Habitat and Humanity
Balancing the needs of people and the environment in Aurora, North Carolina
There are plenty of fish in the Pamlico River, according to Aurora, North Carolina Mayor Clif Williams. And that’s just how Ross Smith hopes to keep it.
In fact, Smith, the Manager of Environmental Affairs at PotashCorp Aurora, is working to improve conditions on the Pamlico as part of PotashCorp’s North Carolina wetland mitigation and land reclamation projects — key aspects of a more than multi-year mining continuation permit process completed at Aurora in 2009.
“We’re actually increasing the amount of wetlands and protecting all aspects of water quality within the Pamlico River estuary,” says Smith, referring in part to the company’s permit-securing commitment to restore two acres of wetland for every acre of wetland disturbed by mining operations and the subsequent reclaiming of mined land after operations terminate. “These mitigation efforts represent the largest wetlands restoration in North Carolina’s history. Once we’re finished, there will be twice as many wetlands and over two and half times as much wildlife habitat as we have today.”
To obtain permission to continue mining in the Aurora area for more than 30 years, PotashCorp assembled permits, certifications and authorizations to address the questions and concerns of four federal agencies, seven state agencies and two non-governmental environmental advocacy organizations. Seeking to balance community priorities, environmental protection and the needs of the company, the review process included dozens of meetings, three rounds of environmental impact reports, a public hearing and numerous plan revisions.
“The common thread was that everyone was trying to ensure the environmental and socio-economic health of the area, which is a good thing,” explains Smith. “We were very appreciative of the support that we received from local, state and federal elected officials. But in the end, overwhelming support from the community was a key factor in getting this done.”
That support has been cultivated over decades of sound wetland mitigation and land reclamation efforts, according to Tom Regan, PotashCorp’s President of PCS Phosphate and PCS Nitrogen.
“Projects like Whitehurst Creek and Parker Farm have helped pave the way to public trust in Aurora,” says Regan, referring to two high-profile mitigation efforts, the former of which won one state and two national awards for environmental stewardship and reclamation. “No harm to the environment is both a Core Value and a primary operating goal of our company, so we know how important being responsible in this area is. Our license to operate depends on it.”
In addition to the two-for-one acre wetland mitigation commitment, PotashCorp will reclaim all land it mines, restoring the area to wildlife habitat. Construction of the wetland mitigation work, which will be monitored by PotashCorp, the North Carolina Division of Water Quality and the US Army Corps of Engineers, will be completed in advance of future mining impacts.
“The overall water quality in the ecosystem of the Pamlico River estuary will be protected, and approximately three million trees will be planted,” says Smith.
Mayor Williams already likes what he sees at Aurora’s previously-reclaimed areas. “They look natural,” he says. “You’d never know they worked here.”
That sentiment is widely felt, according to Smith. “We love giving tours of our facility so people can see and appreciate what we’ve done here,” he says. “When they see the wildlife habitat and some of the stream areas that have been restored, they understand the effort we’re making.”
“PotashCorp always seems to take that extra step,” affirms Mayor Williams, who believes the outcome at Aurora shows how business can thrive while simultaneously protecting and enhancing the environment. “We seem to be doing well in a downturned economy, so we feel very fortunate to have PotashCorp here.”