Management of waste and hazardous substances at Codelco Norte division, practical experience

摘要

Since the beginning of mining in 1915 until the late 1970's, Chuquicamata operated in accordance with environmental expectations normal for the time, assigning higher importance to production levels with little or no regard for the environment. This started to change in the 1980's. when the Chuquicamata Division started investments to contain particulate matter and gases generated from the smelting of copper concentrates, and further studies related to meteorology in the Chuquicamata and Calama area. Between 1982 and 2003, the Division will have spent around USD $ 800 Million in projects associated to environmental improvements, such as the installation of air quality control systems and the management of hazardous waste and substances using state of the art technologies. In 1995, CODELCO become environmentally more proactive by defining a 'Corporate Environmental Policy', which promises among other commitments, compliance with all the environmental regulations. Beyond the materialization of environmental projects, CODELCO started in 1998 the implementation of an Environmental Management System ISO 14000 with the eventual goal to have all its Divisions certified by 2003. During 2000, the Corporation committed itself to double its economic output by the end of 2006, a compromise that was formalized by the Common Enterprise Project (PCE). The Codelco Norte Division is basically composed of the Chuquicamata and Radomiro Tomic Divisions, plus several discoveries in the area, such as Mansa Mina, Toki, Opache, Genoveva and Atahualpa. All of them will work under a new integrated planning concept. This new scheme imposes enormous environmental challenges and constraints, which will not only mean more production commitments, but a tremendous opportunity to demonstrate that mining, community and environment can co-exist side by side.