– Oyu Tolgoi recycles and re-uses waste materials demonstrating a clear example of the zero environmental impact policy and the corporate responsibility of the mine –
Herder’s experiment to build a fence using tires proves practical
Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia – Oyu Tolgoi is developing the largest copper-gold mine in Umnugobi region of Mongolia. The company is committed to environmental protection and the safety and health of its employees. They contribute to sustainable development and uphold fairness in all aspects of the operation. Oyu Tolgoi work closely with the local community and respect and uphold Mongolian laws, regulations and local customs.
Cameron McRae, CEO of Oyu Tolgoi, said: “The environmental department of our company is implementing an efficient waste management policy to mitigate the negative impact of the waste. We achieve this by keeping the amount waste produced at site to a minimum, recycling waste where possible and disposing of waste using environmentally friendly technology. We sort waste into recyclables and for re-use and we uphold the principle of zero environmental impact for Mongolia”.
Mine waste is sorted into recyclable, re-usable and disposable waste. One case of re-usable waste is wood. Last year 684 truck loads of wood waste were collected from construction work at Oyu Tolgoi. All this wood was re-used by local residents. Plastic, metal and paper products are recycled. Plastic bags and other waste plastic collected from Oyu Tolgoi are sent to 'San-Orgui' company in Darkhan to be recycled into plastic chairs and man-hole covers. Recyclable metals, paper and cartons are delivered to 'Shine Mandal', a company which produces metal products and 'Michid Khaliun' company in the Oyu Tolgoi region.
At Oyu Tolgoi, hazardous wastes include oil, battery liquids, tires and filters. Oil wastes are delivered to 'HB Oil' company who distill the waste oil to produce lubricants. The waste oil is contracted to be transported by the 'Petrovis' company. The emergency aid center of SOS hospital at site, dispose of medical hazardous waste by burning it in a specially equipped burner under the supervision of the hospital staff.
Oyu Tolgoi’s recycle, re-use and disposal of hazardous waste activities have become a model for Mongolia.
About Oyu Tolgoi LLC (http://en.ot.mn/)
Oyu Tolgoi LLC is Mongolia's largest copper and gold mining company and is a strategic partnership between the Government of Mongolia (34 per cent stake), Ivanhoe Mines (66 per cent) and Rio Tinto. Rio Tinto is the major shareholder in Ivanhoe Mines and the manager of the Oyu Tolgoi project. In addition to dividends from its 34 per cent stake in Oyu Tolgoi, the Government of Mongolia will receive taxes and royalties.
Oyu Tolgoi, located in the Gobi desert in southern Mongolia, will be one of the largest and highest-grade copper and gold mines in the world. It is the largest project ever developed in Mongolia, requiring a capital investment for phase 1 of more than US$6 billion.
Oyu Tolgoi is committed to contributing to a sustainable future for Mongolia. At least 9 out of 10 employees will be Mongolian once the mine is in production and Oyu Tolgoi is investing US$58 million dollars (78 billion MNT) in training and education and an additional US$27 million dollars (36 billion MNT) in the Workforce Employment Project designed to help address the general skills shortage in Mongolia
Oyu Tolgoi's key priorities are the health and safety of employees, best-practice environmental management, contributing to sustainable communities and always doing business with integrity, for the benefit of all the project's shareholders and the people of Mongolia.
For more information, connect with us on Facebook and Twitter.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.