Experts from across the mining industry will share expertise and help push the advancement of innovations in mining waste via a newly formed board.
Biotech start-up Allonnia has created a mining advisory board to look specifically at waste issues in mining, including ore refinement, tailings stabilization and more.
The group is made up of five current and former mining industry experts from academia, mining majors, and public institutions. Each will provide guidance and connections as they compile their expertise for an improved environmental future.
“The global mining industry is facing unprecedented demand for critical minerals like copper, nickel, and lithium. Biotechnology can help mining companies in their quest to sustainably produce higher-yield ores and also open up new resources and paths to recycling,” Allonnia said in its confirmation of the consortium’s establishment.
“Allonnia believes that we don’t need to open new mines that will take 15-plus years to get to the processing stage; instead, we can recycle tech and mining waste to already meet these growing demands.”
The board has decades of combined practical experience in mining, including systems implementation and mining innovation. Members include:
Dr. Corby Anderson, Ph.D.: Anderson is a licensed professional chemical engineer with over 40 years of global experience in industrial operations, corporate-level management, engineering, design, consulting, teaching, research, and professional service. He is president of Allihies Engineering Inc. and his career includes positions with Thiokol Chemical Corp., Key Tronic Corp., Sunshine Mining and Refining Co., H. A. Simons Ltd., and CAMP-Montana Tech.
Lee Bolden: Bolden is the manager of Mineral Processing Innovation at BHP with over 25 years in the mineral processing industry, working in various commodities in Australia, Chile, and New Caledonia. Lee has worked in roles across many aspects of the minerals business including positions in operations, business development, risk, engineering, commissioning and innovation.
Dr. Hubert Fleming, Ph.D, P.E.: Fleming is a consultant in water management, primarily in natural resources like mining, oil, and gas. He is former global head, Water Management, Anglo American, and former global managing director of Hatch. Fleming has served on numerous committees including as advisor to the International Finance Corporation, World Bank, Ontario Teachers Pension Plan, and chairman, NATO task force on environmental affairs.
Marc LeVier: LeVier was the 2023 President of the Society for Mining, Metallurgy and Exploration and serves on the board fo directors as past president. He has over 50 years of experience in process engineering at mining operations and process engineering design. LeVier was the global director of metallurgical R&D for Newmont Mining and was the CEO, president and director of two rare earth start-up companies.
Stephen Potter: With over 30 years of mining experience, Potter is the senior advisor of Decarbonization at Vale and CEO of Tecnored, a biocarbon and iron-making technology company Vale acquired in 2014. In his role, Potter focuses on decarbonization solutions for the steel industry and reducing scope one, two, and three emissions for Vale and its clients. He previously held leadership positions at Rio Tinto and BHP.
“The mining industry is at a critical inflection point, and biotechnology offers a range of new solutions,” said Allonnia CCO Chuck Price. “This Mining Advisory Board brings together some of the most experienced minds in mining to collaborate on new approaches for the industry’s most pressing challenges.
“The decades of experience brought by each member will lead to invaluable feedback on the application of Allonnia’s technologies for tailings stabilization, selective gangue removal, and more, so we can achieve our global goals with less impact on the planet.”
Members of the board will offer informed recommendations to Allonnia’s executive leadership team to shape its products and services for the needs of the mining industry. Additionally, the group will play a key role in fostering collaboration among stakeholders, including local communities, governments, non-governmental organizations, and academia to create a holistic approach to mining operations.