Tag Archives: ICMM

Vale hits ICMM’s GISTM target for tailings storage facilities

Base metals, Environmental, Mining policy, Steel and iron ore, Sustainable mining, Water management, , , , , , , ,

Vale says it has implemented the Global Industry Standard for Tailings Management (GISTM) in 48 of its 50 tailings storage facilities (TSFs), with plans to bring the two remaining TSFs into conformance by August 2025.

The GISTM was developed after the tragic failure of a tailings facility at Brumadinho, Brazil, in 2019, through an independent process convened by ICMM, the United Nations Environment Programme and Principles for Responsible Investment.

The standard sets a high bar and contains 77 requirements integrating social, environmental, local economic and technical considerations which strive to achieve the goal of zero harm to people and the environment, according to ICMM.

Vale says of the 48 TSFs now in conformance with the GISTM, 35 are in the Iron Solutions business unit in Brazil and 13 in the Energy Transition Metals business unit (11 in Canada and 2 in Brazil).

“The two remaining Iron Solutions TSFs in Brazil have a lower consequence classification and will be in conformance with the standard by August 2025, following the criteria of the Conformance Protocols defined by ICMM,” Vale said.

The 48 TSFs in conformance meet the GISTM requirements, and some of them have action plans in place according to the Conformance Protocols, according to the company. In addition to meeting the 77 standard requirements, a TSF in conformance with the GISTM means that the oversight, monitoring and transparency of information have been and will continue to be improved, according to Vale. The focus is on the safety of people and the environment throughout the entire TSFs life cycle.

When the GISTM was published in August 2020, ICMM members committed to conform with the standard for tailings facilities classified as ‘extreme’ or ‘very high’ consequences by August 2023, and all other facilities by August 2025. Members are due to publish their progress towards conformance with the GISTM by August 5, 2023, for tailings facilities with the highest potential consequences in the event of a failure.

The ICMM said earlier this week that it anticipated some companies will not achieve full conformance with the standard’s requirements.

Implementing GISTM for Vale’s TSFs represents only one part of the company’s efforts to become safer and more sustainable, the miner says. Vale has been improving the management of its mining dams by conducting an in-depth technical analysis of the historical, current condition and performance of each structure. The preventive, corrective and monitoring actions have also been intensified, being increasingly integrated with social movements and updated according to legislation.

Vale also continues to progress de-characterisating its upstream tailings dam structures in Brazil. As of 2019, out of the 30 dams of this kind included in the program, 12 have already been de-characterised, representing 40% of the total. The program is expected to be completed in 2035. The de-characterisation of upstream facilities in Brazil is Vale’s commitment, in addition to being part of the current Brazilian federal and state legislation on dam safety.

ICMM report highlights fall in mining fatalities in 2022

Mining safety, Mining services, Sustainable mining, , ,

ICMM has, today, released a report that benchmarks the 2022 safety performance of its members, highlighting that 33 people from ICMM company members lost their lives at work in 2022.

This number compares to 45 in 2021 (after an additional two were retrospectively added to the count) and 44 in 2020.

ICMM says its members are unwavering in their commitment to operate responsibly, as they work to eliminate fatalities towards a goal of zero harm.

To support this commitment, ICMM compiles, analyses and publishes the safety data provided annually by company members, which collectively represent a third of the global mining and metals industry. The full report, ‘Safety Performance: Benchmarking Progress of ICMM Company Members In 2022,’ is available here.

The report analyses fatalities from ICMM company members based on the cause (or ‘hazard’) and provides safety performance metrics by county and company. In 2022, nine of the 33 fatalities were related to mobile equipment and transportation, and five fatalities were caused by falling objects. Company member operations in South Africa had the highest number of fatalities (seven), accounting for 21% of the total fatalities across ICMM members. Thirteen out of 26 members reported zero fatalities.

Rohitesh Dhawan, President and CEO, ICMM said: “Everyone deserves to work free from harm, within a safe and healthy industry environment.

“ICMM has remained steadfast in our belief that we can always find new ways to improve, and as we enter a period of unprecedented demand for minerals and metals, we will continue to focus on identifying new ways to eliminate fatalities from mining and metals operations.”

ICMM began collating and publishing data on members’ safety performance in 2012 with the intention of driving knowledge-sharing, transparency and continual improvement across the industry. This data is compiled using ICMM’s ‘Guidance on Health and Safety Performance Indicators’ which was updated in 2021.

ICMM welcomes AusIMM as 40th association member

Careers in mining, Mining events, Mining industry recognition, Mining services, , , , ,

The International Council on Mining and Metals (ICMM) has welcomed the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy (AusIMM) as a new association member.

Founded in 1893 and celebrating its 130th anniversary this year, AusIMM is a member-based, professional association leading the way for people working in the resources sector.

Representing 15,000 members in 100 countries, AusIMM showcases leadership, upholds industry standards, creates communities, and shapes careers through world-class professional development including online courses, technical conferences and thought leadership events, AusIMM says.

Rohitesh Dhawan, CEO and President, ICMM, speaking at the World Mining Congress, said: “We are delighted to welcome AusIMM as our newest association member. We’ve a very positive history of working collaboratively with AusIMM to promote leading practice on environment, social and governance issues in our industry. I’m looking forward to building on this partnership even further as we co-develop the tools needed to help industry professionals continue to responsibly produce the critical minerals and metals required across the globe.

“This cements an already strong and collaborative relationship between our organisations. This will enable us to share insights and drive leading practice to make our industry safer and more sustainable.”

Stephen Durkin, CEO, AusIMM, also speaking at the World Mining Congress, said: “Both the ICMM and AusIMM are committed to responsible resource development. The AusIMM’s expertise in sustainable mining practice and professional education courses such as in ESG & Social Responsibility will be enhanced by working more closely with ICMM. For example, our upcoming new Professional Certificate on Integrated Mine Closure will be based on ICMM’s Good Practice Guide.”

AusIMM has become ICMM’s 40th association member, joining 25 company members, which represent one third of the global metals and mining, and 39 associations that represent different commodities, national jurisdictions and professional groups.

ICMM members commit to new diversity, equity and inclusion collective

Careers in mining, Mining events, Mining industry recognition, Sustainable mining, , , , , , ,

Today, ICMM is announcing a new collective commitment by members to improve diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) in the mining and metals industry and positively influence the communities that mining companies are a part of.

ICMM members have committed to work together to improve the experience of all workers and eradicate discrimination, harassment and assault from the workplaces. To achieve this, the following four actions will be taken by the end of 2024:

  • Accelerate action – Accelerate individual and collective action to eliminate harmful behaviours from our workplaces and communities. This includes developing a roadmap which will outline the direction of the actions being taken and set out key milestones to help achieve agreed goals;
  • Set goals – Set individual and collective goals, relevant to operating contexts, to eliminate all forms of harassment and discriminatory behaviours. This will help to demonstrate progress;
  • Increase transparency – Disclose aggregated performance against these goals in accordance with ICMM’s Social and Economic Reporting Framework. This includes disaggregating data by gender and ethnicity, where possible, helping to assess the progress being made; and
  • Collaborate for greater effect – Work together with companies, industry associations, underrepresented groups, communities, investors, and others to advocate for and find solutions to the challenges relating to DEI in the industry.

Rohitesh Dhawan, CEO and President of ICMM, said: “Whilst we have seen good progress by individual companies, this collective commitment aims to prioritise and accelerate collaborative efforts to eliminate discrimination, harassment, and assault. This is so we can build psychologically safe and truly diverse, equitable and inclusive workplaces in the mining industry. It is not only our solemn duty to do so, but the only way to attract and retain the talent essential to grow responsible mining at the huge scale that is required. This is why I am calling on the wider industry, alongside our members, to join us in this collective effort to drive the progress needed.”

Tom Palmer, CEO of Newmont and Chair of the ICMM Council Social Performance Council Advisory Group, said: “Demonstrating our commitment and taking action on these critical issues is aligned with our vision of safe, inclusive, and sustainable workplaces. No one should ever feel harassed, threatened, or discriminated at work. We know our actions are key to earning the trust of our employees and stakeholders. We must ask ourselves the question – what more can I personally do and what more can we do together? Working collectively as a membership and with others to overcome the barriers to diversity, equity and inclusion, we can eliminate harmful behaviours from our workplaces, and influence positive cultural change in communities and across society.”

Elizabeth Broderick, Special Rapporteur and Independent Expert for the UN Working Group on Discrimination Against Women and Girls, said: ““If we don’t actively and intentionally include women, the system will unintentionally exclude them. The reason for this is that the systems in the mining industry were invented by men, for men and even today are largely run by men. Forcing women into systems and cultures designed for men is not an effective strategy to build greater levels of diversity and inclusion. The solution lies in shifting the systems rather than fixing the women.”

Andy Mason, Head of Active Ownership at abrdn, said: “I’ve already seen positive steps being taken by the mining industry to address diversity and inclusion challenges. This commitment by ICMM members takes it one step further and helps to demonstrate collective action being taken by some of the world’s biggest miners. To keep this momentum going, continued collaboration between the industry and investors is critical. As active owners we must work with investee companies to support and encourage efforts to address challenges. Our future depends on the metals and minerals the industry produces.”

This Position Statement builds on the individual company requirements which were updated in June 2022 and represents a joint ambition from companies that make up one-third of the global mining and metals industry.

ICMM members, the ICMM says, are united in the belief that discrimination, harassment and assault have no place in the industry or anywhere else in society. Members acknowledge their duty and the increased effort required, to remove the inequalities within the industry, and to help eliminate harmful behaviours that exist in society.

Antamina, Barrick, BHP, Freeport, Gold Fields, Newmont, Teck and Vale form GeoStable Tailings Consortium

Environmental, Mining services, Sustainable mining, Water management, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Gold Fields Limited has announced a new consortium of eight global mining companies has launched a multi-year initiative to develop and implement new technological applications for managing tailings.

The GeoStable Tailings Consortium (GSTC) comprises Antamina, Barrick, BHP, Freeport-McMoRan, Gold Fields, Newmont, Teck and Vale, with external expert support provided by Dr G Ward Wilson of the University of Alberta.

The GSTC will study options to combine various blends of tailings with waste rock to create ‘geo-stable’ landforms that are stronger and more stable than conventional tailings deposition methods and are likely to reduce process water consumption. It will undertake a range of research and development activities, including laboratory testing, field trials and data analysis, and will collaborate to promote best practices in tailings and waste management and foster a culture of continuous improvement across the mining industry.

Martin Preece, Interim CEO of Gold Fields, said: “The management of our TSFs has as its ultimate goal zero harm to people and the environment through their full life cycle. This is in line with the Global Industry Standard on Tailings Management, the new tailings storage facility (TSF) benchmark to which all members of the ICMM are committed to conform to. Having stable TSFs is a critical element of this standard.

“There is significant mining industry interest in developing geo-stable TSFs, but there is still a lack of a sound research and development including testing protocols to assess, compare and validate the performance of different technical approaches across different mineralogical and operational situations. Gold Fields is therefore a willing participant in this consortium and playing our role in becoming part of the solution.”

The new GSTC initiative builds on the work of a group formed to advance geo-waste and eco-tailings research previously pursued by Goldcorp, which was acquired by Newmont in early 2019.

Miners need to address workplace culture, diversity issues, IMARC panel says

Careers in mining, Environmental, Mining events, Mining services, Sustainable mining, , , , , , , , , ,

There has been keen focus on workplace culture and diversity on the final day of the International Mining and Resources Conference (IMARC) in Sydney, Australia.

Throughout the conference, mining leaders have acknowledged that if the industry does not act now to fix and change the culture, they will not be able to attract the staff required for the new resources boom.

Chief People Office at IGO, Sam Retallack, told the conference: “We as industry have broken the psychological contract of trust that we have with the community. We are seen as a cause of climate change, not as a solution. We are seen as an unsafe workplace for females, we are seen as inflexible with our rostering and that you must commit to FIFO work. It’s not a particularly attractive proposition for new workers.”

Danielle Martin, Director of Social Performance at ICMM, spoke to the substantial issues facing the industry as workforce skills change and evolve.

“The competition for talent will be tricky for mining because the skills in many cases are less specific to mining and are applicable across other sectors,” Martin said. “Because of the culture and perception of mining, it is a less attractive industry for many workers who could work in other industries.”

All is not lost, however. Stuart Jenner, General Manager of Capability and Culture at Gold Road Resources, reflected on the cultural issues the Australian Defence Force faced 20 years ago. Changes to workplace culture will likely lead to an increase in the recruitment of new staff and the retention of key talent as the competition for skills intensifies, he argued.

Jenner said the Defence Force “recreated its brand and aligned it with its purpose and mining needs to do the same”.

He added: “We need to be upfront, honest and transparent to establish that purpose. The Defence Force pays nowhere near what the mining industry does but because of their purpose, they have a huge amount of success in attracting talent.”

There is a realisation from the sector the industry must act now and push for the acknowledgment that these issues need to be addressed from the top down.

Gavin Wood, Chief Information Officer at Newcrest Mining, explained to the delegates at IMARC the work the company is doing to change culture with their existing workforce.

Wood said many of its existing staff grew up in mining areas and communities and the company needed to give them the skills to interact with other aspects of business and by virtue society.

“If we do not give them these skills the culture will not change,” he said.

Over the three-day conference, mining leaders from across the globe have challenged the current standard of culture within the sector and have discussed ways to make the industry safer for all.

ICMM names Antofagasta’s Arriagada as new Chair

Environmental, Mining industry recognition, Mining people, Mining policy, Mining services, Sustainable mining, , , , ,

ICMM has today announced Iván Arriagada, CEO of Antofagasta PLC, as its new Chair, succeeding Richard Adkerson, Chairman and CEO of Freeport-McMoRan.

ICMM is governed by its council which comprises the CEOs of 26 company members. The Chair is appointed from within this group and serves in the position for approximately two years.

The Chair leads council in driving ICMM’s overall purpose of leadership through collaboration to enhance the contribution of mining and metals to sustainable development, towards a vision of a safe, just and sustainable world enabled by responsibly produced minerals and metals, the ICMM explained.

Rohitesh Dhawan, President and CEO of ICMM, said: “I am very pleased to welcome Iván as our new Chair. Iván and I are united in fulfilling ICMM’s commitment to produce the metals and minerals that are critical to the energy transition and sustainable development as responsibly as possible.

“I would like to thank Richard for his leadership and valuable contribution to ICMM and our wider industry. His tenure has seen the achievement of significant milestones including our landmark climate change commitment. I look forward to continuing this journey with the benefit of Iván’s vast industry experience.”

Arriagada added: “In the eight years that Antofagasta has been a member of ICMM, I have experienced the value of being part of this leadership group that takes decisive collective action on the most important issues facing our industry. I am looking forward to working with Rohitesh and my fellow council members to continually strengthen our social and environmental performance and contribution to society.”

The ICMM addresses mine tailings reduction ambition with new roadmap and initiative

Environmental, Mineral processing, Mining industry recognition, Mining policy, Mining services, Sustainable mining, Water management, , , , ,

Today, the International Council on Minerals and Metals (ICMM) has published a Tailings Reduction Roadmap which, it says, lays out innovative approaches and solutions capable of significantly reducing tailings from the mine life cycle, as part of a broader Tailings Innovation Initiative.

The initiative brings together a third of the global mining and metals industry to collaborate with technology innovators, including suppliers and academia, to accelerate technology for reducing tailings waste and to explore the potential to eliminate it in the long term, the ICMM says.

The Tailings Reduction Roadmap sets out short- and long-term technology options. These include mature solutions that can be implemented in the short term, such as coarse particle flotation technology to enhance the recovery of coarser particles of ore that have traditionally been seen as waste, and solutions with the potential to reduce tailings in more significant quantities, but that will require further development over the next 10-15 years, such as higher precision mining and artificial intelligence.

Developed through a series of engagements between technology suppliers, innovators and ICMM members, the roadmap offers strategic direction to the mining industry on how to accelerate the development and adoption of technologies to reduce tailings, the ICMM says. It addresses technological challenges, such as testing new technology on a different range of ore characteristics, as well as enabling factors, including business case and regulatory requirements, in parallel.

ICMM members are already piloting technologies laid out in the roadmap that match their commodities and site characteristics, so that learnings can be applied to solutions that can be scaled up to benefit the whole industry.

Rohitesh Dhawan, CEO of ICMM, said: “Catastrophic tailings failures in recent years including at South Africa’s Jagersfontein mine just last week have brought into sharp focus the need for urgent action to produce less tailings as we supply the metals and minerals that are critical for the energy transition and sustainable development. If we continue to use traditional production processes, we run the risk of multiplying tailings waste many times over. There is no easy solution, and we will continue to need tailings storage facilities into the future. However, this initiative signals our clear intent to act with urgency and purpose to find ways of minimising or potentially eliminating waste at every stage of the mining cycle.

“Work has already begun, but if we are to match our ambition, we need to work collaboratively in accelerating the types of breakthroughs that can be adopted widely in any existing or future operations around the world. Our ambition is that ICMM’s Tailings Reduction Roadmap and wider Tailings Innovation Initiative will help to identify and accelerate opportunities for wider collaboration and serve as a catalyst for advancing more partnerships between industry and technology innovators on piloting these technologies.”

Mines and Money London looks at Resourcing Tomorrow

Environmental, Mining events, Mining policy, Sustainable mining, , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Beacon Events has rebranded the Mines and Money London event and come up with three comprehensive tracks that, it says, covers a spectrum of critical topics around the energy transition, ESG, sustainability, circular economy, technology, services and junior mining investment.

New for 2022, Resourcing Tomorrow, brought to you by Mines and Money, is a global forum for the coming together of decision makers, mining leaders, policymakers, investors, commodity buyers, technical experts, innovators and educators for three days of learning, deal-making and unparalleled networking, the event organisers say.

With an anticipated audience of 2,000 attendees, Resourcing Tomorrow runs from November 29 to December 1, 2022, at the Business Design Exhibition Centre in London.

The three tracks – Resourcing Tomorrow, Reimagining Mining and Mines and Money – will cover 120-plus talks, panel discussions and keynote presentations from 150-plus industry experts. This includes:

  • Jakob Stausholm, Chief Executive, Rio Tinto;
  • Mark Bristow, President & Chief Executive Officer, Barrick;
  • Roy Harvey, Chief Executive Officer, Alcoa;
  • Mikael Staffas, President & Chief Executive Officer, Boliden;
  • Stuart Tonkin, Chief Executive Officer, Northern Star Resources;
  • Rohitesh Dhawan, President and Chief Executive Officer, International Council of Mining and Minerals, ICMM
  • Katy Hebditch, Head of Engagement – Technical and Sustainability, Anglo American;
  • Ellen Lenny-Pessagno, Global Vice President for Government and Community Affairs, Albemarle; and
  • Elaine Dorward-King, Non-executive Director for Sibanye Stillwater, Kenmare Resources and NovaGold.

On the third day, the Mines and Money Outstanding Achievement Awards will take place at the Bloomsbury Big Top to celebrate the very best of the industry through awards from exploration to deal making, from innovation in technology to CEOs who have made a difference, these awards recognise and reward excellence.

International Mining is a media sponsor of the Resourcing Tomorrow event

ICMM 2021 safety report highlights drop in fatalities among members

Mining industry recognition, Mining policy, Mining services, , , ,

The International Council on Minerals and Metals (ICMM) today released a 2021 safety performance report from its member companies that highlighted 43 fatalities among these firms last year.

ICMM members, the ICMM says, have an unwavering commitment to the health and safety of workers, and work unceasingly to eliminate fatalities and prevent injuries, towards a goal of zero harm. To support this commitment, ICMM compiles, analyses and publishes the safety data provided annually by company members, who collectively represent a third of the industry. The full report, ‘Safety Performance: Benchmarking Progress of ICMM Company Members In 2021′, is available here.

The 43 people from ICMM company members who lost their lives at work in 2021, compares with 44 in 2020, 287 in 2019 and 50 in 2018.

The report analyses fatalities from ICMM company members based on the cause (or ‘hazard’) and provides safety performance metrics by county and company. In 2021, 12 of these fatalities were related to mobile equipment and transportation, and eight fatalities were caused by ‘fall of ground’ incidents.

Company member operations in South Africa had the highest number of fatalities (27), accounting for 51% of the total fatalities across ICMM members. Eleven members reported zero fatalities including Alcoa, BHP, Boliden, Hydro, JX Nippon Mining & Metals, Minera San Cristobal, Minsur, MMG, Newcrest, Newmont and Rio Tinto.

Rohitesh Dhawan, President and CEO of the ICMM, said: “The health and safety of workers is of paramount importance to our members and therefore any year with even a single fatality is unacceptable.

“ICMM’s new three-year strategy is focused on ambitious collective action. Sharing lessons from failure is vital to improving safety, but it is not enough to achieve our goal of zero harm. As an industry, we can draw strength from how far we have come to drive down fatalities and injuries, but we will remain deeply uncomfortable until zero harm is actually achieved. We will work together to explore the root causes of why harm continues to occur and hunt for the next step change to make zero harm a reality.”

ICMM began collating and publishing company members’ safety data in 2012 with the aim of encouraging information and knowledge sharing among members, and catalysing learning across the industry. This data is compiled using ICMM’s ‘Guidance on Health and Safety Performance Indicators’ which was updated in 2021.