Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Throughout the project life, interaction between the company and the community will
be characterized by constant open, honest dialogue, with minimum misunderstand-
ings, a maximum degree of free information exchange, and mutual respect;
Local indigenous communities will receive long-term and sustained benei ts from their
association with a mining activity, continuing after mine closure;
Natural resources, important land areas, and sites of critical importance to any given
indigenous community remain intact, accessible to the community, and sustainable, so
far as it is possible in any given situation. These must be identii ed and agreed in the
planning and negotiation stage;
Appropriate compensation is made to indigenous communities whenever an unavoid-
able and irretrievable loss has been experienced by a community as a consequence of a
mining activity;
Benei ts should be dispersed widely throughout the affected communities. Often, ben-
ei ts at reduced levels are also provided to adjacent communities and the surrounding
region, although these communities may not be directly affected;
Any knowledge gained by the mining company from traditional Indigenous Peoples'
knowledge of the environment should be i nancially or otherwise rewarded. This
knowledge should be incorporated into the preparation, operation, and post-operational
stages of the mining activity;
Education, training, and employment schemes for Indigenous Peoples are established
and continued throughout the operating life of the mine;
The mining company participates and assists in establishing regional social and eco-
nomic development programmes for the local community, that will replace the mine
following its closure;
Arrangements are established with the national or regional governments to ensure that
government community services are continued at appropriate levels after mine closure;
Indigenous Peoples involved in any aspect of the mining activity, or the provision of
external services to the mine, are left with a means of support and useful skills, once
the mine has closed.
Organizational Responsibility and Authority
Mining companies need to carefully consider how their organizational structure and oper-
ational practices should be developed to best rel ect and relate to the organizational struc-
tures, cultural norms, traditional activities, and concerns of Indigenous Peoples and local
communities.
Many operational mines divide their basic functions into:
Mining companies need to
carefully consider how their
organizational structure and
operational practices should
be developed to best refl ect
and relate to the organizational
structures, cultural norms,
traditional activities, and concerns
of Indigenous Peoples and local
communities.
mine production
mine planning
mine support and administration
These organizational divisions have an implied hierarchy of importance, and line respon-
sibilities from the CEO/General Manager downward tend to rel ect the relative impor-
tance of each.
An outcome of this traditional hierarchy is that some vital activities are relegated to the
operational margins of the organization. In some cases this is entirely appropriate, while
with others it can lead to difi culties.
Environmental management responsibilities have become so important a part of mine
operations and performance compliance that in many mines the 'environmental branch' is
 
Search WWH ::




Custom Search