Rio Tinto Kennecott, a subsidiary of Rio Tinto, has reclaimed 740 additional acres of land at the Bingham Canyon mine.
The Bingham Canyon mine, commonly known as the Kennecott copper mine, is located just outside Salt Lake City in Utah. It has one of the lowest carbon footprints of any copper producer in the US.
Ri Tinto’s latest reclamation phase included softening the grade of approximately 12.4 million cubic yards of waste rock created during mining, covering it with 3.7 million cubic yards of top soil, and then planting 23 varieties of natural grasses and shrubs native to the area.
The company said the restoration process will enhance biodiversity on the remediated land and improve the Bingham Canyon mine’s appearance for the residents.
“Rio Tinto Kennecott is committed to leaving a lasting legacy with our neighbours that have shared our history for over 120 years now,” Rio Tinto Kennecott managing director Nate Foster said.
“We’re investing in restoring hundreds of acres of land back to its natural beauty in areas we no longer need for active mining, as part of our long-term commitment to be responsible stewards in our community.”
The major miner also announced that the East Waste Rock Reclamation project has entered its third phase and is expected to last through 2028.
Phase one of the project lasted from 2018 to 2020 and reclaimed two waste rock lifts, or levels, and phase two ran from 2021 to 2022 and reclaimed three waste rock lifts.
Phase three will fully reclaim the remaining East Waste Rock lifts to complete the project. The completion of phase three is expected to help maintain critical erosion control, and in turn positively impact stormwater management in the area.
In June, Rio Tinto announced its plans to further invest in the Kennecott operation to strengthen its copper supply in the US.