The Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance (IRMA) announces the commencement of a third-party independent assessment of the Sishen iron ore mine against the IRMA Standard for Responsible Mining. The mining complex, operated by Sishen Iron Ore Company (parent company Anglo American) is located near Kathu, in Northern Cape province, South Africa.

ERM Certification and Verification Services (ERM-CVS), an IRMA-approved certification body, will be carrying out the assessment, which includes a desk review (stage 1) followed by an on-site audit (stage 2).

Scope of the Assessment

During the assessment the impacts and issues associated with all mining operations and the associated facilities will be reviewed, and each site will be visited. For more on assessment scope, see the Sishen assessment page on the IRMA website. The assessment will include Sishen operations and facilities, including an open pit mine, crusher, beneficiation (gravity separation, cyclone and drum), tailings  storage facilities, and waste rock disposal areas.

Stakeholder Engagement in the Assessment

Stakeholders affected by or interested in the Sishen mine are invited to submit comments to ERM-CVS on the social and environmental performance of the mine’s operations (in particular, how the site measures against the IRMA Standard for Responsible Mining).

Sishen stakeholders may also contact ERM-CVS if they are interested in being interviewed as part of the assessment process. Stakeholder comments and expressions of interest in being interviewed as part of the audit process should be submitted by email or mail to:

ERM Certification and Verification Services

Email: post@ermcvs.com

Mail: Exchequer Court, 33 St Mary Axe, London, EC3A 8A

Sishen stakeholders and interested members of the public can visit the Sishen page on the IRMA website for up-to-date information on the assessment (e.g., the timing of the stage 2 on-site visit, link to pubic summary of audit results).

Please forward this announcement, and feel free to contact ERM-CVS directly to provide names and contact information for other mine site stakeholders who may be interested in knowing about and participating in the mine site assessment process.

For More Information

• Visit the Sishen page of the IRMA website
• View the Sishen profile on the IRMA Engagement Map.
• Direct specific inquiries about the Sishen mine site assessment to IRMA’s Director of Standards and Assurance: lsumi@responsiblemining.net
• Visit the IRMA website for information on the IRMA mine site assessment and certification process, including the determination of audit scope.