Showing our mettle

Canada’s resource industries basked in a rare show of government support in mid-September, underscored by a push to improve market access for metals and minerals and forestry products in Europe. And south of the border, a newly formed industry-government alliance is promoting technology development in the U.S. mining industry. Dare we think that mining and other mainstays of the “old economy” — the steady plodders that pay the bills — are not sunset-bound after all?

At the very least, governments seem more willing to acknowledge that resource extraction has undergone a transformation. Ralph Goodale, minister of Natural Resources Canada, says resource industries are becoming “the most high-tech, the most environmentally friendly, the most socially responsible, the most productive and competitive” in the world. And that’s an important message to deliver in places such as Europe, where governments are being urged to ban or restrict the sale and use of certain resource commodities, including non-ferrous metals, ostensibly on environmental grounds.

Chrysotile asbestos is already banned in France and, if some groups have their way, nickel, zinc, lead, cadmium and even copper may soon make the Most Unwanted List. Although a world without these essential metals seems far-fetched, the reality is that some environmental groups believe that banning them will lead to safer substitutes and a greener, cleaner world. What’s more, these groups have been surprisingly successful in their efforts to steer consumers away from commodities suspected of having adverse environmental effects, whether related to their extraction, end-use or both. That some of the substitutes have caused greater environmental problems than the ones they were supposed to alleviate is another story.

Minister Goodale recently led a small delegation to Brussels and Berlin to discuss, with key contacts in the European Union (EU), a range of market access issues that threaten Canada’s important export trade in certain natural resource products. He delivered a strong message that Canadian natural resources are sustainably managed, and he urged European politicians and trade commissioners to adopt the safe-use principle, based on sound science and risk assessments, rather than outright bans.

Goodale has also called for more collaboration in science and technology research so that end-users better understand how metals and minerals are produced and how they can be used in downstream applications. Without such an information exchange, the government of Canada stands little chance of reversing unfavourable rulings, including a decision by the World Trade Organization in favour of the French ban of chrysotile asbestos (the decision is being appealed by the Canadian government).

While government junkets abroad are often criticized for being poorly focused and sometimes even irrelevant, this one should be applauded. For the past decade, groups opposed to resource extraction have convinced Europeans to ban or prohibit resource products, sometimes with devastating consequences, particularly for aboriginal and northern communities. Granted, there were times when an accusing finger was warranted, but times have changed. By providing science-based information, governments and industry can work together to help reduce misunderstandings about Canada’s performance as a natural resources steward and promote the safe use of metals and minerals.

Meanwhile, south of the border, the National Mining Association (NMA) and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) have announced 16 new partnerships to promote technology developments in mining. It has been a long time since the American government recognized mining’s contribution to the economy, so this industry-government alliance, dubbed The Mining Industry of the Future, deserves a round of applause too. Its goal is to develop new technologies that will ensure the health and safety of employees and the environment, reduce energy consumption and produce higher-quality products at lower costs.

This initiative stemmed from a compact signed by the DOE and the mining industry that, under the leadership of the NMA, reached a consensus on a common industry vision — a technology roadmap describing “crosscutting” research needs common to the entire industry. The 16 project teams comprise individuals from 62 companies, 11 universities, four DOE laboratories and three government agencies. They will receive US$8 million in government funding over three years to develop new, energy-efficient mining technologies. The projects include a real-time coal content/ore-grade sensor, a 24-channel geophone array for horizontal or vertical boreholes, and treatment of cyanide solutions and slurries using air-sparged hydroclone technology, to name but a few.

Back in Canada, the Ontario government is also doing its bit to take mining into the new millennium. Tim Hudak, minister of northern development and mines, recently announced an $8-million program known as Ontario Mineral Exploration Technologies (OMET), which aims at providing geoscientists with better techniques and more efficient ways to find new mineral deposits. OMET will be developed in conjunction with the Mineral Exploration Research Centre (MERC), situated at the Mines and Minerals Research Centre in Sudbury. A panel of technical advisors will be formed, drawn from industry, universities and the wider geoscience research community.

It’s nice to know that the mining industry’s efforts to adapt to changing times and expectations are being acknowledged and helped by governments. What’s more, we believe it will pay dividends down the road.