Mining activities mostly involve destructive processes, mainly digging deep into the earth, which can, in turn, affect the environment surrounding the mine and the local ecosystem as a whole. In fact, a sustainable gold mining process can have a massively transformative effect on the neighboring areas that are miles across the mine location. Whether this transformative effect is positive or negative, solely depends on the ethical outlook of the mining company responsible for that particular mine.
Gold mining, in particular, drives big economic changes in the surrounding areas, complete with housing booms, increased trade flow and positive transformation of rural outreaches surrounding the mine. But the value of gold also may result in a degrading the ethical stance of the mine, for greed can take preference over the safety and security of miners. That is why mining firms have to be responsible, not just for the environment but also to ensure the sustainability of the mine.
The first and foremost step to responsible gold mining is ensuring complete transparency in mining operations. The local government authorities may check the site from time to time; it is the duty of the mining firm to ensure compliance and state all the facts and figures as needed.
This allows the mining firm to not only detect unsafe anomalies and rectify them in time but also to have a solid foundation of trust among miners. After all, a mining company is as good as the miners working for it.
The second step is to ensure worker safety. Safety is the single most aspect to be taken care of in a mining site, for the movement of the earth is unpredictable and human lives are more valuable than anything else. The mining company has to set up a correct set of safety protocols in place with all safety gear assigned, which helps the mining firm reduce chances of accident and expensive lawsuits and bad PR following those accidents.
Finally, the mining company has to ensure a sustainable ecological plan to take care of the environment surrounding the mine. Many mining companies lay out new developmental work such as the supply of drinking water to nearby households or modern waste disposal systems which greatly reduce their effect on the environment. The mining company must also have a plan to safely dispose of the mine in future once the operations become unsustainable or if the gold deposits exhausted.
Responsible gold mining goes a long way in making the company self-sustainable and keeping the company in good faith standing with the audience. While it may seem expensive for some, the after-effects of responsible and sustainable practices far outweigh any initial effort or capital invested. This also often helps mining firms stay on a bit longer than planned due to improved efficiency. The safety of miners and the mining area should be the first and foremost agenda to deal with, for miners is the soul of the company.