Mining Diagram

Details

Published: Wednesday, 08 April 2015 18:18

BAJV / BRL proudly boast that 70% of their 62 km2 mining operation will be on previously cleared farm land and show an eight step mining process in their diagram below.

Just for a moment focus on the before and after examples in the middle of the diagram, it clearly shows that when they mine, every ounce of bauxite is removed all the way down to the clay bed. 

This destroys farmland forever, as the bauxite or the earth’s sponge which would normally hold subsoil moisture throughout the dry months and years is removed. How can farm land recover from that in an area that only receives around 450mm of rain on average?

Once you remove the bauxite which is the subsoil profile that has taken millions of years to develop and then return top soil and overburden of around 80 - 100 cm back on top of the clay bed, well you don't have to be Einstein to see what will happen.

AHMAG

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