Alyson Warhurst

Corporate social responsibility and the case of Summitville mine

Abstract A growing literature is developing parallel to increasing “voice of society” concerns about corporate social and environmental responsibility. Emerging research suggests that, while public policy might provide the framework for the internalisation of previous external environmental damage costs, it is corporate strategy that can make the difference between environmental disaster and pollution prevention, and responsible business practice is defined by its anticipative and pro-active approach to ensuring that pollution is prevented and mine closure is accompanied by clean-up and reclamation. The Summitville gold mine, an abandoned open pit and underground operation in Colorado is often described as an “environmental disaster” and one of the most notorious example of inadequate design, poor operation and failed environmental management at a mining operation in the US, past or present. Now a Superfund site, and the subject of numerous legal suits and counter-suits, its unplanned and sudden closure and abandonment in December 1992 has had profound implications for environmental protection, the costs and benefits of remedial treatment, technology issues and the regulatory process in both the USA and globally. Of great import are the factors that influenced the development of events at Summitville, and these are discussed in two broad areas: corporate strategy during the development and operation of the site; and, the regulatory framework within which the mine was permitted, operated and abandoned. Finally, the implications of the abandonment of Summitville mine for the wider mining industry, regulatory authorities and the policy literature in this field, are discussed.

Planning for mine closure: Socio‐economic impacts

Abstract There is a dearth of empirical literature on the subject of the socio‐economic effects of mine closure. This article draws on a limited literature and from fieldwork observations and analysis on the part of the authors to define some of the issues and possible policy solutions. The article analyses the range of impacts relevant for both individuals and communities across the issues of income, mobility, skills, health, well‐being and alternative work options. It considers social implications of closure for both the formal mine workforce and also the broader network of sub‐contracted suppliers of goods and services. Examples of ‘best practice’ are highlighted, and some constraints to their ‘take up’ are also analysed.

Integrated environmental management and planning for closure: The challenges

Abstract This article provides a framework for the collection of papers on integrated environmental management through planning for closure from the outset. It provides an overview of the environmental impacts of mining and underlines the imperative of improved environmental management and planning. It argues that pollution prevention, through planning for closure, from the outset can lead to cost effective strategies for operationalising sustainable minerals development. This seems to be most true for greenfield sites since, generally, the earlier closure planning and pollution prevention is built into a project, the more cost‐effective and environmentally benign closure will be. Furthermore, for greenfield sites, pollution prevention techniques can be employed from the outset, at the stages of exploration and mine development, and then monitored and improved through the operation stage to closure. The article then discusses how global changes in the industry, following the liberalisation of investment r...

Mineral trade policies and agreements - environmental implications

Abstract This paper analyses some of the environmental and economic implications of current trade policies and changes in the world trading system for metal producers and consumers. The principal factor which determines environmental performance is whether firms have the resources and capabilities to undertake innovation, which in turn reflects their level of competitiveness. Therefore, particular emphasis is placed on anticipated effects of liberalised trade on innovation and competitiveness at the firm level.