck

May 4, 2015July 27, 2008

Some 85 years ago, quite a stir probably was created in the village of Sudbury with the announcement of the Sudbury Customs Smelting Company. In February 1892, the company, after considerable initial discussion, was proclaimed; yet by the end of April the initial excitement had turned to disappointment.

The Sudbury Customs Smelting Company, according to the prospectus, had a provisional board consisiting of James Commee, MPP, president; A.J. Macdonnell, treasurer; James Stobie, vice-president; Alfred Merry, consulting chemist; W.J. Skynner, secretary.

The directors, many from Sudbury, included James McCormick, Stephen Fournier, R.B. Struthers, MD, James A. Orr, Has B. Hammond, D. O’Connor, Frank Cochrane, D.T. Flannery, A. Hoffman Smith, J. McCormick, C.J. Kettyle, Charles Jessop, Rinaldo McConnell, of Mattawa, J.R. Gordon, of Toronto; C. Gordon Richardson, of Toronto, and Wm. McVittie of Whitefish.

Vale’s Brazilian Tree Factory – By Francisco Luiz Noel

July 27, 2008

Vale is a Brazilian mining company that is committed to the protection and scientific knowledge of Brazil’s globally significant biodiversity. Vale protects more than 1.3 million of hectares of primary forests in the Amazonian and Atlantic regions of Brazil and plants about six million native trees per year in its various mining projects throughout the country.

The following article was first published in Engagement, Vale’s magazine for socially responsible and sustainable mining.

From the Vale Nature Reserve in Linhares (Espirito Santo) come 4.5 million seedlings per year for forest regeneration projects

From seedlings barely a hand’s width in height have come mighty trees that have helped to rescue the green of the Atlantic Forest in various parts of Brazil. This has also been happening in various parts of Espírito Santo’s capital Vitória: on the city’s hillsides and at the Vale Botanical Garden located in the Industrial Port Complex of Tubarão, as well as in the historic Convent of Our Lady of Penha, in neighboring Vila Velha. Natives of Espírito Santo, known as capixabas, have given their endorsement to this growth with the more than 450,000 visits paid to the park since 2004, while seedlings are also being planted in the states of Maranhão, Pará and Minas Gerais. With appropriate environmental technology and tropical silviculture, Vale is contributing to restoration of the ecosystem in the cities where it operates, for the sake of the quality of life and the conservation and safeguarding of biodiversity.

The source of this environmental undertaking is the Vale Nature Reserve, located in Linhares, in northern Espírito Santo. A national model for the planting of seedlings of species from the Atlantic Forest, it has a production capacity of 55 million seedlings per year, involving 800 species from some of the ecosystems of this biome. A great many of the seeds used for this production are gathered in the reserve’s 22,000 hectares – 40% of what remains of the old-growth Atlantic Forest in the state.