Report: Mining has damaged nearly 4,000 hectares

The Mineral Resources Authority has released a report on mining’s environmental impact and the results are worse than expected. It is the first time the Authority has calculated the amount of land used or damaged by mining operations, including exploration and production. The report says a total of 3984.46 hectares (9845.8 acres) of land have been badly damaged. And they’re still not done counting. The final tally won’t be known until surveys are completed in Uvs and Bayan-Ulgii aimags by the end of the year. Surveys have already been completed in Govi-Altai, Bayankhongor, and Khovd aimags. Experts expect another 1291.9 hectares (3192.3 acres) of land to be counted as damaged.