Euromines President presents new approaches in regulating mine closure at Conference in Cornwall

Cornwall, UK: Euromines President Mr. Mark Rachovides today gave one of the keynote speeches at Mine Closure 2013, a global meeting on responsible mine closure. The conference is taking place at the Eden Project, itself a former mine within the world heritage mining landscape of Cornwall. The conference is focusing on mine closure and its socio-economic and environmental legacies, and appeals to engineers, reclamation specialists, community engagement practitioners, environmental scientists, mine managers and planners and economists. 

Mr. Rachovides presented new approaches to regulating mine closure and addressed regulatory issues in closure planning and asset retirement in Europe. He stressed that Euromines members promote best practice and integrate the management of environmental impacts across all phases of mine-life from exploration to mine closure by preparing guidance for industry and contributing to EU Guidance on a variety of topics, including mine waste management.

"A common assumption is that mining is always incompatible with other land uses, particularly conservation or natural land uses. Some types of mining allow for 'restoration' of land to pre-extraction status, others can alter the landscape permanently but instead allow for new land uses. Some types of mineral extraction can also co-exist with other land uses simultaneously" said Mr. Rachovides who added that "modern mining techniques and technology allow for far better management of social and environmental impacts than in the past. Today we have growing opportunities for compatibility with other uses. So as an industry it is incumbent on us to foster a broader understanding of mining in land use planning."

In his presentation Mr. Rachovides also introduced a new initiative of the European Commission the European Innovation Partnership on Raw Materials ("EIP") where special attention will be given to promoting the full and proper implementation of existing legislation to increasing the exchange of best practices related to the implementation of Environmental and Minerals Policies in Member States, particularly in  land use, mining waste, and the sustainable management of resources.

"New EU policy initiatives deserve our participation and support. We must be part of shaping their outcomes. Innovation, research and resource efficiency are themes at the core of what we do. We are long-term investors, creating jobs and skills and paying taxes, often in the regions of Europe that need them most" highlighted Mr. Rachovides in his presentation.