Environmental and Social Impact assessment (ESIA) in accordance with international requirements

Client: Polyus

Location: Russia

Project: construction of a gold mining enterprise as part of a mining complex (open pit mining), a processing complex, a tailing facility, a shift camp, infrastructure, including external production and storage infrastructure.

Purpose: to implement a set of pre-design and project activities aimed at ensuring that the Project meets the requirements of Russian and international standards in terms of environmental and social aspects management.

Applicable standards included:

Standards, norms and rules applicable in the Russian Federation;
The Equator Principles;
International Finance Corporation Performance Standards (IFC PS);
Standards of the International Council on Mining and Metals (ICMM);
Corporate standards and methodological guidelines

ENSOR approach:

There are several roles ENSOR team performed for the Project. They are as follows:

Consultant to the project team (as part of an international design company and a Russian design institute), including:

clarifying of the Russian legislation and international standards requirements
developing environmental and social design criteria for the project
developing technical specifications for conducting:

surveys taking into account the need to meet expanded requirements
biodiversity and ecosystem services research in accordance with the IFC PS6 requirements
laboratory studies of the acid-forming potential of waste rocks to be stored in dumps
quality control and acceptance of the results of work performed by third parties according to the developed technical specifications
analyzing alternatives for the placement of project facilities based on their environmental impact and making appropriate adjustments to the project

Ecexutor of research in the following areas:

Multi-seasonal biodiversity and ecosystem services surveys in accordance with IFC Performance Standard 6 requirements
Assessment of the background socio-economic situation in the project impact area
Monitoring of atmospheric air quality in order to obtain monthly and annual averages

Executor:

Forecast of a dynamic model of hydrogeological conditions and changes in groundwater quality
Calculations of wastewater quality and criteria for the design of wastewater treatment plants
A model of impacts on atmospheric air quality (AERMOD), noise impacts and determination of the optimal location of the shift camp
Analysis of data from laboratory of acid-forming potential with recommendations on the procedure for storing rocks in dumps

Developer:

The Gold mining enterprise closure Plan, including the calculation of the cost and amount of the required financial guarantee
Materials of environmental and social impact assessment and measures to mitigate and compensate for impacts that could not be prevented by constructive solutions and organizational measures

Result:

The ENSOR team's contribution to the development of constructive and organizational design solutions aimed at preventing and minimizing impacts

Developed by:

The following documents have also been developed:

Environmental and Social Impact Assessment Report (ESIA), including Non-Technical Summary, Stakeholder Engagement Plan, Environmental and Social Action Plan (including a list of Impact Management Plans for the construction and operation phases: on air quality, on hazardous exogenous processes, on surface and groundwater quality, on the state of biodiversity, etc.);
Mining enterprise Closure Plan.