Mining

Audits

Onsite audit for Gerdau’s Miguel Burnier Mine coming 28 August

Between August 28 and September 5, 2023, SCS Global Services (SCS) will commence an independent audit of Gerdau’s Miguel Burnier Iron Ore Mine operation to evaluate its performance under the Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance (IRMA) Standard for Responsible Mining.  IRMA is a voluntary assessment system that provides a set of best practice standards and participatory stakeholder engagement requirements created to improve mining operations’ environmental and social performance.

The third-party, independent audit provides stakeholders, including community members, workers, organized labor, government representatives, and other interested parties, the opportunity to give feedback on the mine’s environmental, health, safety, and community performance.  SCS will use stakeholder comments to help determine how the Miguel Burnier Mine operation performs relative to the IRMA Standard.

Stakeholders are invited to submit written comments to coincide with the on-site audit.  Stakeholders may also contact SCS if they would like to be interviewed.  Interviews will take place virtually (telephone or videoconference) or in person.  Stakeholder comments, questions, and interview requests can be made through the link below; commenters’ identities and remarks are kept confidential upon request.

Link:   https://info.scsglobalservices.com/irmafeedback

Upon completion of the Gerdau’s Miguel Burnier Mine audit, IRMA will publish the independent audit results and present an overall achievement score: IRMA Transparency, IRMA 50, IRMA 75, or IRMA 100.

SCS is an IRMA-approved certification body with head offices in Emeryville, California.  For more information about SCS, please visit www.scsglobalservices.com.

The IRMA Standard is the world’s most comprehensive mining standard for industrial-scale mines and the only one equally governed by all stakeholders: mining companies, mineral purchasers, investors, organized labor, communities, and civil society NGOs.  Mine site verification under the IRMA Standard is voluntary.  For more information on the IRMA Standard requirements and certification, visit www.responsiblemining.net.

READ MORE

IRMA Mining Engagement Update – Jun 2023

IRMA Mining Engagement Slide - June 2023As of Jun 2023, 74 mining companies are now engaged in IRMA representing 94 sites:

  • 58 sites are self-assessing under the IRMA Standard, the first step before an independent audit;
  • 21 are piloting the draft IRMA exploration (IRMA Ready) or mineral processing standard self-assessments
  • 15 are in the independent assessment system: 12 audits are underway (South Africa, Senegal, Mozambique, Brazil, Chile, Argentina) and 3 completed audits have been published (Zimbabwe, Mexico, Chile)
  • They encompass 29 countries:
    1. Argentina
    2. Australia
    3. Brazil
    4. Canada
    5. Chile
    6. Colombia
    7. Dominican Rep.
    8. Finland
    9. France
    10. Indonesia
    11. Liberia
    12. Mexico
    13. Mozambique
    14. Namibia
    15. New Caledonia
    16. Norway
    17. Panama
    18. Portugal
    19. Philippines
    20. Russia
    21. Senegal
    22. South Africa
    23. Spain
    24. Sri Lanka
    25. Turkey
    26. Ukraine
    27. United States
    28. Zambia
    29. Zimbabwe
  • And 52 minerals and mineral types:
    1. Aggregates
    2. Barite
    3. Bauxite
    4. Cerium
    5. Chromite
    6. Chromium
    7. Coal (metallurgical)
    8. Cobalt
    9. Copper
    10. Diamonds
    11. Europium
    12. Feldspar
    13. Gadolinium
    14. Gold
    15. Graphite
    16. Iridium
    17. Iron
    18. Kyanite
    19. Lanthanum
    20. Lead
    21. Limestone
    22. Lithium
    23. Magnesium
    24. Mica
    25. Mineral sands
    26. Molybdenum
    27. Monazite sand
    28. Neodymium
    29. Nickel
    30. Osmium
    31. Palladium
    32. Praseodymium
    33. Platinum
    34. Potash
    35. Quartz
    36. Rare earth elements
    37. Rhodium
    38. Ruthenium
    39. Samarium
    40. Sand
    41. Selenium
    42. Silver
    43. Staurolite
    44. Sulphur
    45. Talc
    46. Tellurium
    47. Titanium
    48. Tourmaline
    49. Vanadium
    50. Xenotime
    51. Zinc
    52. Zircon
READ MORE
Gerdau logoGerdau logoAudits

Gerdau commits two operations to IRMA independent assessment

The Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance (IRMA) is pleased to announce that the Brazilian steelmaker Gerdau has committed to third-party independent assessments of its Várzea do Lopes and Miguel Burnier iron ore mining operations in Minas Gerais against the IRMA Standard for Responsible Mining. Both mining complexes have been in operation since 2006.

SCS Global Services, an IRMA-approved certification body, will be carrying out the assessment, which includes a desk review (stage 1) followed by an onsite audit (stage 2). After SCS’s draft audit report is reviewed by IRMA and Gerdau, Gerdau may release the report or has the option to take up to twelve months to implement a Corrective Action Plan before the audit firm assigns a Performance Level.

Stakeholder Engagement in the Assessment

Interested stakeholders and members of the public can sign up to receive updates about the Gerdau independent assessments (e.g., the timing of the stage 2 onsite visit, link to public summary of audit results). The Mines Under Assessment page of IRMA’s website will also provide up-to-date information on all assessments.

Mine site stakeholders are invited to submit comments to SCS Global Services regarding the social and environmental performance of the Gerdau operations (in particular, how the performance of the mine sites measuree against the IRMA Standard for Responsible Mining).

Stakeholders of the Gerdau mines may also contact SCS Global Services 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 can also be submitted by email or mail to:

SCS Global Services
2000 Powell St. #600 Emeryville, California, USA 94608
feedback@scsglobalservices.com

Please share this announcement, and feel free to contact SCS Global directly to provide names and contact information for other Gerdau stakeholders who may be interested in knowing about and participating in the mine site assessment process.

For more information

READ MORE
Screenshot of webinarScreenshot of webinarAudits

Albemarle Atacama Audit release webinar

On 21 June, the day after the release the audit report of Albemarle’s Planta Salar de Atacama lithium operation, IRMA hosted a webinar to discuss the significance of the report, and the IRMA Standard and process through which the operation was independently assessed. In volunteering its operation for assessment and scoring IRMA 50, Albemarle submitted its practices to unprecedented public transparency, providing information that all stakeholders can use to decide what’s going well, and what may require more attention, at the mine.

The 1 hour webinar, which is about 1/2 presentation and 1/2 Q&A, is available below in English and Español.

English

 

Español

READ MORE
Eramet - GCO minerals sands. Source: GCO websiteEramet - GCO minerals sands. Source: GCO websiteAudits

Eramet commits GCO to IRMA independent assessment

The Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance (IRMA) is pleased to announce that the French miner Eramet has committed to a third-party independent assessment of its Grande Côte Opérations (GCO) site against the IRMA Standard for Responsible Mining. GCO is a Senegalese subsidiary of the Eramet Group that specializes in the recovery of ilmenite, leucoxene, rutile, and zircon. The mine and its two processing plants have been in service since 2014.

In making its own announcement, Eramet declared “After this first external audit in Senegal, Eramet aims to engage all its mining sites in this independent verification process by 2027.”

SCS Global Services, an IRMA-approved certification body, will be carrying out the assessment, which includes a desk review (stage 1) followed by an onsite audit (stage 2). After SCS’s draft audit report is reviewed by IRMA and GCO, GCO may release the report or has the option to take up to twelve months to implement a Corrective Action Plan before the audit firm assigns a Performance Level.

Stakeholder Engagement in the Assessment

Interested stakeholders and members of the public can sign up to receive updates about the GCO independent assessment (e.g., the timing of the stage 2 onsite visit, link to public summary of audit results). The Mines Under Assessment page of IRMA’s website will also provide up-to-date information on all assessments.

Mine site stakeholders are invited to submit comments to SCS Global Services regarding the social and environmental performance of the GCO mine (in particular, how the performance of the mine site measures against the IRMA Standard for Responsible Mining).

Stakeholders of the GCO mine may also contact SCS Global Services 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 can also be submitted by email or mail to:

SCS Global Services
2000 Powell St. #600 Emeryville, California, USA 94608
feedback@scsglobalservices.com

Please share this announcement, and feel free to contact SCS Global directly to provide names and contact information for other GCO stakeholders who may be interested in knowing about and participating in the mine site assessment process.

For more information

READ MORE

IRMA Mining Engagement Update – Feb 2023

IRMA Mining EngagementAs of February 2023, 69 mining companies are now engaged in IRMA representing 83 sites:

  • 60 sites are self-assessing under the IRMA Standard, the first step before an independent audit;
  • 12 are piloting the draft IRMA exploration (IRMA Ready) or mineral processing standard self-assessments
  • 11 independent audits under way: nine initial audits (South Africa, Brazil, Chile, Argentina) and two surveillance audits (Mexico, Zimbabwe)
  • 2 independent audit reports have been released — Anglo American’s Unki mine in Zimbabwe, and Carrizal’s Zimapán mine in Mexico
  • They encompass 27 countries:
    1. Argentina
    2. Australia
    3. Brazil
    4. Canada
    5. Chile
    6. Colombia
    7. Dominican Rep.
    8. Finland
    9. France
    10. Indonesia
    11. Liberia
    12. Mexico
    13. Mozambique
    14. Namibia
    15. New Caledonia
    16. Norway
    17. Panama
    18. Philippines
    19. Russia
    20. Senegal
    21. South Africa
    22. Spain
    23. Sri Lanka
    24. Turkey
    25. Ukraine
    26. United States
    27. Zimbabwe
  • And 52 minerals and mineral types:
    1. Aggregates
    2. Barite
    3. Bauxite
    4. Cerium
    5. Chromite
    6. Chromium
    7. Coal (metallurgical)
    8. Cobalt
    9. Copper
    10. Diamonds
    11. Europium
    12. Feldspar
    13. Gadolinium
    14. Gold
    15. Graphite
    16. Iridium
    17. Iron
    18. Kyanite
    19. Lanthanum
    20. Lead
    21. Limestone
    22. Lithium
    23. Magnesium
    24. Mica
    25. Mineral sands
    26. Molybdenum
    27. Monazite sand
    28. Neodymium
    29. Nickel
    30. Osmium
    31. Palladium
    32. Praseodymium
    33. Platinum
    34. Potash
    35. Quartz
    36. Rare earth elements
    37. Rhodium
    38. Ruthenium
    39. Samarium
    40. Sand
    41. Selenium
    42. Silver
    43. Staurolite
    44. Sulphur
    45. Talc
    46. Tellurium
    47. Titanium
    48. Tourmaline
    49. Vanadium
    50. Xenotime
    51. Zinc
    52. Zircon
READ MORE

IRMA Mining Engagement Update – Sep 2022

IRMA Mining Engagement Sep 2022

As of September 2022, 65 mining companies are now engaged in IRMA representing 76 sites:

  • 56 sites are self-assessing under the IRMA Standard, the first step before an independent audit;
  • 9 are piloting the draft IRMA exploration (IRMA Ready) or mineral processing standard self-assessments
  • 11 independent audits under way: nine initial audits (South Africa, Brazil, Chile, Argentina) and two surveillance audits (Mexico, Zimbabwe)
  • 2 independent audit reports have been released — Anglo American’s Unki mine in Zimbabwe, and Carrizal’s Zimapán mine in Mexico
  • They encompass 25 countries:
    1. Argentina
    2. Australia
    3. Brazil
    4. Canada
    5. Chile
    6. Colombia
    7. Dominican Rep.
    8. Finland
    9. France
    10. Indonesia
    11. Liberia
    12. Mexico
    13. Mozambique
    14. Namibia
    15. New Caledonia
    16. Panama
    17. Philippines
    18. Russia
    19. South Africa
    20. Spain
    21. Sri Lanka
    22. Turkey
    23. Ukraine
    24. United States
    25. Zimbabwe
  • And 52 minerals and mineral types:
    1. Aggregates
    2. Barite
    3. Bauxite
    4. Cerium
    5. Chromite
    6. Chromium
    7. Coal (metallurgical)
    8. Cobalt
    9. Copper
    10. Diamonds
    11. Europium
    12. Feldspar
    13. Gadolinium
    14. Gold
    15. Graphite
    16. Iridium
    17. Iron
    18. Kyanite
    19. Lanthanum
    20. Lead
    21. Limestone
    22. Lithium
    23. Magnesium
    24. Mica
    25. Mineral sands
    26. Molybdenum
    27. Monazite sand
    28. Neodymium
    29. Nickel
    30. Osmium
    31. Palladium
    32. Praseodymium
    33. Platinum
    34. Potash
    35. Quartz
    36. Rare earth elements
    37. Rhodium
    38. Ruthenium
    39. Samarium
    40. Sand
    41. Selenium
    42. Silver
    43. Staurolite
    44. Sulphur
    45. Talc
    46. Tellurium
    47. Titanium
    48. Tourmaline
    49. Vanadium
    50. Xenotime
    51. Zinc
    52. Zircon
READ MORE
Carrizal home pageCarrizal home pageAudits

Carrizal Mine Surveillance Assessment Update

The Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance (IRMA) is pleased to announce the upcoming third-party independent surveillance assessment of the Carrizal Mine against the IRMA Standard for Responsible Mining. The Carrizal Mine is located near Zimapan in the Hidalgo province of Mexico. The on-site portion of the surveillance audit will occur 24-27 August 2022.

What is a Surveillance Audit?

A surveillance audit is a mid-cycle verification to ensure no material negative changes have occurred at a site. It is not a re-assessment of all IRMA requirements. Surveillance audits follow much of the same process as a certification audit and include document review, on site-assessment, and community and stakeholder engagement. An IRMA surveillance audit confirms continued performance against critical requirements, verifies ongoing regulatory compliance processes, and evaluates progress on corrective actions. It also follows up on stakeholder input received since the prior audit and areas of risk identified in the previous audit and confirms no major changes have occurred that would impact the previously assessed achievement level.

ERM CVS is the IRMA-approved certification body carrying out the surveillance assessment.

Stakeholder Engagement in the Assessment

Interested stakeholders and members of the public can sign up to receive updates about the Carrizal mine assessment. The Mines Under Assessment page of IRMA’s website will also provide up-to-date information on all assessments.

Mine site stakeholders are invited to submit comments to ERM CVS on the social and environmental performance of the Carrizal Mine (in particular, how the mine measures against the IRMA Standard for Responsible Mining).

Carrizal Mine stakeholders may also contact ERM CVS if they are interested in being interviewed as part of the assessment process or being notified of the publication of the public report.

Stakeholder comments and expressions of interest in being interviewed as part of the audit process should be submitted by email to post@ermcvs.com.

Email: visit the ERM CVS website for this information and more on the audit.

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

READ MORE

IRMA Mining Engagement Update – Aug 2022

As of August 2022, 62 mining companies are now engaged in IRMA representing 74 sites:

  • 62 sites are self-assessing under the IRMA Standard, the first step before an independent audit;
  • 11 sites are piloting the draft IRMA exploration (IRMA Ready) or mineral processing standard self-assessments
  • 2 independent audit reports have been released — Anglo American’s Unki mine in Zimbabwe, and Carrizal’s Zimapán mine in Mexico;
  • 11 audits are under way — 9 initial audits (Argentina, Brazil, Chile, South Africa), and 2 surveillance audits (Mexico, Zimbabwe)
  • They are located in 23 countries:
    1. Argentina
    2. Australia
    3. Brazil
    4. Canada
    5. Chile
    6. Colombia
    7. Dominican Rep.
    8. Finland
    9. France
    10. Indonesia
    11. Liberia
    12. Mexico
    13. Mozambique
    14. New Caledonia
    15. Panama
    16. Philippines
    17. Russia
    18. South Africa
    19. Spain
    20. Sri Lanka
    21. Ukraine
    22. United States
    23. Zimbabwe
  • They encompass 27 minerals:
    1. Aggregate
    2. Barite
    3. Bastnaesite
    4. Chrome
    5. Cobalt
    6. Copper
    7. Clay
    8. Diamonds
    9. Gold
    10. Graphite
    11. Iron
    12. Lead
    13. Limestone
    14. Lithium
    15. Magnesium
    16. Mineral sands
    17. Nickel
    18. Palladium
    19. Platinum
    20. Rhodium
    21. Sand
    22. Silver
    23. Strontium
    24. Titanium
    25. Vanadium
    26. Zinc
    27. Zirconium
    28. Rare Earth elements
READ MORE

Mining engagement with IRMA update

As of this June, 55 mining companies are now engaged in IRMA representing 72 sites:

  • 61 sites are self-assessing, the first step before an independent audit;
  • 2 independent audit reports have been released — Anglo American’s Unki mine in Zimbabwe, and Carrizal’s Zimapán mine in Mexico;
  • 11 audits are under way — 9 initial audits (Argentina, Brazil, Chile, South Africa), and 2 surveillance audits (Mexico, Zimbabwe)
  • They are located in 23 countries:
    1. Argentina
    2. Australia
    3. Brazil
    4. Canada
    5. Chile
    6. Colombia
    7. Dominican Rep.
    8. Finland
    9. France
    10. Indonesia
    11. Liberia
    12. Mexico
    13. Mozambique
    14. New Caledonia
    15. Panama
    16. Philippines
    17. Russia
    18. South Africa
    19. Spain
    20. Sri Lanka
    21. Ukraine
    22. United States
    23. Zimbabwe
  • They encompass 27 minerals:
    1. Aggregate
    2. Barite
    3. Bastnaesite
    4. Chrome
    5. Cobalt
    6. Copper
    7. Clay
    8. Diamonds
    9. Gold
    10. Graphite
    11. Iron
    12. Lead
    13. Limestone
    14. Lithium
    15. Magnesium
    16. Nickel
    17. Palladium
    18. Platinum
    19. Rhodium
    20. Sand
    21. Silver
    22. Strontium
    23. Titanium
    24. Vanadium
    25. Zinc
    26. Zirconium
    27. Rare Earth elements
READ MORE