Algae and mining: A new frontier in sustainable site rehabilitation

Algae might seem an unlikely candidate to help transform Australia’s post-mining landscapes, but a new CSIRO -led project suggests these tiny aquatic organisms could provide sustainable futures for mine sites, surrounding ecosystems, and local communities. Looking down the microscope at the microalgae Nannochloropsis Australia’s mining sector is approaching a crossroads—where economic legacy and environmental responsibility must find common ground. A new CSIRO -led study, supported by the Cooperative Research Centre for Transformations in Mining Economies (CRC TiME), suggests that one of the most promising bridges between these imperatives may come from an unexpected source: algae. Though small in stature, algae are emerging as giants in their potential to transform post-mining landscapes. The study, developed in partnership with the University of Queensland and Murdoch University , proposes that algae-based technologies could reduce mining’s environmental footprint while seeding new...

Indonesia seizes 5 tonnes of illegal tin ore

Police in Bangka-Belitung province, Indonesia's main tin-producing area, have confiscated five tonnes of illegal tin ore. Dian Harianto, West Bangka police chief, told media that the tin ore had been seized from a warehouse as the owner did not have a proper license to stockpile tin ore and could not verify the source of the ore.

The combination of the police crackdown on illegal tin mining and wet weather has hit supplies of tin ore for members of PT Bangka-Belitung Timah Sejahtera, a consortium of seven smelters. "Tin ore supplies to our members have been halved because many tin mines are flooded while the police operation has discouraged individual miners from mining tin," said Johan Murod, director of the consortium.