Narrowing the gap between local standards and global best practices inbauxite mining

A case study in Malaysia

Document identifier: oai:DiVA.org:ltu-77896
Access full text here:10.1016/j.resourpol.2020.101636
Keyword: Engineering and Technology, Materials Engineering, Metallurgy and Metallic Materials, Teknik och teknologier, Materialteknik, Metallurgi och metalliska material, Sustainable mining, Bauxite, Malaysia, Economic, Environmental and social impacts, Bauxite mining SOP, Mineral Processing, Mineralteknik
Publication year: 2020
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The SDG label(s) above have been assigned by OSDG.ai

Abstract:

In mining the concept of sustainable development often encounters a paradoxical meaning as numerous mines in the past have closed due to exhausted amounts of ores. Despite the paradox, sustainable development and mining can be made compatible, if mining activities are carried out responsibly and sustainably. This holds true especially in the developing world where illegal and unregulated mining is still being practiced. In Malaysia, annual production of bauxite ore increased drastically from 208,770 tonnes in 2013, to 962,799 tonnes in 2014. The increase stemmed primarily from Indonesia banning exports of bauxite in 2014 to boost its own aluminium smelting industry. This led China to suffer low bauxite supply to meet its national aluminium production demand. Subsequently, mining companies flocked to the hills around Kuantan, Malaysia which host large amounts of low-grade bauxite where the ore is procured and exported to China via seaway. The immediate spike in bauxite production came with environmental and health consequences for residents due to unregulated rampant mining. Consequently, the authorities imposed a temporary moratorium on bauxite mining from Jan 15, 2016 with exceptions for exports of stockpiled bauxite. As a result, production in 2016 dropped to 342,924 tonnes from a peak of 7,164,956 tonnes in 2015. After extending the moratorium nine times, the government announced recently that there would be no further extension and mining could resume in April 2019 with new standard operating procedures (SOP). This work analyses the gap between local standards and global best practices and discovers a disconnect between the two, largely centred around the area of environmental management and performance. The work also elucidates the weaknesses in the current SOP and strategies are proposed to resolve these shortcomings. Recommendations are made to bring Malaysian bauxite mining practices to international standards by stressing on improved sustainability indicators, policy provisions and data transparency.

Authors

Seng How Kuan

Department of Mechanical and Material Engineering, Lee Kong Chian Faculty of Engineering and Science, Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman, Kajang, Selangor, Malaysia
Other publications >>

Yousef Ghorbani

Luleå tekniska universitet; Mineralteknik och metallurgi
Other publications >>

Sylvia Chieng

Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia
Other publications >>

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        identifier: oai:DiVA.org:ltu-77896
        datestamp: 2021-04-19T12:48:51Z
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                http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:ltu:diva-77896
                10.1016/j.resourpol.2020.101636
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            titleInfo: 
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                    lang: eng
                title: Narrowing the gap between local standards and global best practices inbauxite mining
                subTitle: A case study in Malaysia
            abstract: 
In mining the concept of sustainable development often encounters a paradoxical meaning as numerous mines in the past have closed due to exhausted amounts of ores. Despite the paradox sustainable development and mining can be made compatible if mining activities are carried out responsibly and sustainably. This holds true especially in the developing world where illegal and unregulated mining is still being practiced. In Malaysia annual production of bauxite ore increased drastically from 208770 tonnes in 2013 to 962799 tonnes in 2014. The increase stemmed primarily from Indonesia banning exports of bauxite in 2014 to boost its own aluminium smelting industry. This led China to suffer low bauxite supply to meet its national aluminium production demand. Subsequently mining companies flocked to the hills around Kuantan Malaysia which host large amounts of low-grade bauxite where the ore is procured and exported to China via seaway. The immediate spike in bauxite production came with environmental and health consequences for residents due to unregulated rampant mining. Consequently the authorities imposed a temporary moratorium on bauxite mining from Jan 15 2016 with exceptions for exports of stockpiled bauxite. As a result production in 2016 dropped to 342924 tonnes from a peak of 7164956 tonnes in 2015. After extending the moratorium nine times the government announced recently that there would be no further extension and mining could resume in April 2019 with new standard operating procedures (SOP). This work analyses the gap between local standards and global best practices and discovers a disconnect between the two largely centred around the area of environmental management and performance. The work also elucidates the weaknesses in the current SOP and strategies are proposed to resolve these shortcomings. Recommendations are made to bring Malaysian bauxite mining practices to international standards by stressing on improved sustainability indicators policy provisions and data transparency.

            subject: 
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                        lang: eng
                        authority: uka.se
                    topic: 
                        Engineering and Technology
                        Materials Engineering
                        Metallurgy and Metallic Materials
                    @attributes: 
                        lang: swe
                        authority: uka.se
                    topic: 
                        Teknik och teknologier
                        Materialteknik
                        Metallurgi och metalliska material
                    @attributes: 
                        lang: eng
                    topic: Sustainable mining
                    @attributes: 
                        lang: eng
                    topic: Bauxite
                    @attributes: 
                        lang: eng
                    topic: Malaysia
                    @attributes: 
                        lang: eng
                    topic: Economic
                    @attributes: 
                        lang: eng
                    topic: Environmental and social impacts
                    @attributes: 
                        lang: eng
                    topic: Bauxite mining SOP
                    @attributes: 
                        lang: eng
                        authority: ltu
                    topic: Mineral Processing
                    genre: Research subject
                    @attributes: 
                        lang: swe
                        authority: ltu
                    topic: Mineralteknik
                    genre: Research subject
            language: 
                languageTerm: eng
            genre: 
                publication/journal-article
                ref
            note: 
                Published
                3
                
Validerad;2020;Nivå 2;2020-02-27 (svasva)

            name: 
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                        type: personal
                    namePart: 
                        How Kuan
                        Seng
                    role: 
                        roleTerm: aut
                    affiliation: Department of Mechanical and Material Engineering Lee Kong Chian Faculty of Engineering and Science Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman Kajang Selangor Malaysia
                    @attributes: 
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                        authority: ltu
                    namePart: 
                        Ghorbani
                        Yousef
                    role: 
                        roleTerm: aut
                    affiliation: 
                        Luleå tekniska universitet
                        Mineralteknik och metallurgi
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                        yougho
                        0000-0002-5228-3888
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                        type: personal
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                        Chieng
                        Sylvia
                    role: 
                        roleTerm: aut
                    affiliation: Faculty of Science and Technology Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Bangi Selangor Malaysia
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                dateIssued: 2020
                publisher: Elsevier
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                    title: Resources policy
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                    0301-4207
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                            @attributes: 
                                type: volume
                            number: 66
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                            number: 101636
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