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Rio Tinto Borax operates California’s largest open pit mine in
Boron, California – one of the richest borate deposits on the planet.
The company supplies nearly half the world’s demand for refined
borates, minerals essential to life and modern living. Borax traces its
roots to California’s Death Valley, where borate deposits were
discovered in 1872. The twenty mule teams Borax used to haul ore out of
the remote desert live on as a symbol of the company’s commitment to
innovation.
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Harvesting ore alters the land – requiring extensive work to
recreate wildlife habitat by promoting the return of native plant
species. Mining, refining and shipping borates also requires natural
resources – including water, electricity, and fuel – to run the
operations. Borax’s objective is to maximize efficient utilization of
resources while minimizing environmental impacts of its operation.
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Thriving native plant species
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Boron is an essential element for all plants
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Highlights of Rio Tinto Borax’s environmental performance include:
- Reducing global water use by 16 percent
- Reducing fuel used in mining operations by 5 percent
- Establishing a goal to reduce greenhouse gasses by 3 percent
- Monitoring dust emissions to meet state and federal air quality
standards
- Rehabilitating nearly 50 acres of land per year at the primary
operation in California
- Partnering with Victor Valley College’s Horticulture Department
to propagate native species
- Lowering the amount of explosives used
- Improving efficiency in refineries and cogeneration plants
Boron is one of seven essential micronutrients vital to fertilization,
fruit and seed production, but boron deficiency is the most widespread of
all crop deficiencies, affecting almost all major crops grown around the
world. Borax is the world’s leading supplier of borates into the
agricultural industry. The company has been at the forefront of crop
research since 1940, and provides quality, expertise, reliability, and
customer service throughout the world.
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