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Corporate Social Responsibility (cont’d)
envIRonment
Fully cognizant that our operations must be carried out in a
responsible manner to preserve the environment, we strive to
comply with the highest environmental standards within the
communities impacted by our presence. Some of the ongoing
environmental initiatives are preservation of water resources
by conservation, recycling and minimising pollution, reduction
of harmful emissions and waste, and developing new means
of waste disposal.
At RHT, recycling of water is being continued for all the
process water that is discharged from the tin processing
plants by pumping back from the tailings ponds. Water lost
to evaporation from the tailings ponds is replenished by
pumping-in from a nearby stream and excess water during
rain is stored in reservoirs within the tailings areas. With the
closed loop system, there is no discharge of mine effluent
from the tailings areas into the surroundings, except during
the occasional heavy and sudden downpour. Any seepage or
surface run-off water from RHT’s mining leases is treated with
calcium hydroxide (hydrated lime) before it flows out into the
local streams and river systems.
In Indonesia, PT Koba ensures it operational activities comply
fully with government rules and regulations with respect to
environmental management as well as the requirements of the
ISO 14001:2004. In addition, the company also participates in
the annual Pollution Control, Evaluation, and Rating (PROPER)
programme conducted by the Ministry of Environment for which
it was awarded the Blue rating that signifies compliance with
national regulatory standards for pollution control. PT Koba
Tin also received the Silver award from Directorate General
of Mineral and Coal of Indonesia (ESDM) in recognition for its
excellence in the area of Mining Environmental Management
Reclamation of biodiversity in areas impacted by mining
operations and maintenance of existing biodiversity in our
concession areas are also among our top priorities. In
July 2011, RHT initiated an experimental mine
rehabilitation project in collaboration with
the Forest Research Institute, Malaysia
(FRIM), the only institution in
Malaysia that is recognized
by the government
agencies as the
authority for
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Building on Success: Developing Resources for the Future
reforestation projects, including rehabilitation. The
experimental rehabilitation work was started at selected sites
at RHT in August 2011, together with the establishment of a
nursery. A tailings site and one area of about two hectares at
the top west of the open-pit were selected for the initial stage
of the experimental rehabilitation project.
On 27 October 2011, a collaborative rehabilitation project
between FRIM and RHT was jointly launched by FRIM Director
General, Dato’ Dr. Abd Latif Mohmod, and RHT’s Senior General
Manager, Ir. Mohamed Yakub Ismail. To commemorate the
event, seedlings of two local tree species, the Meranti Temak
(Shorea hypochra) and Sungkai (Peronema canescens) were
planted at the experimental tailings rehabilitation site. The
close collaboration and strategic alliance between FRIM and
RHT would be invaluable towards the successful rehabilitation
of the RHT mine upon eventual closure.
Similarly at PT Koba Tin, a total of 1,182 hectares of land
disturbed by mining activities have been levelled and 718
hectares re-vegetated or reclaimed. A total of 250,757 trees
were used in the company’s re-vegetation activities for the
year. Re-vegetation of former mining ponds is crucial to
impede erosion and help to accelerate the recovery
of water pH. We are also collaborating with
Toyota Tsusho (M) Sdn Bhd in planting
Jatropha trees at ex-mining land
to produce bio-diesel as the
source of renewable
energy.