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Nicole Smith
Mining Engineering Department, Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO 80401, USA

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Journal article
Published: 04 August 2021 in Sustainability
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Sustainability reporting is one of the tools that contribute to incorporating sustainable development in the design of extractive operations (i.e., “Design for Sustainability”), and the demand for sustainability reports is increasing due to the increased focus on sustainable development and sustainable financing efforts. The extractive industries are believed to have unique strengths to contribute to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. Nonetheless, companies are expected to be transparent and accountable not only to investors but to all stakeholders, including communities, suppliers, clients, employees, and governments. Therefore, extractive industries require effective sustainability accounting and reporting to transition and contribute to sustainable development. Through a data-driven approach, this paper examines the scope and consistency of sustainability indicators used in the sustainability reports of eight oil and gas and eight mining companies from 2012 to 2018. Through content analysis and relevant statistical methods, we analyze the ways in which companies reported on their contributions to sustainable development, with a focus on indicators used and trends over time both within each industry and between industries. We demonstrate that extractive industries’ sustainability reporting practices are not consistent over time and that internal issues are better represented than external issues, in particular transportation and supply chain issues. Furthermore, while there are similar trends across the industries in terms of social and environmental indicator reporting, there are significant differences in economic reporting. We conclude that although both industries have established sustainability reporting practices, there are trends that demonstrate what companies are focusing on more, as well as areas for improvement. We see this as an initial step for conceptualizing how these industries can more objectively, consistently, and effectively assess and contribute to sustainable development.

ACS Style

Cansu Perdeli Demirkan; Nicole Smith; H. Duzgun; Aurora Waclawski. A Data-Driven Approach to Evaluation of Sustainability Reporting Practices in Extractive Industries. Sustainability 2021, 13, 8716 .

AMA Style

Cansu Perdeli Demirkan, Nicole Smith, H. Duzgun, Aurora Waclawski. A Data-Driven Approach to Evaluation of Sustainability Reporting Practices in Extractive Industries. Sustainability. 2021; 13 (16):8716.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Cansu Perdeli Demirkan; Nicole Smith; H. Duzgun; Aurora Waclawski. 2021. "A Data-Driven Approach to Evaluation of Sustainability Reporting Practices in Extractive Industries." Sustainability 13, no. 16: 8716.

Journal article
Published: 30 July 2021 in The Extractive Industries and Society
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The mining industry is increasingly turning to Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) programs to address a range of challenges including an aging workforce, increased public pressure, and growing demand for innovative technical solutions to mining problems. However, there is a lack of information on D&I initiatives in mining contexts, creating one barrier to adoption and development of these programs. To determine how and to what extent companies are reporting on their D&I programs, we conducted an analysis of twenty-six D&I-related indicators in the public sustainability reports of eight major metals mining companies from 2012–2019. This analysis demonstrates greater attention being paid to D&I over time and a preference for reporting on simple indicators which are relatively easy to obtain, such as demographics and policies. However, reporting on ethnic diversity and established industry goals that do not have corresponding GRI standards was extremely limited, and there was a decline in reporting of several indicators of structural aspects of employee inclusion, presenting a potentially concerning trend. We conclude that while some progress is being made, increasing D&I reporting in the mining industry remains a promising means of boosting the global equity of the industry and aligning with the 2015 UN Sustainable Development Goals.

ACS Style

Claire Kincaid; Nicole M. Smith. Diversity and inclusion in mining: An analysis of indicators used in sustainability reporting. The Extractive Industries and Society 2021, 100981 .

AMA Style

Claire Kincaid, Nicole M. Smith. Diversity and inclusion in mining: An analysis of indicators used in sustainability reporting. The Extractive Industries and Society. 2021; ():100981.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Claire Kincaid; Nicole M. Smith. 2021. "Diversity and inclusion in mining: An analysis of indicators used in sustainability reporting." The Extractive Industries and Society , no. : 100981.

Review
Published: 21 October 2020 in Water
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There is interest in using locally available, low cost organic materials to attenuate heavy metals such as Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Ni, Pb, and Zn found in surface waters in Peru and other developing regions. Here we mesh Spanish language publications, archived theses, and prior globally available literature to provide a tabulated synthesis of organic materials that hold promise for this application in the developing world. In total, nearly 200 materials were grouped into source categories such as algae and seashells, bacteria and fungi, terrestrial plant-derived materials, and other agricultural and processing materials. This curation was complemented by an assessment of removal potential that can serve as a resource for future studies. We also identified a subset of Peruvian materials that hold particular promise for further investigation, including seashell-based mixed media, fungal blends, lignocellulose-based substrates including sawdust, corn and rice husks, and food residuals including peels from potatoes and avocadoes. Many studies reported percent removal and/or lacked consistent protocols for solid to liquid ratios and defined aqueous concentrations, which limits direct application. However, they hold value as an initial screening methodology informed by local knowledge and insights that could enable adoption for agriculture and other non-potable water reuse applications. While underlying removal mechanisms were presumed to rely on sorptive processes, this should be confirmed in promising materials with subsequent experimentation to quantify active sites and capacities by generating sorption isotherms with a focus on environmental conditions and specific contaminated water properties (pH, temperature, ionic strength, etc.). These organics also hold promise for the pairing of sorption to indirect microbial respiratory processes such as biogenic sulfide complexation. Conversely, there is a need to quantify unwanted contaminant release that could include soluble organic matter and nutrients. In addition to local availability and treatment efficacy, social, technical, economic, and environmental applicability of those materials for large-scale application must be considered to further refine material selection.

ACS Style

Pablo Garcia-Chevesich; Vilma García; Gisella Martínez; Julia Zea; Juana Ticona; Francisco Alejo; Johan Vanneste; Sarah Acker; Gary Vanzin; Aaron Malone; Nicole M. Smith; Christopher Bellona; Jonathan O. Sharp. Inexpensive Organic Materials and Their Applications towards Heavy Metal Attenuation in Waters from Southern Peru. Water 2020, 12, 2948 .

AMA Style

Pablo Garcia-Chevesich, Vilma García, Gisella Martínez, Julia Zea, Juana Ticona, Francisco Alejo, Johan Vanneste, Sarah Acker, Gary Vanzin, Aaron Malone, Nicole M. Smith, Christopher Bellona, Jonathan O. Sharp. Inexpensive Organic Materials and Their Applications towards Heavy Metal Attenuation in Waters from Southern Peru. Water. 2020; 12 (10):2948.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Pablo Garcia-Chevesich; Vilma García; Gisella Martínez; Julia Zea; Juana Ticona; Francisco Alejo; Johan Vanneste; Sarah Acker; Gary Vanzin; Aaron Malone; Nicole M. Smith; Christopher Bellona; Jonathan O. Sharp. 2020. "Inexpensive Organic Materials and Their Applications towards Heavy Metal Attenuation in Waters from Southern Peru." Water 12, no. 10: 2948.

Journal article
Published: 22 June 2019 in The Extractive Industries and Society
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Gemstone value is often associated with origin as particular color, clarity, and other attributes of interest to consumers are often determined by the geological location of the stone. In this paper, we consider how the provenance of gemstones is harnessed through the 4 P framework of product, price, promotion, and place. Both tanzanite and zultanite/csarite are currently each found in only one location in the world. Tanzanite is mined in Mererani, near Arusha, Tanzania, and zultanite/csarite is mined in Milas, near Mugla, Turkey. While this rarity and other attributes such as the color and durability of tanzanite were successfully leveraged so that tanzanite attained global recognition, zultanite/csarite has remained largely unknown. Our study examines the potential reasons why tanzanite and zultanite/csarite have experienced such different degrees of success on the global gemstone market. Our main findings are that rarity itself is not an inadequate determinant of value and that consumer preferences for color need to be carefully marketed with a powerful storyline and linked to other sectors such as tourism.

ACS Style

Mehmet Altingoz; Nicole M. Smith; H. Sebnem Duzgun; Patricia F. Syvrud; Saleem H. Ali. Color and local heritage in gemstone branding: A comparative study of blue zoisite (Tanzanite) and color-change diaspore (Zultanite/Csarite). The Extractive Industries and Society 2019, 6, 1030 -1039.

AMA Style

Mehmet Altingoz, Nicole M. Smith, H. Sebnem Duzgun, Patricia F. Syvrud, Saleem H. Ali. Color and local heritage in gemstone branding: A comparative study of blue zoisite (Tanzanite) and color-change diaspore (Zultanite/Csarite). The Extractive Industries and Society. 2019; 6 (4):1030-1039.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Mehmet Altingoz; Nicole M. Smith; H. Sebnem Duzgun; Patricia F. Syvrud; Saleem H. Ali. 2019. "Color and local heritage in gemstone branding: A comparative study of blue zoisite (Tanzanite) and color-change diaspore (Zultanite/Csarite)." The Extractive Industries and Society 6, no. 4: 1030-1039.

Journal article
Published: 08 March 2019 in Journal of Cleaner Production
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Mercury use in artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) has captured global attention and concern for decades. Policy makers and development practitioners routinely promote awareness campaigns and technical assistance to address mercury use in ASGM; however, this focus obscures other barriers that stand in the way of addressing mercury emissions from the sector. Focused on the town of Relave, in the Ayacucho Region of Southwestern Peru, this paper examines the perspectives and practices of some of the community members who are involved with ASGM activities. It highlights their own views of the challenges related to ASGM and explores the ways in which they are addressing these challenges. Despite their efforts, this paper reveals that there are two key barriers to controlling mercury use in Relave, which lie outside of the communities’ lack of awareness and technological capabilities. These include the deprioritization of mercury use and pollution among community members as compared to other community and public health concerns and inequities in the supply chain that position miners and mineral processors with little to no control over the distribution, use, and emissions of mercury. The implications of these findings for policy decisions, regulatory schemes, and development initiatives are not only relevant to Peru, but are also significant for other countries committed to addressing mercury emissions from ASGM.

ACS Style

Nicole M. Smith. “Our gold is dirty, but we want to improve”: Challenges to addressing mercury use in artisanal and small-scale gold mining in Peru. Journal of Cleaner Production 2019, 222, 646 -654.

AMA Style

Nicole M. Smith. “Our gold is dirty, but we want to improve”: Challenges to addressing mercury use in artisanal and small-scale gold mining in Peru. Journal of Cleaner Production. 2019; 222 ():646-654.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Nicole M. Smith. 2019. "“Our gold is dirty, but we want to improve”: Challenges to addressing mercury use in artisanal and small-scale gold mining in Peru." Journal of Cleaner Production 222, no. : 646-654.

Journal article
Published: 01 March 2018 in Engaging Science, Technology, and Society
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Engineers and applied scientists form the backbone of the mining and petroleum industries, yet rarely figure in social science accounts of natural resource extraction. This article begins to fill that gap by ethnographically exploring how community conflicts have prompted engineers and applied scientists working in these industries to reconsider the relationship between the surface and subsurface dimensions of their work. To make social concerns on the surface matter to how drilling and extraction would happen, they tried to make these two domains legible to one another. Using mapping and modeling, they created new techniques for making “social” concerns visible and actionable by field operators, even as they expressed reservations about unduly flattening the inherent complexity of human thought, action, and emotion in the process. While these practices opened space for other engineers and applied scientists to incorporate the concerns of nearby residents into their plans and practices, they also raised questions about the appropriateness of commensuration, or the process of translation through which things and values are made comparable.

ACS Style

Jessica M. Smith; Nicole M. Smith. Engineering and the Politics of Commensuration in the Mining and Petroleum Industries. Engaging Science, Technology, and Society 2018, 4, 67 -84.

AMA Style

Jessica M. Smith, Nicole M. Smith. Engineering and the Politics of Commensuration in the Mining and Petroleum Industries. Engaging Science, Technology, and Society. 2018; 4 ():67-84.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Jessica M. Smith; Nicole M. Smith. 2018. "Engineering and the Politics of Commensuration in the Mining and Petroleum Industries." Engaging Science, Technology, and Society 4, no. : 67-84.

Journal article
Published: 01 August 2016 in Journal of Cleaner Production
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Artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) is a critical poverty reduction strategy for millions of people around the world; however, it is notoriously dangerous. While there is an awareness of the dangers associated with ASM activities, with the exception of mercury contamination from artisanal gold mining activities, health and safety risks among artisanal miners, their families, and their communities have not been fully addressed in the scholarly literature or by regulatory institutions in countries where ASM is prevalent. This article applies a participatory action framework and draws from three different but complementary data sources, including a survey administered to ASM scholars and practitioners, data gathered from participants in Australian Government-sponsored short courses at the University of Queensland (UQ), and interactions between scholars from UQ and Mongolian mine inspectors, to demonstrate the growing significance of an integrated research approach to understanding the full scope of health and safety risks facing the ASM sector. It also reveals some of the practical challenges to mitigating health and safety risks, specifically capacity building among regulatory agencies who work with limited resources to meet the inspection requirements of both the large- and small-scale mining sectors. This article concludes that research on health and safety issues in the ASM sector must incorporate a more holistic and regional approach with both qualitative and quantitative data collection methodologies.

ACS Style

Nicole M. Smith; Saleem Ali; Carmel Bofinger; Nina Collins. Human health and safety in artisanal and small-scale mining: an integrated approach to risk mitigation. Journal of Cleaner Production 2016, 129, 43 -52.

AMA Style

Nicole M. Smith, Saleem Ali, Carmel Bofinger, Nina Collins. Human health and safety in artisanal and small-scale mining: an integrated approach to risk mitigation. Journal of Cleaner Production. 2016; 129 ():43-52.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Nicole M. Smith; Saleem Ali; Carmel Bofinger; Nina Collins. 2016. "Human health and safety in artisanal and small-scale mining: an integrated approach to risk mitigation." Journal of Cleaner Production 129, no. : 43-52.