Center for Science in Public Participation (CSP2)

CSP2 was established in 1997 as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit to provide technical assistance to communities, Indigenous Nations, and public interest groups on issues related to mining and water quality. CSP2 seeks to focus debates surrounding mining and environmental impacts on evidence-based technical analyses, and whenever possible, to seek consensus and mutually beneficial outcomes.

What we aim to solve

Mining decisions involve complex scientific, technical, financial, and regulatory questions, with environmental and social consequences that can persist throughout a mine's lifecycle and long after its closure. Communities and Indigenous Nations impacted by mining, as well as public interest groups engaged in mining issues, often lack access to the independent expertise and resources available for industry and government at various stages of a mining project. This imbalance can limit meaningful participation in decisions involving community benefits, water quality, tailings and mine waste, reclamation and closure, financial assurance, and other long-term risks. CSP2 works to close these gaps by making evidence-based, independent research and technical expertise available, in furtherance of inclusive decision-making and the public interest.