BHP – Reimagining the Legacy of Mining

By Kate Sommerville, General Manager Legacy Assets

BHP is one of the world’s largest resource companies and as such, we take pride in our site management from exploration to closure. BHP is committed to Social Value, which is our positive contribution to society – to our people, partners, the economy, environment, and local community. We have operating mines around the world and we also manage sites that are no longer producing. We refer to these as “Legacy Assets.”

Our Globe-Miami site, which produced copper in the past, is one of these Legacy Assets. BHP has other Legacy Assets in Arizona, and in other U.S. states such as California, Utah and New Mexico. We also have Legacy Assets in several Canadian provinces, including British Colombia, Ontario, Quebec and Nova Scotia. These sites produced and processed copper, zinc, uranium, tin, and gold.

Globe-Miami is a wonderful community and we are proud of the work we have done together. Our Legacy Assets in Globe-Miami include Copper Cities, Miami Unit, Solitude and Old Dominion. These sites provide employment for more than 70 employees and local contractors. Our ultimate aim with these sites, as with all of our sites, is to ensure they are safe, stable and non-polluting, but we also want to reimagine the site for beneficial use when and where we can.

Managing a legacy asset is a critical part of demonstrating our commitments to our host communities, governments, and the environment.

MIAMI UNIT TJ PIT | COURTESY PHOTO MIAMI UNIT 5 SHAFT | COURTESY PHOTO

At a minimum, we must comply with regulatory obligations, but we recognize that taking into account the views of our host communities beyond regulations is important in how we manage our legacy sites. The world’s expectations of mining companies have changed, and we think it is for the better. We want to reimagine the legacy of mining.

BHP took ownership of the sites in the GlobeMiami area in 1996. Copper production ceased shortly thereafter. The work of closure lies with us and we take the responsibilities associated with closure very seriously.

We have a steadfast focus on the safety of our sites, our environmental footprint, the hydrogeology and hydrology of the sites, and the potential impact on the community.

To maintain this focus, we utilize a data-driven approach. We study and manage both surface water and ground water, soils, tailings facilities, and rock dumps. We have 12 water treatment facilities and 2,500 monitoring locations collecting 95,000 pieces of data in the area. We continue to manage the mining infrastructure that exists on site with safety and environment top of mind. This year alone we closed 237 open mine shafts on our properties in the Globe-Miami area.

MIAMI GARDENS WALKING PATH OPENING | COURTESY PHOTO

A critical part of our technical work in the GlobeMiami area is focused on tailings storage facility management. Tailings are the materials that are left over after mined ore is processed. Most of BHP’s Legacy Assets operated here in the early and mid-1900s when the industry did not collect or store a lot of data. Today, monitoring of the tailings storage facilities and the environmental and geographic area is significant and key to our work.

The Globe-Miami region and economy grew alongside mining, and the communities in the region remain an important part of BHP’s approach to managing these sites. Foremost in our approach is to continue to reduce the safety and environmental risks at sites while also preserving the rich mining history that is important to the community. We work to keep the community informed about our work, be available to discuss our progress with them, and take their feedback and ideas in everything we do.

BHP is also part of the community. Many of our employees, suppliers, and partners live and work in the region, and we want to support the community in every way that we can. We do this in a variety of ways, including providing scholarships at the junior college and university levels, donating to educational events, and supporting recreation projects. For example, we recently partnered with the local hospital to create a community walking path and with a local non-profit to fund community art projects in the downtown area. All of these initiatives strengthen and enrich the wonderful community spirit and opportunities of Globe-Miami, and we are proud to be a part of this work.

Indigenous communities are critical to the success of any mining project. We must think of them before projects begin, during operations, and long after operations finish. We have been working very hard to improve our engagement and are making good progress. One of the ways we achieve this is through our Tribal Monitor Program, where we engage tribal members to work alongside archaeologists in conducting cultural heritage surveys prior to new ground disturbances at our Legacy Assets. This program has seen very positive outcomes in Arizona, and because of this we are now looking to expand it to our other sites.

Managing a closed mine is not easy, but at BHP, our goal is clear: we want to reimagine what is next for the site and co-create a positive and vibrant future for the land and the community who depend on this region. This is not something we can do alone. We will listen to and collaborate with our host communities, Indigenous populations, suppliers, employees and government stakeholders. Together we can create a positive future for Globe-Miami. u