The Cypher Green Roads™ project in Mali, West Africa stands as one of Cypher Environmental’s most impactful ESG and CSR initiatives in mining. The project marked the first Cypher Green Roads™ initiative outside of Canada. With partner B2Gold Corp., a leading Canadian gold producer with operations in Mali, Philippines and Namibia, we provided environmentally friendly dust control to the village of New Fadougou, drastically improving the quality of life for the village’s residents.
A Partnership for Sustainable Mining and Community Engagement
In 2019, the village of Fadougou was relocated by B2Gold to a new location in preparation for the development of the new Fekola mine. The community was very satisfied with the infrastructure that was provided by B2Gold which included a water distribution system, public lighting, a market and several other community facilities.
However, soon after the relocation, dust became a major concern for the village’s residents. The roads in New Fadougou were unpaved and the constant flow of traffic along the main roads, especially leading to and from the market resulted in significant airborne dust. The dust settled on the items being sold at the market including fruit and other food items, and caused health concerns when residents routinely breathed in large amounts of dust particles.
Bringing Cypher’s Dust Control Technology to New Fadougou
By then, the Fekola mine was already familiar with DUST/BLOKR®, Cypher’s advanced and environmentally friendly dust control solution. The product was first introduced to the site when B2Gold selected DUST/BLOKR® /SB (Sugar Blend) for a road demonstration. The demonstration was overseen by Cypher’s Project Support Manager, Jayme Gladden, who provided crucial training and support on-site to the B2Gold team.
After evaluating multiple dust control solutions, the B2Gold team settled on DUST/BLOKR® /SB as their preferred option due to its superior performance in controlling airborne dust, especially in Mali’s climate and terrain, and its non-toxic, non-corrosive and environmentally friendly nature. Once the product was selected, over 15 kilometres of access roads were treated at the Fekola Mine with DUST/BLOKR® /SB. The amount of product purchased for this project met the requirement for a Cypher Green Roads™ donation by Cypher Environmental.
When the B2Gold team alerted us to the need for dust control in the village of New Fadougou, we happily shared the details of the Cypher Green Roads™ program, which would provide the village with DUST/BLOKR, the same dust control product being used at the mine – free of charge.
The Cypher Green Roads™ program is Cypher Environmental’s CSR initiative. It provides Cypher and our partners a framework to create long-term value by sharing economic benefits and technical know-how with local communities. Cypher Environmental donates up to 5% of a project’s value, in the form of product, to a local community near the project location. To qualify, the project value must exceed USD $250,000.
A Community-Centric Donation for New Fadougou
In January 2022, B2Gold and Cypher’s Green Roads™ project took shape in the village of New Fadougou. While Cypher Environmental donated the DUST/BLOKR® product, B2Gold covered all transportation and application costs for applying 12,000 litres of DUST/BLOKR® to the village’s main artillery road. Treatment of the road was completed using standard road equipment.
“It is our responsibility to ensure that the benefits of mining extend beyond the life of the mine itself,” says Ken Jones, B2Gold’s Director of Sustainability. B2Gold is known for its strong commitment to Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives in mining, with numerous other internal initiatives such as Namibia Gold Rhino Bars and the Canadian CSR Fund.
B2Gold selected DUST/BLOKR® / SB as the preferred solution after testing it against four other dust control products.
The impact of the Cypher Green Roads™ project on the community of New Fadougou has been profound. Prior to the project dust pollution from the village’s unpaved roads was a significant concern, especially for local markets and residents’ health. After the application of DUST/BLOKR®/SB, the community noticed a remarkable improvement in air quality, road safety, and overall well-being.
