Mongolian livestock herders are worried that a series of massive gold and copper mining projects will dry up scarce water reserves and exacerbate desertification in the delicate Gobi Desert when operations begin next year to tap one of the world’s largest copper and gold deposits.
London Mining Network alleges that the Mongolian government signed the agreement “before a technical and economic feasibility study was accepted by the Mongolian government, as prescribed by law.”
Additionally, the London Mining Network notes that the mining company has failed to show that there is enough water for the 30 to 60-year project.
See http://yubanet.com/world/Mongolian-Nomadic-Herders-Worry-About-Impact-of-Rio-Tinto-s-Gold-Mine.php#.UGMBV42PUjw
Oyu Tolgoi ready to lift the curtain, but someone has to turn on the lights
Rio Tinto’s flagship $5.2 billion copper-gold Oyu Tolgoi mine in Mongolia near the Chinese border – one of the biggest mining projects in the world – is practically ready to go, except for one “detail”: it needs power supply to kick-start operations.
See http://www.mining.com/oyu-tolgoi-ready-to-lift-the-curtain-but-someone-has-to-turn-on-the-lights-35381/?utm_source=digest-en-mining-120921&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=digest.