Livro EDM

A Herança das Minas Abandonadas 35
Algumas das principais empresas da indústria mineira anunciaram que procuram vias para serem parte da solução, mesmo quando não lhes sejam
atribuíveis responsabilidades legais. As suas acções são dificultadas pelo receio de receberem exigências de assumirem uma responsabilidade ilimitada,
mas a sociedade tem que procurar caminhos para conter estes receios e beneficiar da reputação comercial e liderança que essas empresas
estão preparadas para mostrar. A sua competência técnica e experiência em gerir projectos tornam-nas parceiros valiosos em qualquer aliança para
a regeneração.
À medida que estes novos modelos de responsabilidade partilhada começam a ser testados no terreno, melhor se conclui sobre o que resulta e não
resulta na resolução do legado mineiro negativo, o que, por seu lado irá desbloquear mais financiamento para resolver o problema noutros locais. O
que apenas começa a despontar como uma oportunidade, até agora sobretudo na América do Norte, é o potencial para que antigos locais com legados
negativos sejam usados para a nova economia verde – como sejam locais para a produção de energias renováveis, culturas agrícolas destinadas
à produção de biocombustíveis e outras actividades do século XXI. Espera-se que esta indústria emergente forneça outro ímpeto para resolver, com
êxito, o problema dos legados negativos das minas.
Mina de São
Domingos - Antiga
sede administrativa da
Empresa que explorou a
Mina, agora convertida
em Estalagem.
(JB)
São Domingos Mine -
Old headquarters of the
Company that exploited
the Mine, converted to a
charm Hotel.
(JB)
more pressure on land use, requiring
better approaches to integrated
local planning. These and a variety
of other factors have raised the profile
of mining legacy and the need to
find better ways to address derelict
/ abandoned / orphaned / contaminated
mine sites.
Faced with the scale and complexity
of the problem, a common reaction
has been to compile inventories that
will document all the scars on the
landscape. This can never be an end
in itself, as it does not advance the
solutions, but it is an essential input
to the process of prioritising the sites
requiring urgent action. These are
best addressed by developing regeneration
plans that start with the
premise that the redevelopment of
the site will create economic benefit
and opportunity for the surrounding
community, and more broadly for the
nation as a whole.
New funding opportunities that combine
both public and private sector
priorities and expertise need to be
explored further. The responsibility
for doing something about mining
legacy sites usually falls on governments.
They have to balance the
needs of mining regeneration with
a multitude of competing claims
for public funds. Setting the correct
endpoints for regeneration work
will help in making the case for
mine legacy work to be presented
as an investment opportunity and
to secure a fair share of the public
finances.
Some of the leading companies in the
mining industry have indicated that
they are looking for ways to be part
of the solution, even where no legal
liability exists. Their actions are inhibited
by the fear of attracting claims
for unlimited liability, but society has
to find ways to allay this fear and to
benefit from the goodwill and leadership
they are prepared to show. Their
technical expertise and project experience
makes them valuable partners in
any regeneration alliance.
As these new models of shared responsibility
start to be tested on
the ground, more evidence of what
works and what does not work in
addressing mining legacy will be
made available which in turn will
unlock more funding to address the
problem elsewhere. What is just
starting to emerge as an opportunity,
so far mostly in North America,
is the potential for old legacy sites to
be used for the new green economy
– as sites for renewable energy generation,
biofuel crops and other 21st
century activities. It is hoped that
this emerging industry will provide
another impetus to addressing mining
legacy successfully.