Chile

SQM's Salar de Atacama lithium operation. Credit: SQMSQM's Salar de Atacama lithium operation. Credit: SQMAudits

SQM’s Salar de Atacama lithium operation in Chile audited against the IRMA Standard for Responsible Mining

6 September 2023By

Mine achieves IRMA 75, provides new information about social & environmental performance to affected communities and other stakeholders

SQM Salar de Atacama Audit Packet Cover6 Sep 2023 – Today the Initiative for Responsible Mining (IRMA) released the results of an independent audit of SQM’s Salar de Atacama lithium operation against the IRMA Standard for Responsible Mining. The mine achieved IRMA 75 when an independent audit firm measured its performance on concrete social and environmental impact criteria.

IRMA oversees the only independent, comprehensive process for assessing individual mines’ performance against an equally governed, consensus-based standard — and for measuring their subsequent progress in reducing social and environmental harm. The rigorous IRMA process invites all those currently or potentially affected by a mine to share their experiences and perspectives with the auditing team.

Developed through a decade of public consultations, with input from more than 100 companies and organizations, the IRMA Standard and assessment process recognize the concerns of Indigenous rights holders, communities and mine workers, as well as environmental and human rights advocates and other representatives of civil society. The independent IRMA system is the only global mining standard that gives such groups an equal voice alongside mining companies, mined materials purchasers and investors.

SQM’s Salar de Atacama joins 15 other industrial-scale mines worldwide that are undergoing independent audits against the IRMA Standard in 2023. After an initial self-assessment, a participating mine engages a third-party audit firm — trained and approved by IRMA — to conduct a detailed independent evaluation, including on-site visits to the mine and nearby communities.

IRMA 75 means the audit firm ERM-CVS verified the mine met all critical requirements of the IRMA Standard, as well as at least 75% of the Standard’s criteria in each of the four areas: social responsibility, environmental responsibility, business integrity and planning for positive legacies. The full audit report is available at responsiblemining.net.

“The information stakeholders need to decide what’s going well — and what may require more attention.”

“This report demonstrates that mines supplying materials essential to the renewable energy transition can now point to transparent, independent evaluations of their environmental and social performance,” said Aimee Boulanger, Executive Director of IRMA. “Through detailed IRMA audit reports, mining companies, communities and companies that purchase mined materials can gain the information they need to decide what’s going well — and what may require more attention — at specific mines.”

As the IRMA Standard is recognized and adopted around the globe, these audits are just the first steps in a deepening dialogue between mining companies and those affected by their operations. And because the process is still evolving, IRMA cautions that the initial results should be reviewed and interpreted accordingly.

“The IRMA Standard is relatively new,” Ms. Boulanger said. “It’s an unfamiliar process for companies that volunteer to be audited, and even our accredited auditors are still learning. The same is true for community members and workers who are interviewed as part of the process, some of whom may not yet feel comfortable engaging. So the SQM Salar de Atacama audit report needs to be read with this in mind. We applaud SQM for stepping forward to be among the first mines audited against such comprehensive and demanding criteria.”

The report also provides an honest accounting of IRMA’s own progress as the Standard and assessment process continue to mature. “If the results don’t fully reflect the experience of communities, Indigenous rights holders or other affected groups, we want to hear from them,” Ms. Boulanger said. “We’ll help them communicate with the company to better understand its performance, and with the auditors on any issues they feel were overlooked in the review. This is a cornerstone of our own commitment to transparency. We invite anyone who has criticisms of our work to join us in making it better. Finding ways to improve is built into our system — and a measure of its success.”

“Committing to an IRMA audit reflects our desire to improve and our openness to dialogue”

“Salar de Atacama’s achievement of the first IRMA 75 for a lithium mine is a testament to the hard work of everyone at SQM.  Committing our mine to an IRMA audit and to the transparent sharing of audit results reflects our desire to improve, and our openness to dialogue with all affected stakeholders about how to do so,” said Ricardo Ramos, CEO of SQM.

Learn more at the Sep 7th Webinar Q&A

  • REGISTER
  • Thursday, 7 Sep, 11am CLST/GMT-3 (Chile time)
  • Speakers: IRMA Executive Director Aimee Boulanger; IRMA Americas Lead Adan Olivares Castro; Javier Silva, SQM Sustainability and Community Relations Manager
  • A discussion and Q&A about the meaning of the audit results, and how the increased transparency an IRMA audit provides can be used by stakeholders to improve the operation.
  • The webinar will be simultaneously interpreted for Spanish & English speakers. All registrants will receive a recording.

For More Information:

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Albemarle Atacama Audit release webinar

22 June 2023By

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

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Albemarle Atacama Audit Report Released

20 June 2023By

Albemarle’s Salar de Atacama became the first lithium mine in the world to complete an independent audit of their performance against the IRMA Standard for Responsible Mining. The audit can be found on the Salar Plant, Salar de Atacama (Albemarle) mine assessment page, the IRMA press release is in english and español, and you can download an audit packet including the audit itself and supporting materials (español).

IRMA’s Executive Director Aimee Boulanger and Assurance Director Michelle Smith will hold a webinar Q&A about IRMA audits on Wednesday 21 June at 11am Chile time (EDT). The webinar will be simultaneously interpreted in Spanish. Register here.

Albemarle’s Salar de Atacama operation scored at the IRMA 50 performance level (español), meaning the independent audit firm ERM-CVS verified that the mine met all critical requirements of the IRMA Standard, as well as at least 50% of the Standard’s criteria in four areas: social responsibility, environmental responsibility, business integrity and planning for positive legacies.

Salar de Atacama joins 12 other industrial-scale mines worldwide that are undergoing independent audits against the IRMA Standard in 2023. After an initial self-assessment, a participating mine engages a third-party audit firm — trained and approved by IRMA — to conduct a detailed independent evaluation, including on-site visits to the mine and nearby communities.

It’s important to note that IRMA audits do not yield “certification,” nor do they declare at what point a site becomes a “responsible mine.” The IRMA system is built to have more transparent conversation on the impacts, at a table where civil society and labor have voice equal to the private sector, and which seeks to create greater value to reduce harm.

In doing this audit, Albemarle has volunteered to be measured against a standard more rigorous, requiring more public engagement, and more transparent sharing of results than any other global mining standard. It is an act of leadership and commitment to increasing dialogue across diverse stakeholder sectors and with Indigenous rights holders to engage in this process.

It’s important to note that the audit report also provide an honest accounting for IRMA’s own progress as the Standard and its assessment process continue to mature. “If the results don’t fully reflect the experience of communities, Indigenous rights holders or other affected groups, we want to hear from them.” — Aimee Boulanger.

 

For More Information

Webinar Q&A

  • Wednesday, 21 Jun, 11am Chile time (EDT)
  • Speakers: IRMA Executive Director Aimee Boulanger, and Assurance Director Michelle Smith
  • Topics include: The IRMA process, how this independent audit occurred, how stakeholders can use this audit report
  • Register here
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Audits

Salar de Atacama (SQM) Commences Assessment

12 January 2022By
The Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance (IRMA) announces the commencement of a third-party independent assessment of SQM’s Salar de Atacama site against the IRMA Standard for Responsible Mining. The site produces a lithium-rich brine and potash. The site is located inside SQM’s mining concession area in the Salar de Atacama sector, in the commune of San Pedro de Atacama, El Loa Province, Antofagasta Region, Chile. 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 the site will be reviewed, and each operation and facility will be visited. The assessment will include brine extraction, concentration, and waste disposal areas at the Salar de Atacama site. For more on assessment scope, see the Salar de Atacama (SQM) assessment page on the IRMA website. Stakeholder Engagement in the Assessment Stakeholders are invited to submit comments to ERM-CVS on the social and environmental performance of the SQM’s Salar de Atacama operations (in particular, how the site measures against the IRMA Standard for Responsible Mining). 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
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 all mine site assessments, including the SQM Salar de Atacama site (e.g., find out the timing of the stage 2 on-site visit, access the audit results, etc.). Please forward this announcement, and feel free to contact ERM-CVS directly to provide names and contact information for other stakeholders who may be interested in knowing about and participating in the Salar de Atacama (SQM) assessment process. For More Information
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Audits

IRMA Announcement: Salar Plant, Salar de Atacama (Albemarle) Assessment Stage 1

2 September 2021By
The Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance (IRMA) announces the commencement of a third-party independent assessment of Albemarle’s Salar de Atacama “Salar Plant” brine extraction site against the IRMA Standard for Responsible Mining. The site produces a lithium-rich brine, potash, bischofite, halite, and sylvinite. The Salar Plant is located inside Albemarle’s mining concession area in the Salar de Atacama sector, in the commune of San Pedro de Atacama, El Loa Province, Antofagasta Region, Chile. 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 the site will be reviewed, and each operation and facility will be visited. The assessment will include brine extraction, concentration, and waste disposal areas at the Salar de Atacama Salar Plant site. For more on assessment scope, see the Salar Plant assessment page on the IRMA website. Stakeholder Engagement in the Assessment Stakeholders are invited to submit comments to ERM-CVS on the social and environmental performance of the Salar Plant operations (in particular, how the site measures against the IRMA Standard for Responsible Mining). Salar Plant 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
Interested stakeholders and members of the public can visit the Salar Plant assessment page of IRMA’s website to view up-to-date information on the Salar Plant 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 stakeholders who may be interested in knowing about and participating in the Salar Plant assessment process. For More Information
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