Exploring the origins of ‘social license to operate’ in the mining sector: Perspectives from governance and sustainability theories

In the mining sector, local communities have emerged as particularly important governance actors. Conventional approaches to mineral development no longer suffice for these communities, which have demanded a greater share of benefits and increased involvement in decision making. These trends have been spurred by the growth of the sustainable development paradigm and governance shifts that have increasingly transferred governing authority towards non-state actors. Accordingly, there is now widespread recognition that mineral developers need to gain a ‘social license to operate’ (SLO) from local communities in order to avoid potentially costly conflict and exposure to social risks. A social license can be considered to exist when a mining project is seen as having the ongoing approval and broad acceptance of society to conduct its activities. Due to the concept's relatively recent emergence, however, only a limited body of scholarship has developed around SLO. Drawing on examples from northern Canada, this paper uses governance and sustainability theories to conceptualize the origins of SLO in the mining sector and describe some of the associated implications. Further research is needed to determine governance arrangements which help facilitate establishment of SLO in different mineral development contexts.     

Artisanal and small-scale gold mining in Burkina Faso: Suggestion of multi-agent methodology as a complementary support in elaborating a policy

In order to better manage artisanal and small-scale gold mining, the Burkinabe authorities have planned to build a suitable methodological support as an aid to elaborating appropriate policies and actions. The developed methodology concerns (a) at a spatial level, the generation and analysis of a geological resources map needed by the artisanal miners and (b) at a socioeconomic level, analysis of the miners' activity. This paper reports and discusses the results of our suggestion to also introduce the use of an approach known as multi-agent system (MAS) as a complementary part of this initial methodology, at a downstage level to the above two analysis stages. MAS methodology could be used to develop simulation models to forecast the future of the activity. MAS is appropriate for describing the dynamics of systems where it is impossible to obtain all output data of a model from a purely mathematical or statistical transformation of input data. Our suggestion involves (i) demonstrating the capacity of the approach to simulate all parameters needed by mining policy makers and (ii) evaluating to what extent the methodology is accepted by them, as well as, at a more scientific level, the literature regarding mining system simulation.     

Small-scale mining in Ghana: The government and the galamsey

This paper argues that the current formalization system for small-scale gold miners in Ghana has been undermined and the small-scale mining laws no longer capture the reality of the sector’s activities. The paper will examine the small-scale mining system and shows that registered and unregistered actors operate not only in parallel but are actually intertwined and highly dependent on one another. The paper shows that the perceived dichotomy of formal and informal actors in the sector does not actually exist. The sector has instead evolved into a highly intertwined group of semi-formal sectors operating with varying degrees of legal registrations. The paper concludes that political leniency and law enforcement corruption has resulted in a booming small-scale gold system under poor government control. The paper recommends that politicians move to enact reforms to regularize the small-scale mining sector and curtail ubiquitous environmental and occupational safety problems. Anti-corruption initiatives and law enforcement reforms are the most urgent. However, reforming the laws is also necessary to capture and regulate the technological innovations the sector is currently using.     

Radionuclides in marine mammals off the Portuguese coast

Radionuclide analyses were performed in tissue samples including muscle, gonad, liver, mammary gland, and bone of marine mammals stranded on the Portuguese west coast during January-July 2006. Tissues were collected from seven dolphins (Delphinus delphis and Stenella coeruleoalba) and one pilot whale (Globicephala sp.). Samples were analyzed for ²¹⁰Po and ²¹⁰Pb by alpha spectrometry and for ¹³⁷Cs and ⁴⁰K by gamma spectrometry. Po-210 concentrations in common dolphin’s muscle (D. delphis) averaged 56 ± 32 Bq kg⁻¹ wet weight (w.w.), while ²¹⁰Pb averaged 0.17 ± 0.07 Bq kg⁻¹ w.w., ¹³⁷Cs averaged 0.29 ± 0.28 Bq kg⁻¹ w.w., and ⁴⁰K 129 ± 48 Bq kg⁻¹ w.w. Absorbed radiation doses due to these radionuclides for the internal organs of common dolphins were computed and attained a 1.50 μGy h⁻¹ on a whole body basis. ²¹⁰Po was the main contributor to the weighted absorbed dose, accounting for 97% of the dose from internally accumulated radionuclides. These computed radiation doses in dolphins are compared to radiation doses from ²¹⁰Po and other radionuclides reported for human tissues. Due to the high ²¹⁰Po activity concentration in dolphins, the internal radiation dose in these marine mammals is about three orders of magnitude higher than in man.     

The Environmental sustainability of mining in Australia: key mega-trends and looming constraints

At first ‘sustainable mining’ could be perceived as a paradox—minerals are widely held to be finite resources with rising consumption causing pressure on known resources. The true sustainability of mineral resources, however, is a much more complex picture and involves exploration, technology, economics, social and environmental issues, and advancing scientific knowledge—predicting future sustainability is therefore not a simple task. This paper presents the results from a landmark study on historical trends in Australian mining, including ore milled, ore grades, open cut versus underground mining, overburden/waste rock and economic resources. When complete data sets are compiled for specific metals, particular issues stand out with respect to sustainability—technological breakthroughs (e.g. flotation, carbon-in-pulp), new discoveries (e.g. uranium or U), price changes (e.g. Au, boom/bust cycles), social issues (e.g. strikes), etc. All of these issues are of prime importance in moving towards a semi-quantitative sustainability model of mineral resources and the mining industry. For the future, critical issues will continue to be declining ore grades (also ore quality and impurities), increased waste rock and associated liabilities, known economic resources, potential breakthrough technologies, and broader environmental constraints (e.g. carbon costs, water). For this latter area, many companies now report annually on sustainability performance—facilitating analysis of environmental sustainability with respect to production performance. By linking these two commonly disparate aspects—mining production and environmental/sustainability data—it becomes possible to better understand environmental sustainability and predict future constraints such as water requirements, greenhouse emissions, energy and reagent inputs, and the like. This paper will therefore present a range of fundamental data and issues which help towards quantifying the resource and environmental sustainability of mining—with critical implications for the mining industry and society as a whole.     

A SWOT analysis of environmental management practices in Greek Mining and Mineral Industry

Over the last two decades, mining and mineral exploration companies have adopted various environmental management practices in response to society’s pressure for better environmental protection. The literature highlights a number of benefits and challenges for companies adopting environmental management practices with the Greek Mining and Mineral Industry (GMMI) facing similar issues. In order to analyze the challenges faced by the GMMI, a Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT) analysis was conducted, which examined the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats faced by the industry when adopting environmental management practices. The analysis prescribes policy recommendations both for the government and industry which, if adopted, could facilitate improved environmental performance.     

Annual and seasonal trends of ambient ozone concentration and its impact on forest vegetation in Mercantour National Park (South-eastern France) over the 2000-2008 period

In the South-Eastern French Mediterranean region, high ozone concentrations were measured since many years and specific symptoms like chlorotic mottles were detected on Arolla pines. We presented results for the 2000-2008 period concerning the trend analysis for ambient ozone concentrations and related forest damages, with the Mann and seasonal Kendall tests. Ozone precursor’s emissions from Europe have been reduced over the last 20 years. Decreases in annual averages, median, 25th and 98th percentiles and maxima values were found. The seasonal trend analysis for the high-lying stations showed a decreasing trend for the warm season, when main ozone production is the photochemistry, and an increase for the cold period, caused by a reduced ozone titration. Statistics on Arolla Pine reveal strong correlations between mottling intensity and the high ozone concentrations. Finally, decreases for the ozone concentrations, and associated statistics, AOT40 values and for the mottling intensity on conifers needles were observed.     

Variations and trends of ground-level ozone and AOT40 in the rural areas of Lithuania

The analysis of data of the ground-level ozone concentration and accumulated ozone exposure over a threshold of 40 ppb (AOT40) in the rural areas of Lithuania is presented. Trends in the annual ozone mean, 95{th} and 25{th} percentiles were determined as statistically not significant at Preila and Rugsteliskes sites during the 1994hbox{–}2004 period. Trends in the ozone concentration and its percentiles in the air masses arriving to Preila station in “polluted” and “unpolluted” sectors have been examined. Statistically significant changes in the ozone annual mean and 25th percentile were found in air masses in both “polluted” and “unpolluted” sectors in the 1988hbox{–}2002 period. The trend analysis in the ozone monthly mean and percentiles for each month of the year revealed the main changes in the ozone level in both sectors during January-May. Insignificant downward trends in monthly 95th percentile in “unpolluted” sector and upward trends in “polluted” sector were found during summer months. Values of AOT40 for the protection of forests as well as crops and semi-natural vegetation were determined during the 1994–2004 period. The estimated AOT40 values for the protection of forests were lower than the critical level at Lithuanian rural sites but AOT40 values for the protection of crops and semi-natural vegetation were found to be higher than the critical level at both sites.     

492Q发动机分层进气燃烧净化节油系统研究

492Q发动机分层进气燃烧净化节油系统的研究,是为了使国产492Q发动机的油耗水平下降,同时也降低其排放对大气的污染。为此,采用稀薄燃烧原理,使发动机在空燃比(AF)为18左右也可正常燃烧,达到降低油耗,同时也减少了CH、CO、NO_x的排放。      

立地条件对麻栎人工林碳储量的影响

在江淮山地丘陵区,通过样地调查,研究了坡向和w对麻栎（Quercusacutisima）人工林系统碳密度及其空间分布的影响。结果表明：阴坡（SHS）树木碳密度显著高于阳坡（sus）（P〈0．05）,Wt镕i《1低的立地（sus）树木碳密度显著高于w、高的（suss）（P〈0．05）。3种立地条件下麻栎各器官碳密度分配均为：干碳密度〉根碳密度〉枝碳密度〉叶碳密度。SUS和SHS林木分配较多的碳同化物供给树干生长,SUSS林木分配较多的碳同化物供给根系和枝的生长。凋落物碳密度在SUS和SHS之间没有显著差异（P〉0．05）,而SUSS则显著低于SUS和SHS（JPl〈0．05）。整个剖面（0～50cm）土壤有机碳密度SHS显著高于SUS和SUSS（P〈O．05）,SUS和SUSS之间没有显著差异（P〉0．05）。麻栎人工林系统总碳密度大小为SHS（146．9t·hm^2。）〉SUS（116．9t·hm^-2）〉SUSS（102．6t·hm^-2）,SHS显著高于其他2种立地条件（P〈0．05）,SUS与SUSS之间没有显著差异（P〉0．05）。3种立地条件下均为土壤碳密度〉树木碳密度〉凋落物碳密度,凋落物碳密度占林分总碳密度的比例仅为2．1％～3．6％。SUS和SHS土壤碳密度占林分总碳密度的比例低于SUSS,而树木碳密度占林分总碳密度比例则相反。由此可见,在江淮山丘区,w较低的阴坡（SHS）最有利于麻栎人工林碳储量的累积,相对于w、较高的立地（suss）,较低的Wf±镕6砾1（sus）更有利于树木碳储量的增加。