Mining and the Environment
Mining can disturb land, air and water systems. The modern challenge for the mining companies is to find, extract and process mineral and metal resources with the least possible disruption to our ecosystem.

Mining of raw materials and the industrial processes required to turn these ores into usable materials and products are the underlying basis of our modern industrialized civilization.

These activities represent the first stages of minerals and metals' life cycles. Successive refining, use, and recycling complete this life cycle.

The mining industry is actively developing cleaner technologies and new processes to ensure that mining activities are conducted in an environmentally responsible and sustainable way.

In the past, little attention was given to the protection of the environment. Today, however, environmental protection is paramount in the modern mining activities of exploration, planning, operation, and restoration. It also underlines research activities oriented toward the safe and responsible use of our mineral resources.