ISO, the world’s largest developer of voluntary international standards, has formed a new subcommittee that will focus on minimising the long-term damage that can potentially be caused by mining activities.
The aim of creating these mining reclamation management standards is to improve the relationship between the mining industry and local communities, as well as the quality of life of residents that live in the surrounding areas.
Subcommittee chair Professor Sun Joon Kim explained that the conflict that could occur between these parties could sometimes grow beyond reasonable mediation.
“International standards for mining reclamation management can be beneficial as these internationally agreed guidelines help avoid excessive claims or profits from one side, leading to a win-win situation,” he said.
Developing a universal guideline
While it was acknowledged that many countries had established effective local standards, Kim said ISO would be developing a “general guideline that can be applied universally” and which can address “more detailed fields and standards that meet each situation … if necessary, special situations must be standardised separately”.
Commenting on the standard development process, ISO mining technical committee chair Reinhard Reinartz said, “The first and most important step is for [the mining technical committee] to identify and understand in detail these different needs. Then we will be able to identify common ground with other topics and fields, making sure we are not isolating issues.”
Reinartz explained that both the mining committee and its mining reclamation management subcommittee would be working with related ISO technical committees – especially in the field of machinery – to exchange findings, discuss next steps and, where possible, create a common interdisciplinary standard.
“This will ensure best practices are being shared for the benefit of the industry and highlight where we need to be industry-specific,” he concluded.
An ISO spokeswoman confirmed to Quarry that the subcommittee would be focusing on all types of mining, including both underground and surface mines or open-cut mines such as quarries.
“After the suggestion of a general guideline applicable to any specific mining activities, the next step for the subcommittee would include developing guidelines of more detailed mining objects. During this stage, the subcommittee would consider whether or not quarrying needs special standards,” she explained.
ISO has published more than 19,500 international standards since it was founded in 1947. The organisation comprises a network of national standards bodies from 163 countries and is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland.