2014 Annual and CSR Report Switch to Spanish Language
search button

Land and Biodiversity

Hudbay properties extend across varying ecosystems, ranging from high-altitude wetlands in Peru, to the boreal forest of northern Manitoba, to the deserts of Arizona. We are committed to integrating the conservation and protection of biological diversity and ecosystem services in our areas of operation. To support these efforts, our sites develop management plans specific to their unique locations. We are also finalizing a corporate biodiversity standard to guide sustainable exploration and development efforts.

In Manitoba, land and biodiversity are managed in line with actual operational activities. Once the activities and associated risks are defined during the year, annual biodiversity objectives and plans are set and implemented, within the context of long-term environmental goals.

The Manitoba Business Unit plan includes an ongoing commitment to boreal woodland caribou conservation, financially supporting Manitoba Conservation’s caribou research and implementing Manitoba Conservation’s postcard system for caribou sightings to aid in its research. Boreal woodland caribou are currently listed as threatened under the federal Species at Risk Act and Manitoba’s Endangered Species Act. We took specific measures in the design and construction of the Reed mine to reduce and mitigate any potential operational impacts on caribou, which are known to spend most of their time on the west side of Reed Lake, 2.5 kilometres from the mine site, with a highway and forest in between.

In Peru, we are committed to ensuring there is no net loss of biodiversity as a result of our activities. We have developed a biodiversity action plan (BAP) in keeping with international standards (Towards Sustainable Mining and IFC) for protecting and conserving biodiversity. The BAP was updated in 2014 in accordance with a revised Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA). To date, the BAP has involved a series of mitigation plans, including:

  • Floral species management plan – Protected plant species are being managed and monitored. We transplant plants to temporary nursery areas and conduct various germination, propagation and conditioning tests.
  • Rescue and relocation plan – We are successfully rescuing, captive breeding and relocating species listed as threatened (including reptiles and aquatic frogs) to similar areas off-site. During captivity, the rescued species live in an environment similar to their natural habitat, and are closely monitored. We are monitoring a new species of small lizard, in order to gain knowledge of its behaviour, breeding habits and mortality. Relocation is performed in partnership with neighbouring communities and has been very successful.
  • Bog management plan – Working with community users, we are undertaking measures to promote the conservation and/or restoration of wetlands and very wet grasslands near the site (see Constancia bog management case study).
  • Revegetation programs – We are planting seedlings in degraded areas near the site, as well as rescuing and relocating trees affected by mine construction.

Over the past six years, the Arizona team has carried out extensive environmental baseline studies and ongoing monitoring in the Rosemont project area. The data collected has been used, in consultation with stakeholders and regulators, to develop effective management plans and incorporate environmental considerations into project design, so as to minimize potential impacts on the biodiversity of the area.

2014 Performance

  • In Manitoba, the focus was on the completion of the field portion of our environmental effects monitoring (EEM) in accordance with Metal Mining Effluent Regulations (MMER).
  • In Peru, field work consisted mainly of the rescue, relocation and monitoring of flora and fauna species (propagated flora species, frogs and lizards). We also created a native flora nursery to grow protected and native flora species to be used in revegetation programs. The nursery will accommodate up to 80,000 native species seedlings.
  • The Chilloroya community approved the bog management and sustainable use plan for nearby wetlands and implementation began during the year. The Uchucarco community decided not to participate in a similar plan.
  • Because Rosemont is in the permitting phase, land and biodiversity impacts in 2014 were minimal. A small drilling program was conducted on private lands within the approximate limits of the current open pit design; however, no environmental issues were identified. The drilling was managed as a land use project, and expectations to ensure optimal environmental performance were identified in contracts. They included elements such as lighting technology required, chemical management, fueling requirements, management of mud pits, surface impacts associated with archeological sites, and stormwater control requirements. Hudbay also inspected sites and activities to ensure compliance with the environmental considerations specified. One minor instance of initial non-compliance, by a drilling contractor who used non-approved lights during the first week of work, was immediately corrected with no long-term effects.
  • Environmental baseline studies and monitoring programs completed at Rosemont in 2014 included: Yellow-Billed Cuckoo surveys, Chiricahua Leopard Frog surveys, Bat surveys, Cestus Skipper surveys, Cinch Weed surveys, groundwater level and quality review, stormwater quality sampling as well as ephemeral system measurements, meteorological monitoring, groundwater model updates, review and analysis of possible impacts on surface water and dependent species, and normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) measurements of riparian areas.