Building legacies beyond landscapes

Last updated: 14 January 2026 

Roney is our Senior Manager of Rio Tinto Closure in the United States, overseeing a diverse portfolio of 15 former mining and legacy sites. Originally from Brazil, Roney’s career has spanned continents and disciplines, from operational leadership roles in Africa, and technical studies in the UK and China to engineering and stakeholder engagement in the US. In his current role, he's focused on mine closure – a growing field that’s as much about building trust as it is about technical remediation. 

“When I first heard about Rio Tinto’s closure team back in 2020, I was curious. Although I’d spent years designing, constructing and operating mining assets, I realised I had no idea what happened at the end of a mine’s life.

What I’ve learned since then is that closure isn’t just a technical process – it’s a human one. The technical solution is only part of the picture. You can have the best engineering plan in the world, but if you haven’t engaged with stakeholders and really understood their needs, it won’t work.  

Of course, there’s engineering involved. We deal with water treatment, environmental remediation, and regulatory compliance. But the real core of the work we do is about building trust. It’s about listening – understanding that every site is different, and responsible mine closure looks different for every community or jurisdiction. That means engaging with a wide range of stakeholders: Indigenous communities, regulators, technical experts, legislators, adjacent communities and everyday people. Each brings different insights, and our job is to understand what matters to them and build solutions that reflect shared values and long-term accountability. 

Today, I lead a team managing 15 legacy assets across the western US. These sites are as varied as they come, from former underground copper mines on an island in Alaska or deep within a national forest in Washington, to borates or copper facilities in the deserts of Nevada and California. Each one comes with its own history, challenges and stakeholders to deal with, so there’s no one-size-fits-all solution.  

Sometimes, people expect us to return the land to exactly how it was before mining. That’s not always possible. But we can find a solution that’s practical and meaningful.  Depending on the site, that might mean restoring wetlands, creating recreational trails, or donating land to a national park or an American native right holder.  

In every case, it starts with a conversation.” 

Listening first, challenging where it makes sense

“Building trust is the foundation of everything we do.  

And it’s not something you can rush or fake. Every stakeholder needs a different approach based on their needs and concerns, and an important part of my job is working closely with the team to understand what that is and engage in a meaningful way.   

We don’t approach with a fixed idea of what the outcome should be. We go in with questions – what do they need, what matters to them and us, what does success look like from their perspective and how is it different from ours? That’s how we find common ground, and how we build trust.  

However, it doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t challenge the status quo. Take Holden, for example. It’s a site in Washington that was operated by a different mining company and abandoned in the 1960s. Rio Tinto never operated the mine, and it became our responsibility after an acquisition in 2007. The former operator had caused considerable environmental impacts, with deteriorating infrastructure and mine waste contaminating groundwater, polluting the nearby creek and sensitive wetlands. They had a regulatory mandated remediation scope, and Rio Tinto was tasked with executing the clean-up in 2 phases. Phase 1 was completed in 2019, and then we turned our focus to Phase 2. Following extensive options analysis and stakeholder engagement, we came up with a solution that’s less impactful to nearby community, more cost effective and equally protective to the environment. We’re now working with regulators to formalise that preferred approach and we hope to begin implementing Phase 2 in the near future.”

A legacy of balance 

“Legacy is a word that comes up a lot in closure work. When I think about what I want to leave behind, it’s not just about projects or technical achievements. It’s about making decisions that balance business needs with environmental and social responsibility. 

I’m lucky to work with a team that has deep expertise in closure. Many of them know far more than I do in specific areas, and we’re all deeply committed to doing the right thing, even when it’s hard. That means listening to communities, pushing for practical solutions that still meet high standards, and making sure our work leaves something positive behind. 

These legacy sites, some abandoned for decades, can become places of renewal. In one project, we transferred land to a local community college in Oregon to help expand their campus. In another, we’re working with the National Parks Service in Nevada to preserve the mining history of Death Valley while protecting the land for future generations. 

And in Alaska, we became responsible for a remote site on Latouche Island that had been abandoned since the 1930s, following our acquisition of the Kennecott Copper Corporation in 1989. Early in the Study phase, we prioritised engagement with Alaskan Native tribes and corporations and were able to design a remediation plan that respects their needs and values. That collaboration led to something remarkable – I received a call asking us to host a visit for US Senator Lisa Murkowski, at the invitation of Chenega Corporation, a key stakeholder, who wanted Senator Murkowski to see the positive work we have been doing.  The fact that an important stakeholder was willing to advocate for our work with a US Senator speaks volumes about the positive impact our Closure team can have in the areas where we work.  

Closure isn’t about erasing the past. It’s about acknowledging it, learning from it and building something better. We can take responsibility, even for things we didn’t create, and still make a difference that improves the land – and the lives of the people who live and work on it – for the future.  

That’s a legacy I’m proud to be working toward.”