Sustainability news (September 01, 2007)

Third-party verification on sustainability

The Ottawa-based Mining Association of Canada (MAC) announced a global first the end of August: the third party verification of sustainability performance for key environmental and social issues of concern to the industry and its stakeholders. The results of the verification were released in the 2006 TSM Progress Report.

Now in its fourth year, MAC’s Towards Sustainable Mining (TSM) initiative has helped the Canadian mining industry improve its performance by setting performance standards for key areas–tailings management, energy use and greenhouse gas emissions management, external outreach, and crisis management planning. This year has seen the association and its member companies adopt programs to improve dialogue with Aboriginal communities, pledge to contribute to global biodiversity conservation in their operations, and adopt third party verification.

In this first year of implementation, 10 MAC members have had their TSM performance results externally verified–Albian Sands Energy, BHP Billiton Diamonds, CVRD Inco, Diavik Diamond Mines, Hudbay Minerals, Inmet Mining, Iron Ore Company of Canada, Suncor Energy, Syncrude Canada and Teck Cominco. Subsequent years will follow an annual rotation, with one-third of MAC members undergoing external verification each year.

MAC member companies complete a self-assessment, using TSM protocols to assign performance ratings to each of their facilities. A specially trained Verification Service Provider (VSP) verifies the accuracy of these self-assessments. The VSP then issues a verification statement and report, and the company provides MAC with a letter of assurance.

MAC has implemented a sustainability award system. In this report, Diavik Diamond Mines of Yellowknife, NT, achieved top socio-economic and environmental recognition in its work with local communities, tailings management, and crisis management planning. The Diavik diamond mine, 300 km northeast of Yellowknife, achieved Level 4 recognition in both external outreach (work with local communities), and tailings management (processed kimberlite containment) and met all the required criteria to receive a MAC Towards Sustainable Mining achievement of excellence performance award under crisis management planning.

For more information, contact MAC’s Pierre Gratton at (613) 233-9392 ext 319, pgratton@mining.ca or visit www.mining.ca.