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approximately 50 per cent of the total greenhouse gases on site, or 5,000 tons of CO2 per year. Eliminating diesel will also make a huge improvement in working conditions by removing diesel particulate, leading to cleaner air, and will lower the overall energy required for underground ventilation than a baseline underground mine using diesel-powered equipment.The Borden mine will also rely on digital and smart controls for added efficiency, and will look to use renewable energy such as biomass for heating. We are hopeful that demonstrating this ‘mine of the future’ will be an example of leadership in innovation, clean technologies and health and safety that will be adopted by other mining companies.ECOTAILS: A LEAP FORWARD IN WATER MANAGEMENTIt is no secret that mining is a water-intensive process, but the industry is hard at work on innovations that challenge that age-old dynamic. Goldcorp, for one, is playing a leadership role in advancing solutions for water conservation.The company’s Water Stewardship Strategy was launched in 2013, setting site-specific milestones for each operating mine. That has evolved into our recently-released Towards Zero Water (H2Zero) strategy. H2Zero’s moonshot is to drastically reduce fresh-water consumption and completely eliminate the use of traditional slurry tailings, currently the largest store of water in the mining process. H2Zero requires step-change innovation and a deep commitment. As part of the target, Goldcorp has just unveiled a flagship water stewardship technology called EcoTails that could represent a giant leap forward in tailings management.In essence, EcoTails blends filtered tailings with waste rock in transit – creating a stable product called GeoWaste. Here is how it works: Tailings fill the void space between rock particles, reducing the opportunity for oxygen flow. Coarse waste rock particles provide improved shear strength for physical stability, and the waste rock covers the tailings.The results? No tailings dam, lower fresh water use, no acid rock drainage, a smaller mine footprint, and less overall risk. The end-product also has better strength and stability, which facilitates mine reclamation. A proof-of-concept study at our Peñasquito mine will be completed this summer. A full-scale prototype is the next step, followed by deployment at the mine.LEADING BY EXAMPLEAt Goldcorp, we believe that true innovation comes by synthesizing new technologies and strategic partnerships with a global approach to problem solving. By playing a leadership role, we aim to leapfrog the mining industry into a sustainable future that will preserve clean air and water for generations to come. ■ABOUT THE AUTHORBert Bergeron joined Goldcorp in November 2010 and was appointed Executive Vice President of Corporate Affairs and Sustainability in January 2015. Prior to joining Goldcorp, he served as a senior executive with international experience in the fields of construction and infrastructure development, broadcast and media. Over the course of his career he has worked throughout Africa, North, South and Central America. Mr Bergeron leads the development and implementation of Goldcorp’s corporate affairs and sustainability programmes. He is a member of the Board of Directors of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, the Canadian Council of the Americas, the Mining Association of Canada, and the Boreal Leadership Council. He also serves as a member of the Executive Steering Committee for the Responsible Gold Standard Initiative at the World Gold Council and is Chairman of the International Council of Metals and Mining’s Environmental and Social Committee. Mr Bergeron holds a Bachelor of Arts (Economics) and a Masters of Arts (Economics) from Carleton Pictured: Brent BergeronUniversity in Ottawa.Industry-wide innovation requires a global, coordinated approach. At Goldcorp, we look to established international guidelines, standards and benchmarks to help us set objectives and track progress. These include:United Nations Sustainable Development GoalsWorld Gold Council’s Conflict Free Gold StandardInternational Council on Mining and MetalsUnited Nations Global CompactUnited Nations Declaration of Human RightsBoreal Leadership Council World Economic ForumRESPONSIBLE MINING 069
