As Ron Phillips is quick to point out, mining still consumes significant resources—water, land, and energy—and frequently causes severe environmental harm despite technological advancement. If not handled properly, this damage can last for decades after mining operations have ended, making the land more vulnerable to natural processes such as soil erosion. Now, as industries and governments worldwide seek ways to reduce carbon output and environmental impact, experts and individuals in the mining industry are urging the industry to seriously consider how it can reduce its footprint.

Using Mining Techniques with Lower Ecological Impact

Traditional mining techniques can have a significant environmental impact, and Ron Phillips believes some popular methods pose some of the most severe environmental risks. As a result, he suggests it would be best for mining companies to reduce their ecological impact by using new, low-impact mining techniques such as in-situ leaching and paste backfill.

As Ron Phillips argues, many of these techniques can help companies reduce surface disturbance at mining sites, reduce soil erosion, and move less backfilled material. Lowering interference can minimize environmental impact and lead to less work when preparing a place for faster revegetation or rehabilitation.

Reusing Waste Products

In addition, mining generates a significant amount of waste, such as tailings, waste rock, and wastewater. When mining operations end, many businesses leave trash behind—or, in the case of tailings, store it in large structures like tailings dams, which can be prone to failure. As a result, they cause severe environmental damage. Fortunately, almost every type of mining waste has at least one or two reuse options, either on- or off-site. For example, Ron Phillips suggests using waste rocks in simple on-site construction, such as backfilling voids and reconstructing mined terrain to prevent soil erosion. Similarly, the creation of dangerous tailings dams is now be avoided through the pressing the moisture out of tailing before dry stacking them in manner where they are both inert and not vulnerable to collapse.

Though each of these suggestions may increase the costs associated with mining over the short run, Ron Phillips believes that the long-run benefits of reduced externalities justify this increased investment.