corporate responsibility Specific initiatives include: communities through the award of contracts for rehabilitation. Specific items of note include: Environmental and rehabilitation responsibilities focused on the ongoing rehabilitation and closure of Resolute’s Eastern Goldfields mine sites at Chalice, Widgiemooltha, Higginsville, Bullabulling and Hopes Hill. The main areas of activity included: Subsequent to the cessation of mining and processing operations in early 2003, the site has continued its reclamation programme as its primary task in order to complete all outstanding works. The site continues to involve the communities in the reclamation programme to ensure the communities understand Resolute’s objectives and take ownership of the final end land uses. The reclamation program continues to effectively utilise the local •P rogressive rehabilitation of waste dumps to commence in the next financial year • Ongoing improvements in the reduction of dust emissions from crushing and other activities • Reduction in noise emissions from trial modifications carried out to truck engine and exhaust systems and the use of “smart” reversing beepers that adjust automatically to the level of background noise • Development of recycling strategies for oils, scrap steel and other wastes • Improvements made to water recycling, particularly in relation to seepage from the tailings dam • All mined pits have been decommissioned and are filling with surface water inflow and ground water recharge. Pits have been converted to fishponds with technical support from the Regional Fisheries Department. The Company will continue to manage these jointly with selected co-operative societies until the mining leases are surrendered to the Ghanaian government • All Waste Dumps and Tailings Storage Facility areas have been re-contoured and revegetated •P rocessing plant infrastructure and footings have been completely removed and the majority of the rehabilitation earthworks over this area and the ROM pad are completed • Remaining reclamation program consists of revegetation of the plant site, ROM pad and contractors yard • Future site activities will principally consist of care and maintenance of the reclaimed areas, rehabilitation monitoring and continued development and implementation of the fish farming • Continuing rehabilitation monitoring of all Eastern Goldfields sites using Ecosystem Function Analysis and Rapid Assessment Method to assess rehabilitation performance overtime. Results to date indicate that rehabilitation practices have provided systems that are aiding the development of functional ecosystems • Care and maintenance of the completed rehabilitation at both Widgiemooltha and Chalice • Ongoing rehabilitation of the Bullabulling Tailings Storage Facilities Eastern Goldfields – Western Australia Obotan Mine – Ghana RESOLUTE MINING LIMITED 2004 ANNUAL REPORT 25