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Phosphate Research and Sustainable Development

Phosphate Research and Sustainable Development. Brian K. Birky, Ph.D. Research Director Public and Environmental Health Florida Institute of Phosphate Research. The Florida Institute of Phosphate Research (FIPR). An Independent State Research Agency

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Phosphate Research and Sustainable Development

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  1. Phosphate Research and Sustainable Development Brian K. Birky, Ph.D. Research Director Public and Environmental Health Florida Institute of Phosphate Research

  2. The Florida Institute of Phosphate Research (FIPR)

  3. An Independent State Research Agency • Governed By a Board of Directors Appointed by the Governor • Funded by the Severance Tax on Phosphate Rock

  4. Global Industry • Applied research • Based in Florida • Useful worldwide

  5. FIPR’s Revenue • Severance Tax • Subject to market conditions • Subject to Legislative actions • Need to Diversify • Patents • Intellectual Property

  6. FIPR’s Mission • Environment and Public Health Research • Conduct or sponsor research about the safety and health of employees, contractors, neighboring communities and the public, and the surrounding environment • Technology Research • Maximize efficient utilization of resources while minimizing environmental impacts • Education and Public Information

  7. Sustainable Development • Meet current needs without undermining future generations’ ability to meet theirs • Principles • Environmental • Social • Economic

  8. How is it done? • How does FIPR follow the sustainable development model? • How does FIPR implement a multiple stakeholder approach?

  9. Environmental Principle • Environmental stewardship • New technologies must be beneficial to the environment or neutral • Pollution prevention • Source-control technology, technical innovation • Resource stewardship • Maximize mining and processing efficiency including water, energy and raw materials, minimize losses

  10. Social Principle • Safety and human health • Protect the health and safety of employees, contractors, and community • Stakeholder engagement and transparency • Develop partnerships and seek input from key stakeholders and provide them with relevant information in a timely and open manner • Communities

  11. Multiple Stakeholder Representation • FIPR’s Board of Directors • Two from the phosphate industry • One representing environmental concerns (currently from the Audubon Society) • One representing regulatory concerns (usually from the DEP) • One from the state university system (usually a dean or department chair)

  12. Economic Principle • Shareholder return • Economic contribution

  13. Economics in Research • Is new technology cost-effective? • Retro-fitting an existing plant • Building a new plant • Has the PI demonstrated a benefit? • Scientists and engineers need business training

  14. Serendipity or Common Sense? • FIPR was almost certainly not conceived with ‘sustainable development’ in mind a quarter century ago • The fact that the principles were incorporated in FIPR’s design validates the sustainable development concept

  15. In Conclusion • Almost all of the sustainable development bullets in today’s presentation were taken from the Rio Tinto Borax program and they fit FIPR perfectly

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