Our longest example of sustainable development
Borax is Rio Tinto's most enduring story on its efforts to support sustainable communities in economic, environmental, and social aspects. With the closure of the original Borax mines in Death Valley, the company began to develop sustaining skills for the area’s residents, specifically in the area of tourism. Borax executives worked to have Death Valley designated as a national monument (it was named a national park in 1993), built tourist hotels and attractions, and donated land and facilities to the federal government. Borax promoted tourism in the region, including use of its world-famous 20 Mule Team as a symbol of man overcoming nature’s obstacles in the “wild west”. Borax lobbied heavily for the creation of the US National Park Service under then President Herbert Hoover, and two of Borax’s executives were the first and second heads of the US National Park Service.
From that start, the Death Valley region has grown into a major tourist attraction with over a million visitors each year, providing jobs and building a viable economy in what would otherwise be a desolate area. As the company moved on to its current location, the 'western' theme continued and for many Americans, the association of Borax with the 20 Mule Team and the longest running radio and TV series in history - Death Valley Days - is immediate.
The local and regional communities are once again looking at ways to draw on that “cultural heritage” in the development of museum and tourist attractions. Borax’s 130 year history captures all of the key elements of the modern concept that has been come to be known as sustainable development – creating self-sustaining environmental, social, and economic skills.
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