Finding better ways to provide the materials the world needs
Our business
We operate in 35 countries where our 57,000 employees are working to find better ways to provide the materials the world needs
Our purpose in action
Continuous improvement and innovation are part of our DNA
Innovation
The need for innovation is greater than ever
We supply the metals and minerals used to help the world grow and decarbonise
Iron Ore
The primary raw material used to make steel, which is strong, long-lasting and cost-efficient
Lithium
The lightest of all metals, it is a key element needed for low-carbon technologies
Copper
Tough but malleable, corrosion-resistant and recyclable, and an excellent conductor of heat and transmitter of electricity
Bringing to market materials critical to urbanisation and the transition to a low-carbon economy
Oyu Tolgoi
One of the most modern, safe and sustainable operations in the world
Rincon Project
A long-life, low-cost and low-carbon lithium source
Simandou Project
The world鈥檚 largest untapped high-grade iron ore deposit
Providing materials the world needs in a responsible way
Climate Change
We鈥檙e targeting net zero emissions by 2050
Nature solutions
Our nature-based solutions projects complement the work we're doing to reduce our Scope 1 and 2 emissions
Decarbonisation progress update
We have a clear plan on decarbonisation - find out more about our progress in 2024
We aim to deliver superior returns to our shareholders while safeguarding the environment and meeting our obligations to wider society
Investor seminars
Our Investor seminar will be held in London on 4 December, and our Decarbonisation update on 5 December
Get the latest news, stories and updates
Things you can't live without
Our podcast discussing what needs to happen to create a sustainable future for the everyday items we have come to rely on
The 'f' word of innovation
How unlocking innovation requires a change of mindset
Reducing titanium oxide's carbon footprint
Our BlueSmelting technology could drastically reduce carbon emissions during ore processing
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Supporting new parents of any gender with equal access to parental leave
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Minerals are finite, and as we are often temporary stewards of the land, we need to consider the end right from the very start. It’s a challenge our industry has been grappling with for a long time, and requires years of coordinated planning and sustained effort between mining companies, communities, and government.
How do we manage differing and changing future visions for the land? How can we tap into the latest scientific research to ensure we’re achieving the best remediation outcomes? And how we can we achieve the right outcomes in a cost-effective way?
To help us navigate challenges such as these, in 2018 we established a dedicated Closure team to help our operating teams manage closure risks from the earliest stages of planning, so we can deliver the best possible outcomes for the environments we work in, and our host communities.
At greenfield projects such as the Gudai-Darri iron ore and Winu copper projects in Western Australia, closure is already being considered as part of each project’s design. There’s a lot we need to consider: how we’ll manage waste, minimising disruptions to the local community and economy, and remediating and managing the site and local environment after closure.
Sometimes we become accountable for sites we may not have operated, but which have become part of our portfolio through mergers or acquisitions or otherwise.
This was the case with the historic Holden Mine in Lake Chelan, Washington, US – one of the largest operating copper mines in the country until it closed in 1957. While it was never owned or operated by Rio Tinto, we assumed responsibility for its remediation when we acquired Alcan.
In 2009, our team began a $500 million federally mandated remediation project to address issues including decaying infrastructure and mine waste seeping into groundwater, polluting the adjacent river and damaging the surrounding environment, including wetlands.
Nestled in a remote part of the Cascade Mountains, accessible only by water, the mine’s historic village is now a Lutheran community and spiritual retreat centre, which is also a popular tourist destination. It was essential that we work closely with the local community to ensure the remediation process minimised disruption for residents, guests and recreationalists.
To address environmental impacts, we reshaped and covered around eight million tonnes of tailings and waste rock piles and built a barrier to contain and divert polluted groundwater to a newly constructed water treatment plant. We continue to monitor the ongoing environmental impact of the site to ensure any risks and issues are contained.
Invested
Tailings and waste rock reshaped and covered
Acres preserved through offsets
Employed
Contaminated water treated since startup
Remediation has the potential to impact the surrounding environment. Even after carefully working to minimise impacts, some wetland areas were still impacted during the necessary remediation.
鈥淲etlands existed across the site, including in areas that needed remedial action,鈥 says Steve, General Manager, Closure Americas.
鈥淎nd unfortunately, some damage was unavoidable to ensure access to the site, regrade waste piles and build the facilities needed for remediation.鈥
To help us address the impacted wetlands, we worked with the USDA Forest Service, their partner agencies 鈥 including the US Environmental Protection Agency, Washington Department of Ecology, and US Fish and Wildlife Service 鈥 and the Yakama Nation.
In 2021, we contributed to the purchase of a 2,100-acre property that has similar ecological characteristics to the disturbed land at Lake Chelan. The property 鈥 which will be managed permanently by Chelan-Douglas Land Trust and solely used to conserve native species and habitats 鈥 includes at least four acres of wetlands and a large tract of upland forest habitat, surrounded by United States Forest Service land. The Chelan-Douglas Land Trust will manage the land, named the Chelan Coulees Reserve, with an emphasis on fire safety, wetland preservation, adaptation to climate change, and habitat for wildlife. Its location presents a unique opportunity to conserve connected lands that will now never be developed or fragmented into multiple small ownerships.
鈥淏y supporting the permanent conservation of this important wildlife reserve, we aim to deliver lasting environmental outcomes for the Lake Chelan area. This builds on the transformation we have seen with the remediation of the Holden site, which is a great source of pride for us,鈥 says Steve.
鈥淥ur goal is to leave a positive legacy for future generations, taking into account environmental and community considerations.鈥
The Holden Mine remediation project is just one example of Rio Tinto鈥檚 approach to rehabilitating legacy assets and associated impacts.
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In Indonesia, we rehabilitated Kelian, the 6,670-hectare gold mine site, including remediating waste dumps and building dams to protect ground and surface water from mine tailings, and converting areas that lay beneath the processing plant into a wetland. In 2017, Kelian was assessed by the government and the World Wildlife Fund as an ideal location for the highly endangered Sumatran rhino. Part of the site is now designated as a Protection Forest and will be used as a sanctuary for housing and breeding rhino, with the aim of eventually releasing them into the wild.
In Salt Lake City, Utah at our Kennecott copper mine, our environment team is also working to revegetate waste rock piles – some up to 1,200 feet high – left over from around 100 years of mining.
And in South Africa at Richards Bay Minerals, we have successfully rehabilitated more than 3,311 hectares using native plants and trees.
Image: Richards Bay Minerals, South Africa
We continue to learn with each closure project. Our Closure team builds ongoing expertise across many disciplines, including communities, technical services, procurement and commercial, to support our execution work. We apply our learnings across projects, both at our legacy sites and at our operating sites.
We have increased our research and development expertise and seek partners to generate new and creative solutions to problems we face as an industry. Our R&D portfolio continues to grow, targeting water treatment, waste management, social approaches and material movement.
Closure is considered throughout the life of an asset, and all operating assets have a closure plan that is aligned with our closure framework.
We also engage regularly with assets across our business to ensure they reflect stakeholder expectations and build on experience and best practices.
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With the exception of the use of cookies (explained below), 糖心vlog入口generally does not seek to collect personal data through this website. However if you choose to provide personal data to 糖心vlog入口through this website (for example, by sending us an email), we will process that personal data to answer your query and if relevant, to manage our business relationship with you or your company. We won't process that personal data for other purposes except where required to meet our legal obligations or otherwise as authorised by law and notified to you.
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