UPDATE: On-site Audit of Albemarle Planta Salar de Atacama, Oct-Nov 2026
9 October 2026 update:
The on-site IRMA audit for Albemarle Planta Salar de Atacama in Chile’s Antofagasta Region was originally scheduled for 12-16 October and 26-30 October 2026.
The 12-16 October portion of the site visit has been rescheduled due to changes in audit team availability and to accommodate the participation of Chilean subject-matter experts in the engagement process. KPMG PRI and IRMA, in coordination with the site, expect this portion of the visit to take place in November 2026. Revised dates will be announced once confirmed.
The 26-30 October site visit, focused on the mine site, will proceed as planned.
In the meantime, stakeholders can continue to contact KPMG PRI and IRMA using the existing communication channels
KPMG PRI Seeks Input from Local Community and Other Stakeholders (originally posted 9 Sep 2026)
Today, 9 September 2026, independent audit firm KPMG PRI announces that from 12 to 16 October 2026 Nov 2026 and 26-30 October 2026 it will visit the Albemarle Planta Salar de Atacama mine in Chile’s Antofagasta Region to conduct the on-site phase of its independent, third-party renewal audit of the operation’s performance against the Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance (IRMA) Standard for Responsible Mining. Planta Salar de Atacama extracts concentrated lithium brine, potash, bischofite, halite, and sylvinite.
While onsite from 12-16 October 2026, KPMG PRI auditors will collect feedback from local stakeholders – anyone directly or indirectly affected by the mine – including community members, and government officials. From 26-30 October 2026, KPMG PRI will visit the Planta de Atacama site and meet with mine workers. The feedback and information obtained from these visits will allow us to evaluate the performance of Planta Salar against the requirements of the IRMA Standard.
An IRMA assessment results in a public audit report published on the IRMA website (see below for link). IRMA audit reports summarize the audit process, explain how and why the site scored against each of the 400+ requirements of the IRMA Standard, and refresh the site’s IRMA Achievement level. Interested parties may request a physical copy of the report from the audited site.
The audited site can use the findings from the audit to improve its practices. Stakeholders, particularly rights holders, affected communities and mine workers, may use the results of this audit and past audit reports to gain detailed information about the site and empower more collaborative engagement on improvements that matter most to them.
ONSITE AUDIT DATES: Nov, and Oct 26-30, 2026
Your comments will help KPMG PRI assess the impact of Albemarle’s Planta Salar de Atacama operation on local communities and measure its performance against best mining practices. KPMG PRI invites you to sign-up for an interview with auditors during the audit, and/or submit written comments about Albemarle’s Planta Salar de Atacama operation using the contact details below.
Interviews can be held in Spanish and English. Interviews requested by 5 October 2026 can be conducted in-person or remotely. Interview requests made after 5 October 2026 can be in-person if time permits, and remotely if not. Additional feedback and written comments submitted before 30 October 2026 can be incorporated into the results of this audit.
English Feedback Form
Spanish Feedback Form
- Interviews with members of the community occur without mine personnel present (Nov)
- Interviews with non-management workers occur without management present and can be scheduled to occur offsite on request (Oct 26-30).
- IRMA auditors protect the identity of individual commenters although the general nature of comments will be summarized in the report.
For more information about
- Albemarle’s renewal audit status or view its past audits: https://responsiblemining.net/audits/salar-de-atacama-salar-plant/
- IRMA’s mission, Standard, assessment process, or other mine audits: responsiblemining.net
- To provide feedback or file a complaint about the IRMA audit process: responsiblemining.net/feedback-complaints
- IRMA-approved independent audit firm KPMG PRI: https://kpmg.com/ca/en/services/environmental-social-and-governance/assurance/certification/kpmg-performance-registrar-inc.html
