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...

Myanmar government encourages private sector mining

The government of Myanmar (Burma) has been stepping up cooperation with the private sector in mineral extraction. According to China's Xinhua newsagency, a new contract reached between the state-owned Myanmar Mining Enterprise (MME)-2 and private company DELCO regarding tin and tungsten product quotas for the Kanpauk Mine, "signified another close cooperation between the Ministry of Mines and the private sector."

Myanmar has been encouraging local and foreign investment in the mining of such minerals as gold, gems, copper, lead, zinc and tin as well as coal.