El medio ambiente en la minería

EL MEDIO AMBIENTE EN LA MINERIA 112 pany must be kept oonsta~tly in balance with prereqhisitC$ that exist in the form of technical possibilitieS an<J limitations ~ weU as écQnomjc resources~· .;,., . '. " " . ; , The oompany aIso faces an environmental challenge in the fOnil of delÍlands placed by society's environmental control agencies. As 1 mentioned earlier, Swedish environmentallegislation requires lbat each measure for prolecting the environment fulfill tbree main requirements. Each. measure must be ecologically justifiable, technicalJy practicable and economically feasible. The environmental authorities active 00 the nationaJ, regional and locallevels must take these tbree factors into consideration. It would nol be generalizing too much lo state that the authorities are tending towards a desire for a diminished impact on the surroundings through reduced emissions and away from care– fulIy preparedopinions in regard to eoonomic and technical possibilities. There is also justification for claiming tha! the authorities are subjected lo a certain degree of "political pressure". ~ . , , Companies are also faced with an environmental chaUenge tbat takes place within tbe public doma¡n. The primary players in tbis arena are different media elements, various interested parties, interest organizations snd politicians of various coloration. This is a oomplex front in the sense tbat the players constitute an heterogeneous group, consisting of representatives with expert mow-how and deep conviction, as well as representatives with narrower perspectives and interests. The cballenge is specific because direct dialogwilh any company is limited. However, this is an important front for oompanies in the sense tbat it influences the dialog withiq, companies and the dialog COli– ducted between oompanies and the authorities. Finally, 1would like to add that lhe environmental.challenge concept is not onlyintended to reduceenvironmental impact. The ultimatechaUenge oonsisls oC combining enduringly profitable operations witb· reasonable environmental demands. lt is worth pointingout that industrial operatió~are one oC tbe maín means for creating the resources needed lo enable oomJ:llinies and society to inlplement the prioritized actions for protecting and reStoring the environ– ment. 11. TECHNOLOGICAL CHANGE The most obvious way to meet an environmental challenge is to attempt to apply modified technologies. And bere is where 1would like to returo 10 tbe Ronnsldlr smelter, as a practical example. The Ronnsldlr facility is situated on the Gulfof Bothnia, part of the Baltic Sea (Figure 1). This is tbe only smelter