Rio Tinto, through its subsidiary Simfer S.A., launches the stakeholder engagement consultation process for the Social and Environmental Impact Assessment (SEIA), in relation to the Simandou Project.

Rio Tinto has commissioned the international consultancy Environmental Resources Management (ERM) to carry out an independent SEIA which will serve to guide the construction, operation and ensure that we responsibly manage our operations in the long term. The SEIA process provides a systematic framework within which the key environmental and socio-economic impacts of the project can be examined.

Objectives of the SEIA

The purpose of the SEIA is to identify potential impacts the Project may have on the communities and natural environment. Once all of the impacts are identified, the final design of the Project can be tailored to maximise the beneficial impacts and to minimise or mitigate the adverse ones.

Consultation on the SEIA Terms of Reference

Following submission to the Government of Guinea, the draft Terms of Reference for the SEIA was posted on the Rio Tinto Simandou website on September 19th 2011. This document provides an introduction to the Project and describes the types of impacts which we consider need to be investigated in the SEIA.  It covers the main project components plus some urgent works for which we will be submitting early SEIAs. The draft Terms of Reference is available here .

The Terms of Reference have also been submitted to Government of Guinea as well as to the prefets and sub-prefets for consideration. Their comments comments together with any feedback from other stakeholders have been considered in finalising the scope of the SEIA.

Stakeholder Engagement Plan

Understanding the views and hearing the suggestions of people and organisations who might be affected by the Simandou Project, or who have an interest in it, are an important part of our planning. Creation of this website and publication of the draft Terms of Reference are the first steps in our programme for engaging with our stakeholders.  There will be other activities taking place over the months to come and these are all detailed in our Stakeholder Engagement Plan.  If you have any comments or suggestions on this Plan please contact us by email or mail (for address see below).

Stakeholder Conferences

As part of the process of SEIA, and to help with finalising the Terms of Reference, we held a series of Stakeholder Conferences across Guinea.  This started with a National Conference in Conakry on September 19th 2011 which was by invitation only and was followed by ten open meetings in September and October 2011 which any interested persons may attend on. A second series of public meetings is planned for January 2012 in the 10 relevant prefectures.

Details on the meetings that have already been organised are available here.

Details of the meetings to come are available here and will be publicised locally or you can email us for details (see details below).

To contact us

Email to:  Simandou.eise@riotinto.com

Write to us at:    Rio Tinto SIMFER SA
Immeuble Kankan - Cité Chemin de fer,
BP 848 - Conakry,
République de Guinée

Write to our SEIA Consultants at:  ERM
Exchequer Court
33 St. Mary Axe
London EC3A 8AA
United Kingdom

Leave a message at one of Info-Shops in:  Beyla and Kérouané