Eric J. Mears Vice President HALEY & ALDRICH
How has the acquisition of CEG improved Haley & Aldrich ability to address environmental challenges?
The acquisition of Cal Engineering & Geology (CEG), a California-based company, has enhanced our capabilities in mitigating landslides, flooding and infrastructure damage caused by mega storms and wildfires. This specialized niche is particularly valuable given the ongoing environmental challenges in California. CEG's team is renowned for geologists and engineers with exceptional technical skills, particularly in technology utilization, such as remote sensing and LiDAR.
Can you elaborate on the growth of your national water resource team and expertise in mine closure?
We are benefiting from our expertise in mine closure and have recently secured several large private sector projects as a well as federal contracts for abandoned mine reclamation in the Northwest and Southwest regions. Our unique approach, known as analog reclamation, creates post-mining landscapes that closely resemble the natural environment. Although analog reclamation can incur higher costs during the design and execution phases, it ensures long-term environmental durability, reducing the need for extensive maintenance or repairs after reclamation is complete. This approach has earned us industry recognition and additional client projects, leading to our expansion in Colorado, Montana, Idaho and Washington.
Simultaneously, our national water resources team has also grown. We have added practitioners whose expertise includes floodplain use permitting for sand and gravel mines, and stormwater management on hard rock sites.
What are the primary challenges related to permitting in the US?
Frustratingly, there is a disconnect in political leadership, with a simultaneous call for green economies to address sustainability and climate change while imposing more controls and regulations on the mining industry. Without concrete improvements to the permitting process, the discussions will remain just that—talk without tangible results and further reliance on foreign entities for our critical minerals.
Vikramaditya Yadav CEO and Co-Founder TERSA EARTH INNOVATIONS
Can you introduce Tersa Earth Innovations (Tersa)?
Tersa Earth Innovations is a technology company specializing in carbon-neutral solutions for remediating mining waste and recovering essential metals crucial for the net-zero transition.
Can you elaborate on the TersaClean technology?
Tersa Earth Innovations focuses on transforming the mining industry through its innovative TersaClean process. Facing challenges of declining ore grades and environmental concerns, Tersa set out to extract essential metals from waste streams, capitalizing on microbial fuel cells (MFC) and microbial carbonate precipitation (MCP). The MFC acts as a bacterial-powered battery, enabling electrowinning without external current. Paired with MCP, this process neutralizes acidic waste, continuously producing clean water as a byproduct. The technology effectively extracts metals from various liquid streams, including acid runoffs, pit lakes, water and tailings ponds, and tailings reprocessing facilities.
How challenging is conveying the need for this innovative technology to mining clients?
Understanding the industry's concerns about permitting and regulation, Tersa has adopted an accelerated deployment plan. Building demonstration units in collaboration with mining partners allows for data collection, making the permitting process more informed and straightforward.
Can you explain Tersa’s business model, and what is the company’s strategy to break into the Western US market?
Mining companies will be charged a fixed service cost, depending on the particular water and volume we treat. As the mines will generate revenues from the sale of metals and carbon offset credits by replacing carbon-intensive waste management operations, we will enter into a revenue-sharing agreement for these.
The Western US is a critically important market for Tersa as all the essential metals such as copper, gold, silver, PGMs, and lithium are coming from this jurisdiction. Through our extensive networks, we have already been able to reach out to companies operating in the region, including BHP and Rio Tinto.