Chile files four environmental charges against Anglo American mine
The charges could carry a fine of nearly 17 billion pesos ($17.17 million).
BBC News reports on new technology used for mining copper in Chile. Biosigma, a joint venture between Codelco and Nippon Metals and Mining, is experimenting with microbes that break down copper at higher recovery rates and reduce operating costs:
“We know that conventional mining methods are not used for low-grade materials that simply get dumped – so the only way to get copper from them is by using new knowledge and capacities – in this case, biotech,” says Ricardo Badilla, chief executive of Biosigma.
Using bacteria can result in extracting as much as 90% of the total metal at a pit mine, instead of merely 60%, he adds.
Comments
mazijojo
at what reaction rates?