MINING INDUSTRY & ETHICS

Aakansha Mathur Nishchaya Jain Garima Bhatia Priyanka Jyani Preeti Dhaka

Responsible Mining & Its Principles

Sustainable Development. This is defined as development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their need. Equity. This means fairness in the distribution of costs benefits of development, as well as in the treatment of women and other traditionally marginalized groups. Participatory Decision Making. This means that all citizens have the right to participate in natural resource development decisions, which must be accompanied by effective access to information and opportunity to seek redress and accountability if agreements are not respected. Accountability & Transparency. This means that mining companies should support independent monitoring and oversight and disclose the impacts of their operations. Precaution. This implies that governments have the right to decide against promoting development and to establish regulations to prevent serious environmental degradation when development does proceed.

Efficiency. This implies greater efficiency in the use of energy and water, maximizing reuse and recycling of materials, and minimizing waste. Polluter Responsibility. Individuals and corporations responsible for generating pollution are responsible for paying for cleanup and environmental restoration.

Basic Rights
Human Rights. All human beings regardless of gender, ethnicity, age, race, religion, political views, or sexual orientation are entitled to universal claims that cannot be taken away or exchanged. Labor Rights. The right to freedom of association, the abolition of forced labor, equality, workplace health and safety, and the elimination of child labor. Right to Development. Government should ensure that development is based on the free and fair participation of all citizens and the equitable distribution of benefits. Right to a Healthy Environment. The right of present and future generations to enjoy a health environment and a decent quality of life. Indigenous Peoples Rights. The right to exist as a peoples, selfdetermination, control over territory, cultural integrity, political organization and expression, and fair compensation for damage to the lands. Womens Rights. women. Eliminate disparities in the treatment of men and

Issues To Be Considered
Deciding Whether Mining is an Appropriate Land Use acknowledges that mining modifies landscapes and has possible long-term impacts on communities and natural resources; the chapter proposes guidelines for determining whether areas should be classified as so environmentally or socially sensitive that the risk posed by mine development is too high to undertake mining. Ensuring Environmentally Responsible Mining focuses on the critical elements of site-specific environmental issues and explains why adoption of recommended criteria leads to improved environmental performance. Criteria are set out for environmentally responsible exploration, Environmental Impact Analysis, water consumption and use, acid mine (rock) drainage, air impacts, energy consumption, noise impacts, waste management, cyanide use, reclamation and rehabilitation, financial guarantees, post-closure practices, and monitoring and oversight.

Ensuring that Mine Development Results in Benefits to Workers and Affected Communities focuses on the social costs and benefits of mining and provides information on the ways in which mining companies can provide direct benefits to local community members. Ensuring Good Governance examines good governance issues at a national or corporate scale, including the transparency with which companies and governments acknowledge revenue payments and the degree to which companies report on and can be held accountable for progress made against stated commitments.

Tailings and Waste Rock

Tailings impoundments and waste rock dumps should be constructed to minimize threats to public and worker safety, and to decrease the cost of longterm maintenance. Tailings impoundments and waste rock dumps should be constructed to minimize the release of contaminants by installing liners I seepage would result in groundwater contamination. Waste facilities should have adequate monitoring and seepage collection systems to detect and collect any contaminants released in the immediate vicinity. Net acid-generating material should be segregated and/or isolated in waste disposal facilities. Hazardous material minimization, disposal, and emergency response plans should be made publically available. Rivers should not be used for the disposal of mine wastes. assessment can demonstrate minimal social and environmental risks.

Companies should not engage in shallow-water submarine waste disposal. Submarine deep-water disposal should not be used unless an independent

Illegal Mining In Goa

Only nine of the 90 active mining leases in Goa appear to be valid, preliminary investigations by the Justice MB Shah Commission reveal. The rest have been exploiting a legal loophole to extract upto 54 million metric tonnes of iron ore per year. Joseph Zuzarte reports on the dust that is, finally, being raised in the state about illegal mining . Total of 336 mines are there in Goa, have valid licenses to operate. Considering that there are around 90 active mining leases in the state, this implies that around 90% of the mining leases in Goa are being operated illegally. According to information provided by the Goa Mineral Ore Exporters Association (GMOEA), 54.45 million metric tonnes of mineral ore were exported from Goa in 2010-11, the highest by any state in the country.

There is insatiable demand for ore from China. According to information provided by the Goa Mineral Ore Exporters Association (GMOEA), 54.45 million metric tonnes of mineral ore were exported from Goa in 2010-11, the highest by any state in the country. Catering to this demand has led to an unprecedented boom in mining in Goa and consequently all legalities have been thrown to the winds in the rush to excavate the iron ore and export it. Catering to this demand has led to an unprecedented boom in mining in Goa and consequently all legalities have been thrown to the winds in the rush to excavate the iron ore and export it. Its been a win-win situation for many the mining lease owners, owners of lands next to the mining leases, transporters of the ore and, most of all, the politicians and bureaucrats who have facilitated the large-scale mining by bending the rules and turning a blind eye to the flouting of all laws.

Illegal mines in Goa forests too

32 of the 54 working iron ore mines in forest areas do not have the mandatory clearances under conservation laws. Official records also show 21 mines operating within the 10-km protected zone around wildlife sanctuaries without environmental clearances. Nearly 1.4 lakh trees have been butchered to make way for mines in forest areas, said Manohar Parrikar, opposition leader and chairman of the PAC probing the illegal mining. The PAC will submit its report on October 5 or 6. The law mandates that four times the forest cover lost to mining be compensated through reforestation. The state, though, has undertaken only 2.5% afforestation.