Mine closure legislation in Indonesia: The role of mineral industry involvement

Major mining companies have recently embraced the sustainable development paradigm, in seeking to improve their competitiveness and increase shareholder returns. Successful mine closure is one important element of this process. Improved performance in this area is essential if surrounding communities are to see mining companies as responsible corporate and social partners.
In Indonesia, the new approach has coincided with the development of specific mine closure legislation. To facilitate the legislation, a consortium of mining companies joined to form the Industry Mine Closure Steering Committee. This Committee has lobbied the Government, actively negotiating to incorporate sustainable development ideals and practices into the new legislation. The Committee's aim has been to foster continued development of the mining industry, while taking account of variation in environmental, social and community conditions. In describing the process, this article seeks to provide guidance for the development of mine closure legislation in other nations.     

Environmental regulatory failure and metal contamination at the Giap Lai pyrite mine, Northern Vietnam

The causes for the failure in enforcement of environmental regulations at the Giap Lai pyrite mine in northern Vietnam are considered and the environmental impacts that are associated with this mine are evaluated. It is shown that sulphide-rich tailings and waste rock in the mining area represent significant sources of acid rock drainage (ARD). The ARD is causing elevated metal levels in downstream water bodies, which in turn, represent a threat to both human health and to aquatic ecosystems. Metal concentrations in impacted surface waters have increased after mine closure, suggesting that impacts are becoming progressively more serious. No post-closure, remediation measures have been applied at the mine, in spite of the existence of environmental legislation and both central and regional institutions charged with environmental supervision and control. The research presented here provides further emphasis for the recommendation that, while government institutions may need to be strengthened, and environmental regulations need to be in place, true on the ground improvement in environmental quality in Vietnam and in many other developing countries require an increased focus on promoting public awareness of industrial environmental issues.     

A Decision Support Framework for Environmental Planning in Developing Countries

This paper presents a decision support framework for environmental planning in developing countries. The interest in protecting the natural environment from pollution gained increased importance in the 1990s with a push by world communities for sustainable development. Developing countries as well as the industrialized nations are expected to cut down on pollution and control the use of non-renewable natural resources. Although the concept of sustainable development sounds plausible, it is difficult to implement in many countries due to their conflicting goals. The world-wide targets on emissions, use of fossil fuels, reduction in water and atmospheric pollution require the participation of every nation. These goals are not easily achievable by some of the poorer developing countries partly because of their economic dependence on natural resources and partly because of their inability to afford more modern and efficient technologies. Thus, environmental planning goals are often in conflict with the development,social and economic needs of a country. In this paper, we develop a decision support framework that utilizes multicriteria and optimization models to address environmental planning problems. This framework is based on identifying the priorities of conflicting goals by working through and reducing the conflicts. A strategic planning framework is introduced into the decision support system since national planning is a strategic issue and these goals can only be achieved by adopting a systemic view.     

Nature of property rights and motivation for blue growth: An empirical evidence from the fisheries industry

If unauthorized resource use is prevented, managing marine resources by allocating property rights may match economic and environmental conservation incentives. However, because of the developing exploitation of marine resources and accompanying pollution, species' living conditions in Europe's waters are changing more quickly than before. By considering the roles of fisheries productivity, intellectual property rights, intellectual capital rights, market size, governance, and economic growth from 1990 to 2022, this paper aims to investigate the dynamic effect of property rights factors on the sustainability of the fisheries industry in 27 European countries. At higher quantiles, the findings showed a significant positive association between governance and fisheries sustainability adopting a new method, the MMQR with fixed effects, the Method of Moments Quantile Regression. In addition, in EU27 nations, the impact of intellectual property rights was favorable and statistically significant from the first to ninth quantiles. The findings show that the EU14 developed nations have more excellent governance and intellectual capital rights than the EU13 developing countries, significantly benefiting fisheries sustainability. In the same way that market size and economic growth condense fisheries sustainability in EU14 developed and EU13 developing countries, it has been discovered that intellectual property rights do the same across all quantiles, supporting the growth hypothesis for fisheries-producing countries. The findings specifically show that the beneficial solid impact of intellectual property rights, market size, and economic development on the sustainability of fisheries is more significant in EU13 developing nations than in EU14 developed countries. These results provide policymakers with helpful information for promoting property rights aspects in EU14 and EU13 nations via effective green technologies in the fisheries sector to meet sustainable development objectives.     

Spoken but not Heard: the promise of the precautionary principle for natural resource development

Too often, mining developments provide short-term jobs and taxes, and long-term environmental and community degradation. The 'precautionary principle', as practised by the European Union and increasingly by other nations, may provide an opportunity for local communities and others who bear the brunt of mining to employ a cautionary approach to mine permitting. Using the case of the Zortman-Landusky gold mine in Montana, the article illustrates how the precautionary principle might have precluded the tremendous losses suffered by the Fort Belknap residents who live near the now abandoned mine. The Native Americans and other protestors against the mine were correct in their worries about mine drainage affecting their watercourses and the precautionary principle might have limited mine development. The case also illustrates that economic data on mining companies need to go well beyond simple reclamation bond capability in order to avoid bankruptcy resulting in the neighbours and the government having to pay for clean-up.     

Spoken but not Heard: The promise of the precautionary principle for natural resource development

Too often, mining developments provide short-term jobs and taxes, and long-term environmental and community degradation. The 'precautionary principle', as practised by the European Union and increasingly by other nations, may provide an opportunity for local communities and others who bear the brunt of mining to employ a cautionary approach to mine permitting. Using the case of the Zortman-Landusky gold mine in Montana, the article illustrates how the precautionary principle might have precluded the tremendous losses suffered by the Fort Belknap residents who live near the now abandoned mine. The Native Americans and other protestors against the mine were correct in their worries about mine drainage affecting their watercourses and the precautionary principle might have limited mine development. The case also illustrates that economic data on mining companies need to go well beyond simple reclamation bond capability in order to avoid bankruptcy resulting in the neighbours and the government having to pay for clean-up.     

Renewable inequity? Women's employment in clean energy in industrialized,emerging and developing economies

Women are globally underrepresented in the energy industry. This paper reviews existing academic and practitioner literature on women's employment in renewable energy in industrialized nations, emerging economies and developing countries. It highlights similarities and differences in occupational patterns in women's employment in renewables in different parts of the world, and makes recommendations for optimizing women's participation. Findings reveal the need for broader socially‐progressive policies and shifts in societal attitudes about gender roles, in order for women to benefit optimally from employment in renewables. In some industrialized countries, restructuring paid employment in innovative ways while unlinking social protection from employment status has been suggested as a way to balance gender equity with economic security and environmental protection. However, without more transformative social changes in gender relations, such strategies may simply reinforce rather than subvert existing gender inequities both in paid employment and in unpaid domestic labor. Grounded interventions to promote gender equality in renewable energy employment – especially within the context of increasing access to energy services for underserved communities – are more prevalent and better‐established in some non‐OECD (Organisation for Economic Co‐operation and Development) countries. OECD countries might be well‐advised to try to implement certain programs and policies that are already in place in some emerging economies.     

环境政策对企业绩效的影响

一个国家的环境政策是国家保护环境的大致方针,直接关系到这个国家的环境立法和环境管理,更直接影响到这个国家的整体环境状况,不同类型的环境政策对企业也产生了各方面的影响。本文研究环境政策的不同形式、内容、具体执行手段及其对企业的环境、经济绩效产生的影响。通过研究西方发达国家的成功环境政策,探讨我国环境政策中存在的不足与缺陷。最后根据不同管理手段的可行性,有效性及最终效果,联系我国具体国情,在符合可持续发展原则的同时,提出更为有效,对企业绩效具有正面刺激的环境政策建议。     

Environmental regulation of exploration and mining operations in Asian countries

This paper offers a new perspective on the environmental laws in Asian nations affecting the exploration, mining, and reclamation activities of the mineral resource industry: the perspective of the senior government officials in those countries, whose job is to enforce these new environmental laws. The article presents the results of a 1998 survey of national environmental officials in Asia conducted by the Colorado School of Mines and the Metal Mining Agency of Japan. Officials in 10 diverse countries—Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Mongolia, Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam—responded to a detailed questionnaire covering applicable laws, agencies, protected areas, covered mineral activities, financial assurance, environmental impact assessment, public involvement, environmental standards, permit and reclamation requirements.
The survey confirms that Asian nations are part of the global trend towards national government regulatory structures that balance mineral development objectives with environmental considerations. The survey also shows developing regulatory systems (some embryonic, some more mature) utilizing a combination of mining and environmental acts, and often an 'insider' perspective of the national officials administering the laws. While that perspective is not without its biases (not least the rigor of enforcement), it may nevertheless be of use in company planning. The emerging regulatory picture contradicts the conventional notion that it is the 'lower' level of regulation in Asia that is attracting foreign direct investment in mining.     

Corporate strategy and viable future land use: planning for closure from the outset of mining

This paper provides an overview of the environmental impact of mining on viable future land use and underlines the imperative of improved environmental management and closure planning. It argues that pollution prevention, through planning for closure, can lead to cost-effective strategies for sustainable minerals development and viable future land use. 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. Further, 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, and can be kept in place to manage future land use.
The paper discusses how global changes in the industry, following the liberalisation of investment regimes, and mergers and strategic alliances between key firms, has, by virtue of the diffusion of new technology, led to further opportunities to prevent pollution and optimise future land use through planning for closure from the outset. The objectives and components of closure plans are also reviewed as the paper draws on case studies to highlight some of the possible constraints and challenges to pollution prevention that may be faced at the level of both public policy and corporate strategy. The article concludes by suggesting a forward-looking approach to integrated environmental management and viable future land-use planning based on a dynamic model for environmental management.     

Financial assurance and mine closure: Stakeholder expectations and effects on operating decisions

Financial assurance is increasingly seen as a means to ensure orderly, clean and lasting closure of mines. Broadly interpreted, “closure” requires leaving viable ecosystems on mining lands that are compatible with a healthy environment and with human activities, that have low hazard, and that encompass measures to prevent ongoing pollution from the site in the long-term. Financial assurance encompasses environmental surety instruments that protect the government and public in the event a mining company cannot meet its reclamation or rehabilitation obligations. As such, financial assurance is in essence the money available for closure of the mine in the case when the mine owner is not available to perform the work. A general trend towards greater environmental concern among social stakeholders in mining further serves to focus attention on policies and practices that can actually “assure” financial assurance.Financial assurance is also perceived as a means to address closure-related challenges that are increasing in number as well as diversity. Notably, current trends involve a shift towards a greater focus to the societal aspects of mine closure rather than just the ecological. The use of financial assurance, however, also raises some fundamental questions about how assurance mechanisms influence mining operations and the relationship between mining operations and their surroundings. This paper examines both the internal effect of a variety of financial assurance approaches on mining operations—in particular the manner in which environmental and social concerns are addressed by mining firms, and the almost inevitable tension between some form of financial provision for closure on the one hand, and governmental expectations of tax revenue on the other. As a major argument for supporting the conduct of mining is that state revenues from the extractive industries supply monies for the building of human and infrastructural capital, this second area of tension also has strong social and developmental overtones.     

Golf Course Development in a Major Tourist Destination: Implications for Planning and Management

The planning and design of golf course developments is influenced by many factors. This paper focuses on the environmental ramifications of insufficient or lack of compliance with standard environmental and economic planning practices. Specifically, it looks at a tourist destination location that was under the influence of extensive land development and investment speculation. The Gold Coast in Australia was the focal point for large overseas investment due to changes in government legislation regarding foreign investment. Due to the economic climate in the second half of the 1980s many golf course resort developments were built, approved, or planned. Many of these circumvented normal business and environment planning processes. The result has been a dangerous concentration of golf facilities in environmentally sensitive areas and an oversupply of golf facilities. Both of these matters are discussed in terms of the general planning process and the potential economic and environmental impacts to the Gold Coast and similar destinations in other parts of the world.     

Assessment of Compliance Performance of Environmental Regulations of Industries in Tuzla (Istanbul,Turkey)

Although environmental management in Turkey is evolving, its performance needs to be assessed in terms of the extent to which polluters and dischargers are complying with their legal obligations. In spite of this necessity, however, not a single study evaluating the effectiveness of command-and-control strategy of environmental management has been conducted. It is for this reason that it was decided to conduct an analysis of the impact of environmental legislation on a major industrial area in Turkey. Accordingly, Turkish environmental legislation was analyzed, and all relevant obligations and responsibilities of industry are identified. Based upon this appraisal, a questionnaire was prepared and used to conduct interviews in Tuzla, Istanbul. From the results, it can be concluded that environmental compliance performance of industry is low. The total of 92 parameters has been questioned. Fifty-three parameters have been found as satisfactory compliance, whereas 26 parameters have been classified as partial compliance and 13 as unsatisfactory compliance. The most important reason for inadequate performance is the lack of an effective national and local environmental compliance management system. The other leading reasons are found to be low-level environmental consciousness of the people, absence of environmental management system at the sites, inadequacies in environmental subsidies, and insufficiencies in public environmental infrastructure. Four recommendations are made to increase the effectiveness of compliance management: establishing an effective environmental compliance management system, accelerating public investment for environmental infrastructure, developing financial subsidies and incentive schemes for environmental investments, and encouraging voluntary initiatives.     

THE STATE PETROLEUM ENTERPRISE AND THE TRANSFER OF TECHNOLOGY

This article examines the potential of State Petroleum Enterprises in the developing countries for taking a lead in transfer of technology. After examining the reasons behind the growing demands for technology transfer, the paper defines the content of this technology and the means by which it can be transferred. In spite of reluctance on the part of the developed nations and the multinational oil companies to part with petroleum technology without an economic or political concession from the developing countries, much of this technology is either in the public domain or for sale by small speciality companies. The Enterprises can buy this technology and they can contract with specialty firms for operation with their countries. Of foremost importance is the education of nationals and development of indigenous group familiar with the scientific basis and specific techniques of petroleum technology.     

Making private capital flows to developing countries environmentally sustainable: the policy challenge

The 1990s have seen a dramatic shift in capital flows into the developing world. Despite pledges made at the 1992 UNCED Conference in Rio de Janeiro, official development aid has declined in real terms. At the same time, private direct investment and lending to developing countries has risen from $44 billion at the beginning of this decade to $256 billion in 1997, supporting a record economic boom in the developing world. Developing countries have become significant sources of capital, as well as hosts to transnational corporations.
Cases illustrating the negative impacts of large investments under environmentally lax conditions are contrasted with the rise of environmental screening of funds by commercial entities, such as banks, insurance companies and investors. Although the new inflows of foreign capital may have brought the spread of Western consumerism, this new economic potential has also contributed cutting-edge environmental technologies, that may assist developing countries leapfrog over the most damaging phases of industrialization.
The article discusses the role of public lending agencies, international organizations and NGOs in setting the investment climate that determines the effects of foreign capital on the natural resources base, communities and the environment. Various mechanisms for defining environmental standards are discussed, and a more active role for governments and the United Nations is advocated.     

Japan's develop-for-import policy

Much of the world's remaining mineral resources lie within the underdeveloped nations of the Third World. The current crisis of confidence characterized in international investment and trade in extractive resources has become detrimental to both the resource-rich developing countries and the resource-hungry industrialized countries. Japan is one nation that has developed a strategy to foster mutual trust and to restore confidence in the international extractive industries. This paper examines Japan's develop-for-import policy, ‘kaihatsu yunso’, and its design, implementation and effects on securing foreign resources supplies.     

Natural zeolites

Zeolites, a suite of porous, fine-grained minerals commonly found in certain near-surface, sedimentary rocks, have special physical and chemical properties that could make them valuable to farmers in developing countries. Zeolites have been used to improve soil fertility; develop slow-release fertilizers; improve animal waste disposal; and improve animal health. To date most research on zeolite deposits and their various applications has been undertaken by the industrialized nations. Some zeolite deposits, however, also exist in developing countries and the likelihood of the existence of additional deposits in those countries is high. However, thorough assessment of the mineralogy, geology, and various agricultural uses is still needed. Strengthening developing countries' geological surveys in non-metallic mineral exploration and assessment will improve the likelihood that the use of zeolites will reach their full potential in developing country agriculture.     

Regulation of the environmental impacts of coal mining in the USA

Decades of environmentally unregulated coal mining in the USA have resulted in thousands of polluted streams, contaminated groundwater aquifers, subsidence effects, scarred hill sides and massive waste dumps. Similar environmental damage due to coal mining has occurred in Eastern Europe. In the USA, to correct the environmental damage due to coal mining, the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act was passed in 1977. This paper examines the provisions of the Act in detail and ends with a warning to the Eastern European countries. 'The lessons to he learned from the US experience may be reduced to one essential observation: unregulated coal mining in a free market economy can cause extremely serious environmental harm with attendant adverse social and economic impacts which cannot be effectively resolved without comprehensive and strict governmental regulation' .     

Particulates pollution management and economic analysis of small rural enterprises in mountain areas: A case study of Wenquan town in China

At present, many rural enterprises in China's mountainous areas are developing rapidly, and due to poor planning and improper management, in an uncontrolled manner. These small enterprises are making atmospheric pollution far more serious and more difficult to control than before. Thus, as is the case with most developing countries, China is facing the challenge of managing the increased environmental pollution that is accompanying its economic development. This paper examines the case of cement dust pollution in the town of Wenquan in Sichuan province in order to determine how to adjust the relationship between development of rural enterprises and atmospheric environmental pollution in mountainous areas. Using the single objective linear programming method, and based on the principle of overall optimization, an optimal control plan for different pollution sources was worked out and an economic assessment on reclamation of cement dust was completed. According to our analysis, after implementation of this plan for four years, two months, the concentrations of suspended particles in Wenquan will achieve the requirement of the national third-order ambient air quality standard; the current serious dust pollution will be completely controlled; and the reclamation of cement dust will totally compensate for the cost of dust control and will result in 92,000 yuan of pure profit per year. At that time, the economy and environment will be in harmony.