D.Enkhbat recently left his teaching job at a university to take charge of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources in the Ministry of Environment and Tourism, raising hopes of substantial achievements in environment protection and reclamation. Here he talks to E.Saikhantuya on the situation now and his plans for change. What do the 2010 reports on reclamation work by mining companies say? A new law has taken away our authority to approve environmental protection plans and environmental impact assessment programs. Thus reclamation reports did not come to the Ministry in 2010.
Has there been any study on reclamation in general, not necessarily in 2010? Only a handful. Some people say that Boroo Gold did good reclamation work but this used seeds from the USA. We shall not allow introduction of foreign species. Some other companies such as Monpolimet, Shijir Alt and Baganuur mine also did some creditable work, but not really conforming to the standards spelt out.
Every year, companies present a report on what they have done in an event on reclamation. Based on that, I think the companies I named did a little better than others, adding some green, but altogether their achievement does not match my personal and the Ministry’s criteria.
How would you describe the status of reclamation in the mining sector? Reclamation has two aspects, technical and biological. What mining companies do in Mongolia is that they fill up the mined pit and scatter seeds, hoping long-life plants, bushes and trees will grow from seeds on a thin layer of soil.
That is not the way of true reclamation as there is no relationship of cooperation between the soil and what grows in it. A detailed analysis of the soil has to be made first and then appropriate reclamation techniques followed. Mongolians take the soil and the plants separately and then bring them together, ignoring the fact that soil characteristics completely change following mining. There are many other issues also. Real reclamation, especially after mining, is very different from what we have made it out to be for the last 15-20 years.
What should the proper reclamation procedures be?
Prior to start of mining, the company should submit a reclamation methodology and plan based on the number of years and type of operation, as also of nature of equipment to be used. When mining is finished -- after 10, 20, 30 or 50 years -- closure and reclamation should be done and the site handed over to the local authority. A major consideration will be how the land is meant to be used then. The nature of reclamation will depend on whether the land will be used for pasture, or kept as a specially protected area, or as a tourist attraction or for some other purposes. It is not enough to fill up the mining pit and grow a few plants there.
How will the new reclamation procedures be enforced with mining operations all set to expand?We are working to put things in order after they have been neglected for the last 15-20 years. The most important issue is the reclamation following closure, applicable to all mines, small and . Since proper procedures were not in place and strict enforcement was also missing, many areas have been destroyed with no one to be charged now. We should ensure compliance from major mining companies from this very moment, if these past mistakes are not to be repeated.
What is expected of companies which are now developing mines to start production? When mining starts, the top soil is removed. This is the most fertile part but we just pile it away and allow it to lose all nutrients after some years to become a dirt dump. It is essential to preserve the millions of micro organisms that are in the top soil.
This is not how things are done in countries which care for the environment. There thick layers of the top soil are placed on other soil, allowing the natural metabolism to let the micro organisms grow and keep the soil good for plant growth. No matter how many years pass, the nutrients stay in the soil. The lowest layer of the present top soil is now the healthiest and can safely be transferred elsewhere. Reclamation can begin as soon as mining production is over in any area.
The prevalent Mongolian concept that reclamation is filling up the pit with dirt and then using bulldozers to level the surface has to be discarded and a proper scientific approach adopted. The physical and chemical characteristics of soil in its natural form have to be considered and future reclamation can be successful only if procedures are followed right from the beginning, when mining production starts, to the time when mine closure is determined.
Certainly one reason for the poor standard of reclamation is inadequate monitoring and enforcement by professional organizations, no?
The entire reclamation methodology and standards are outdated. Some more suitable standards were made effective in 2008, but they apply only to placer gold deposits. Since then, the range of mining has become much wider. In the case of uranium and iron ore mining, the mineral will be taken out in bulk, leaving huge holes. What will we do with them? There will be many underground mines. How will reclamation be done underground? Different types of production cannot have one reclamation standard. Each individual practice will need its own standards and compliances.
It is now not too late in shifting to this principle as the really mining is just starting to develop. This is the time when we have to stay ahead of events instead of merely following them. This is the present policy of the Ministry of Environment and Tourism. We plan to make some important changes in both the environmental protection plan and the environment impact assessment program. As I mentioned earlier, a comprehensive standard is being formulated including determining what the land will be used as after the reclamation. We need more study, say, if it will be pasture land. We shall need to ascertain the most appropriate species for a particular region and to store enough seeds for use in later reclamation.
I intend to apply international standards to post-mining reclamation in Mongolia. In that case, the law prohibiting exploration and extraction in river basins and forest areas will become redundant. Only companies following international best practices will operate in Mongolia. Those who place economic factors above the environment will not be allowed to cross the threshold.
This will also help implement the Government directive to prohibit mining in areas with low reserves. Proper standards and regulations make for business moving in a proper cycle, as seen the world over. We have been careless about the larger principles, while insisting on small details. All this will change.
Which sector will you tackle first? We hope to be ready with reclamation standards in the oil sector early in 2011, to be followed by submitting for Parliamentary approval the new law on environment impact assessment. Unlike at present, this new law will incorporate very high standards of accountability. Not only mining, but all infrastructure projects, chemical industries and such environmentally sensitive entities will have to work under different standards from now on. The results will be seen in five years.
Do we have enough skilled manpower to monitor reclamation work at such new levels? When the standards are installed, the inspectors will be adequately trained to see they are followed. If our plans are programs are effective, inspection and monitoring will be no problem.
What can we learn from the reclamation practices elsewhere? I have visited a place in the USA where Peabody Energy used to mine coal until ten years ago. There were pictures of what the area had looked like before mining began and I was surprised to see how the trees were once again the same and the river moved as it had done earlier.
All this was possible because everything had been planned before mining began. Full records were kept of how the area was before the miners moved in, studies were made of the flora, the quality and components of the soil, and the state of the water sources. At least 30 specialists were divided into groups to work in individual areas. Contrast this with Mongolia, where there would be just a couple of environmental specialists in most companies. We cannot expect proper reclamation with such resources and practices.
You would be surprised that in the USA, power generating stations are usually located on land surrounded by two separate courses of a large river, some sort of an island. The chimneys produced white smoke and there is no threat of toxicity to the river. Once we use the right technology everything is possible.
Such transparent and responsible conduct is possible because companies have to abide by some socially designated and enforceable norms. How can this be replicated in Mongolia where the civil society is still in its infancy? We have to get help from NGOs in securing local information but the main thing is adoption of stricter standards and proper control. Local authorities have the capacity to reach locations beyond the central government’s access. They have to involve the local tourism department, environment activists and professional inspectors to keep constant watch on industrial operations and demand immediate rectification whenever need. Local people also should be educated on what things to watch for.
What is the most critical ecological problem in Mongolia? Water deprivation. What will Gobi families do if there is not enough water to lead a normal life? Once they migrate, the Gobi will become drier desertification will spread.
Use of underground water has to be prioritized, and used economically. Mongolia must think of its future generations and not squander away its water reserves. Simultaneously, our surface water network should be expanded.
How is this done?It is easy. Many countries started 20 years ago and are enjoying the benefits now. For example, when you fly over Moscow, you can see around 30 large lakes where precipitation water is collected. This is exactly what we lack in our Gobi. There we have to protect underground reserves while in forest areas, rain and melted snow have to be preserved.
How can we preserve underground water when a huge amount of water is used in mining? This is indeed a difficult equation. We can allow mining to use only a small part of the pure water that has accumulated for hundreds of thousands of years in the Gobi region. Whatever is used in the first few years will have to be recycled and replenished. This is a priority. Some underground supply channels have to be ready.
Can we create new water sources? One way is to install germinators on higher land, the Gobi regions and mountains. They will sprinkle seeds in the air and make clouds by dividing ions and attracting molecules. The goal is to keep clouds holding the extra precipitation water from moving to other regions. Our northern and southern neighbors do this regularly and do not let their clouds go away. We should do the same.