BHP and Vale square off in London court over Samarco tailings disaster
Vale is challenging BHP’s claim that the two miners should split any fine over the deadly 2015 dam collapse in Brazil.
Health & Safety
Commentary: Does leadership style affect safety performance?
What role (if any) does leadership play in safety performance? Turns out, a significant role, but first let’s define what we mean by safety performance and leadership as it relates…
Commentary: Tapped resources – Water use and its impact on mining in Canada
Scrutiny of water-use policies and regulations, and concern that provincial governments across Canada need to better regulate industrial water use, have become more prominent in recent years, particularly after the recent droughts in B.C. and…
Imperial judged ‘not liable’ for Mount Polley spill
VANCOUVER — After 16 months of deliberation, B.C.’s chief mine inspector has concluded that Imperial Metals (TSX: III; US-OTC: IPMLF) will not be held liable for the catastrophic failure of its Mount Polley gold and copper tailings…
Editorial: Former Massey CEO Blankenship convicted of conspiracy
Former Massey Energy CEO Don Blankenship has been convicted by a federal jury in West Virginia of conspiracy to violate U.S. mine-safety laws in relation to the 2010 explosion that killed 29 miners at the firm’s Upper Big Branch…
Adventures in automation
Leaders in the mining industry are starting to recognize that automation is part of the answer to the sector’s productivity problems, says Michael Murphy, chief engineer, mining technology enabled solutions with leading mining sector…
BAPE report advises against uranium mining in Quebec
The future of Quebec’s uranium industry remains up in the air, after the province’s environmental agency released a report concluding it would be “inappropriate” to allow uranium development — at least for now.
Editorial: Do FIFO operations aggravate mental health problems?
Worldwide, Western Australia could be considered ground zero for fly-in, fly-out (FIFO) mining operations, with thousands of mining personnel daily making the air commute from home in pleasant cities like Perth to work for long stretches at…
Editorial: Mitsubishi comes clean on WWII slave labour
Japan’s Mitsubishi Materials Corp. is showing corporate courage by formally apologizing for using American prisoners of war as forced labour at its mines and industrial complexes during World War II — the first Japanese company to…
Commentary: Safety first for a new generation of Cree miners
“Working underground for me is like working in your basement for you.” That’s the first thing Marcelin Bruneau tells the 12 young Crees sitting in front of him. That gets their interest. “When I started mining in…
Editorial: Lonmin condemned in Marikana commission findings
The long-awaited report of the Judicial Commission of Inquiry into the Marikana mine massacre in Marikana, South Africa, has been released, and there’s plenty of finger pointing to go around.
Kidnappings highlight miners’ security risks
In the first four months of this year alone, kidnapping incidents have touched Torex Gold Resources (TSX: TGX; US-OTC: TORXF) and Goldcorp (TSX: G; NYSE: GG) in Mexico’s Guerrero state, and Pan African Minerals’ Tambao manganese…