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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.