BLM Announces Reclamation and Sustainable Mineral Development Award Winners
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The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has recognized three companies for advancing the use of sustainable development in their work on public lands. Michael Nedd, the BLM Assistant Director for Energy, Minerals and Realty Management, today announced the winners of the 2015 Reclamation and Sustainable Mineral Development Awards.The BLM presented three awards in two categories:
- The winner of the BLM Hardrock Mineral Environmental Award winner is Tronox Alkali Corporation’s Sage Grouse Initiative Project.
- The first winner of the FAST! Award winner is Barrick’s Golden Sunlight Mine and Arrowhead Reclamation — West District Mine Closures.
- The second FAST! Award winner is the Newmont Bailey Day Abandoned Mine Hard Closure Project.
“The award recipients are outstanding examples of leadership and environmental responsibility in the hardrock mining industry,” Assistant Director Nedd said. “These mineral resources are critical to America's infrastructure and vital to the economic wellbeing of many communities.”“These awards are all about development that meets the non-fuel mineral needs of the present generation, without compromising the needs of future generations,” Assistant Director Nedd said. “All of this year’ s winners illustrate the BLM’s concept of sustainable development.The Hardrock Mineral Environmental Award highlights the component of sustainable development that relates to environmental stewardship. The award acknowledges operators with exceptional track records of meeting or exceeding Federal, State, or local reclamation requirements.The “Fix A Shaft Today!” (FAST!) Award recognizes active participation in the FAST! Campaign, which is a partnership initiative aimed at eradicating unsafe abandoned mine land features, especially open mine shafts.Sustainable development is a concept adopted by the United States and 192 other countries, to balance environmental, economic, and social concerns in planning for mining operations.Nominations for the BLM hardrock mining awards were first screened by BLM State Office officials, who forwarded the applications to BLM Headquarters for final judging by a panel that included experts in mining activities from outside the BLM. Learn more about the awards and the recipients at this link.
The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land located primarily in 12 western states, including Alaska, on behalf of the American people. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. Our mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of America’s public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.