Seminar Details

Seminar Lab Date: February 14, 2022

Seminar Lab Subject: *Mining Perspectives in Minnesota

Seminar Lab Presenter: George Hudak, Ph.D., Minerals and Metallurgy Research Group Manager, Natural Resources Research Institute

Seminar Lab Location:

Virtual lecture 7:00 PM CT.

Participation instructions will be mailed to GSM members. If you are not a member of GSM and wish to attend this free seminar online, register as follows by 12 noon CT Monday, February 14: Go to the Contact menu above and select “Ask GSM”. In the form that appears, enter your name and e-mail address. Enter “Feb 14 lecture” in the subject line. In the message body, please enter the city and state or country from which you will view the seminar. You will receive instructions by e-mail prior to the lecture. Check your spam folder if the instructions do not appear in your in-box at least one hour prior to the lecture.

Seminar Lab Detail:

Summary: With few exceptions, mineral deposits are not considered “sustainable” because they represent finite quantities of mineral-based natural resources. However, over the past few decades, the concept of “sustainable development” in the minerals industry has become increasingly important as society faces new pressures from ever-increasing populations that strive for higher standards of living. At the same time as the demand for trace and rare metals is increasing due to utilization in both conventional industries and in new energy and electronics technologies, the discovery of large “high grade” deposits has become increasingly rare. This necessitates use of large lower grade deposits, which have the potential to increase waste and environmental disruption if not managed effectively, as a source of these metals. Concurrently, societal emphasis on minimizing environmental impacts and recognition of social and economic justice issues associated with natural resource extraction have become increasingly important to understand and address. A key requirement for sustainable development is a shift from a conventional linear economy – “use it once and throw it away” – to a circular economy, in which all products are reused, repurposed and/or recycled, such that their components are retained in the resource pool. Changing to a circular economy will require new ways of thinking about mineral resource extraction, such as considering the potential for co-production, developing new product streams from “waste” materials, and reutilization of mining infrastructure for other purposes. Such advances will also require new methods for characterization and extraction of lower grade or rare resources, more effective and efficient processing of mineral resources that simultaneously allow growth of the economy and protection of the environment, and a focus on corporate social responsibility. This presentation will focus on concepts such as circular economies, life-cycle thinking, and social license, focusing on applications that could increase the “sustainability” of mineral resources.

Biography: George Hudak is the Research Group Manager for the Minerals & Metallurgy Strategic Research Platform at the Natural Resources Research Institute (NRRI), an applied research lab that is part of the University of Minnesota system research enterprise. In that role, he guides the overall research strategic plan for this platform. Hudak is a Registered Professional Geologist (P.G) in Minnesota and Wisconsin, and holds a Professional Geoscientist License (P.Geo.) in Ontario. He is a Fellow of the Society of Economic Geologists and also serves as a Mentor for the Society. Hudak currently serves as a Director for the Minnesota Center for Minerals Resource Education (MCMRE), and is an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences at the University of Minnesota Duluth. He received his Bachelor’s, Master’s and Doctoral degrees in Geology from Carleton College, the University of Minnesota Duluth, and the University of Minnesota, respectively.