Projects

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.
4.EHS / ESG support of transactions and investment projects 1.Environmental and Social Impact Assessment