40% of Tavantolgoi will be green, says Minister Gansukh

Environment Minister L.Gansukh has said the Southern Gobi region has limited water reserve and several studies will have to be reviewed and the discrepancies in them reconciled before a clearer picture emerges of water availability for the Tavantolgoi project. The concern of the Mineral Council about excessive and imprudent water consumption in mining has been clearly reflected in the Oyutolgoi agreement. The water consumption during production will be strictly monitored.

Asked abut the likely ecological hazards of the proposed heavy industrial complex in Sainshand, . Gansukh has told The Mongolian Mining Journal he agreed that mineral processing poses risks to the environment. “Our Ministry has the legal authority to disallow construction of any plant if it feels the environmental impact will be unacceptable,” he said. “But of course this can be done only after considering all other options.”
Deploring that post-mining reclamation is very much neglected, the Minister conceded that the monitoring here needs improving. The responsibility for monitoring should lie with central and local professional inspectors and the penalty for infraction of the law should include cancellation of license. Some areas near Tavan Tolgoi and Oyu Tolgoi have already changed dramatically and are growing into towns. “We shall not allow another Ulaanbaatar to come up in the Gobi, and will insist on green facilities in no less than 40% of the total territory,” Mr. Gansukh said.