Brazil

Audits

IRMA Announcement: On-site audits scheduled at five mines

3 November 2021By
The Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance (IRMA) annouces that auditors will be carrying out on-site audits at five mines, starting in late November.  The mine sites, and on-site audit dates, are as follows:
  • Amandelbult, near Chromite, in Limpopo province, South Africa. On-site audit dates: 29 November – December 4.
  • Barro Alto, near Barro Alto, in the State of Goiás, Brazil. On-site audit dates: 29 November – December 3. (View the audit announcement in Portuguese)
  • Kolomela, near Postmasburg, in Northern Cape province, South Africa. On-site audit dates:  6 December – December 11.
  • Mototolo-Der Brochen, near Steelpoort, in Limpopo province, South Africa. On-site audit dates:  6 December – December 11.
  • Sishen, near Kathu, in Northern Cape province, South Africa. On-site audit dates: 29 November – December 4.
ERM Certification and Verification Services (ERM-CVS), an IRMA-approved certification body, will be carrying out the on-site assessments at these sites. Stakeholder Engagement in these Assessments Stakeholders should contact ERM-CVS if they are interested in being interviewed as part of the assessment process. According to ERM-CVS, “When possible, interviews with local stakeholders will be scheduled to take place during the on-site audit and may be virtual or in-person, taking into consideration COVID-19 precautions.” (See audit announcements on ERM-CVS website) Stakeholders for any of the listed sites are also invited to submit comments to ERM-CVS on the social and environmental performance of any of the mines (in particular, how the site measures against the IRMA Standard for Responsible Mining).
ERM Certification and Verification Services Email: post@ermcvs.com Mail: Exchequer Court, 33 St Mary Axe, London, EC3A 8A
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
  • Direct specific inquiries about the mine site assessment process 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.
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Audits

IRMA Announcement: Minas-Rio (Anglo American) Mine Site Assessment Stage 1

22 July 2021By

The Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance (IRMA) announces the commencement of a third-party independent assessment of the Minas-Rio iron ore mine against the IRMA Standard for Responsible Mining. The Minas-Rio mine, located north of Conceição do Mato Dentro in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil, is operated by Anglo American.

SCS Global Services (SCS), 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).

Scope of the Assessment

During the assessment the impacts and issues associated with the mining and associated facilities will be reviewed, and each facility and mining location will be visited. The assessment will include the open pit mine, milling and mine waste facilities at the Minas-Rio mine site. For more on assessment scope, see the Minas-Rio assessment page on the IRMA website.

Stakeholder Engagement in the Assessment

Stakeholders affected by or interested in the Minas-Rio mine are invited to submit comments to SCS on the social and environmental performance of the mine (in particular, how well it performs against the IRMA Standard for Responsible Mining).

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

SCS Global Services
2000 Powell St. #600
Emeryville, California, USA 94608

Email: scourter@scsglobalservices.com

Minas-Rio mine stakeholders and members of the public can visit the Mines Under Assessment page of IRMA’s website to view up-to-date information on the Minas-Rio assessment (e.g., the timing of the stage 2 on-site visit, link to pubic summary of audit results) and other assessments.

Please forward this announcement, and feel free to contact SCS 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

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Audits

IRMA Announcement: Barro Alto Mine Site Assessment Stage 1

5 June 2020By

The Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance (IRMA) announces the commencement of a third-party independent assessment of the Barro Alto nickel mine against the IRMA Standard for Responsible Mining. The Barro Alto mine, located in Brazil, is operated by Anglo American Brasil. For more information on Barro Alto mine check out their profile on the IRMA Engagement Map.

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).

Stakeholder Engagement in the Assessment

Interested stakeholders and members of the public can visit the Mines Under Assessment page of IRMA’s website to view up-to-date information on the Barro Alto assessment (e.g., the timing of the stage 2 on-site visit, link to pubic summary of audit results).

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

Barro Alto mine 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

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 on the Barro Alto Mine Site Assessment, contact IRMA’s Director of Standards and Assurance: lsumi@responsiblemining.net

For general information on the IRMA mine site assessment and certification process, visit the IRMA website.

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South America

Catastrophic spill from mining dam threatens thousands of lives

28 January 2019By

“Vale’s Brumadinho mining waste dam failure is all the more tragic because the mining industry knows how to prevent them, yet failed to act.” — Payal Sampat, Earthworks.

Photo Credit: BBC.

The Independent Catholic News reports that:  Hundreds of people are missing, 37 people have been confirmed dead and more than 24,000 people have been evacuated from the Brazilian town hit by a deadly mudslide unleashed by a ruptured mining dam, as rains raised fears a second dam could collapse. . .

Payal Sampat, the Mining Director of our US counterpart organisation, Earthworks, said: “Vale’s Brumadinho mining waste dam failure is all the more tragic because the mining industry knows how to prevent them, yet failed to act. 200 people are missing and some presumed dead because Vale and the rest of global mining industry haven’t adopted the Mount Polley Independent Expert Panel’s recommendations made in response to a similar catastrophic mining waste dam failure in 2014. These recommendations have been globally recognized, including by the United Nations Environment Programme’s 2017 assessment of tailings dams failures, and by the multi-sector Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance standard. Until these recommendations are adopted and independently verified, preventable mining disasters will continue to occur wherever the mining industry operates.

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