The Berong Nickel project has achieved the following:

• Construction of two world class water treatment systems at its stockpile facilities that treats wastewater that is high in suspended solids and provides clean water to local agricultural providers. The same system retention storage areas have been designed for post-mining use in freshwater fish farming.
  
• Development of a sophisticated water management system for the mining activities that has not impacted on downstream environments, and in fact, provides water that is ten times cleaner than the receiving environment.
  
• Development of a coconut husk matting (see photo) industry to provide the product to the mining industry. This will employ approximately 50 families in the project.
  
• Development of a BNC–Palawan State University research facility in the mining areas for future rehabilitation and sustainable development options.
  
• Commencement of its progressive rehabilitation programme which consists of 12 projects employing over 70 people. The BNC project is the first mining operation in the Philippines to commence rehabilitation within 6 months of operation. BNC has planted 78,000 trees and 65,000 stands of grass for slope stabilisation. There are plans for another 100,000 trees and 100,000 grasses to be planted this year.
  
• Initiation of the BNC/PSU Bio Fence project where BNC will provide 40,000 trees to the Palawan State University to fence the perimeter of all its university campuses with local tree species.
  
• Development of a state-of-the-art nursery facility to provide the species development for rehabilitation, local agriculture, exotic timbers and projects such as bio-diesel opportunities.
  
• Development of a community park which will be constructed on 1.5 hectares of Ancestral Lands formally used as a temporary Waste Rock Stockpile Area. The park will consist of:
  • Botanic Gardens
  • Meeting Areas
  • Outdoor Cinema
  • BBQs
  • Local Art Works

All works here will be done by the local community, the BNC rehabilitation team and Students and Advisors from PSU.

Other projects include:

• a reverse Osmosis Potable Water System providing clean drinking water to the community.
  
• a medical centre.
  
• a community Bridge for the Berong River.
  
• the ongoing development of an Environment, Safety and Health Management System that will be certified to ISO14001 and SO18001.
  
• Assessment of the Berong Project’s sustainable development initiatives and environmental management by Auditors of JP Morgan whilst being assessed against the Equator Principles, rated BNC’s operations from this perspective, the “best in Asia”.
  
• BHP Executives, who witnessed a presentation on the BNC programmes, rated it the “best nickel operation in the world” from an environmental management and sustainable development perspective.