Environment Minister L.Gansukh has said the Southern Gobi
region has limited water reserve and several studies will have to be reviewed
and the discrepancies in them reconciled before a clearer picture emerges of
water availability for the Tavantolgoi project. The concern of the Mineral
Council about excessive and imprudent water consumption in mining has been
clearly reflected in the Oyutolgoi agreement. The water consumption during
production will be strictly monitored.

Asked abut the likely ecological hazards of the proposed
heavy industrial complex in Sainshand, . Gansukh has told The Mongolian Mining
Journal he agreed that mineral processing poses risks to the environment. “Our
Ministry has the legal authority to disallow construction of any plant if it
feels the environmental impact will be unacceptable,” he said. “But of course
this can be done only after considering all other options.”

Deploring that post-mining reclamation is very much
neglected, the Minister conceded that the monitoring here needs improving. The
responsibility for monitoring should lie with central and local professional
inspectors and the penalty for infraction of the law should include cancellation
of license. Some areas near Tavan Tolgoi and Oyu Tolgoi have already changed
dramatically and are growing into towns. “We shall not allow another
Ulaanbaatar to come up in the Gobi, and will insist on green facilities in no
less than 40% of the total territory,” Mr. Gansukh said.