Rio Tinto has commissioned independent international consultants to carry out an independent SEIA which will serve to guide the construction and operation phases of the Simandou project and ensure that we responsibly manage our operations in the long term. A SEIA process provides a systematic framework within which the key environmental and socio-economic impacts of the project can be examined.

The SEIA process is now complete and a comprehensive Social and Environmental Impact Assessment (SEIA) has been submitted to the Government of Guinea for consideration.

Purpose of the SEIA

Purpose of a SEIA is to identify potential impacts the Project may have on communities and the 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. An impact assessment is designed to ensure that decisions on projects are made in full knowledge of likely impacts on the environment and society. A vital step within the process is therefore the identification of measures that can be taken to ensure adverse impacts are as low as reasonably practicable and positive impacts are maximised.

The SEIA of the Simandou Project aimed to answer five key questions:

Identification of the Impacts and Definition of the Mitigation Measures
In order to identify the impacts and to define mitigation measures, desktop research and field studies have been undertaken by environmental and social specialists to determine the baseline in the areas impacted by the Project. Consultation with people and organisations who may be affected by or have an interest in the Project has also taken place throughout the SEIA process to understand stakeholders' concerns. Issues raised were then taken into consideration in the assessment.

Stakeholder Engagement Plan
Understanding the views and listening to the suggestions of people and organisations who might be affected by the Simandou Project, or who have an interest in it, was and still is an important part of our Project. Creation of this website and publication of the SEIA are parts of our programme for engaging with our stakeholders. Several activities have taken place over the last months and 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, an extensive stakeholder engagement programme was undertaken with the Simandou Project's stakeholders in the ten prefectures affected by the Project (Forécariah, Kindia, Mamou, Faranah, Kissidougou, Kouroussa, Kankan, Kérouané, Macenta and Beyla). Four series of workshops took place in September - October 2011, January - February 2012, July 2012 and in October - November 2012.

More details on the stakeholder engagement programme and on the meetings are available here and were publicised locally. The meeting minutes, as well as the Stakeholder Engagement Plan, are available here. You can also email for details (here).

Impacts and Mitigation Measures Identified in the SEIA
The SEIA determined that the Simandou Project will have positive and negative environmental, socio-economic and health and safety impacts. Details on the identified impacts and on the associated mitigations measures are available here .

To contact us
Email to: Simandou.eise@riotinto.com

Write to us at:

Rio Tinto SIMFER SA
Immeuble Bellevue,
DI-536 Boulevard Bellevue, Commune de Dixinn
BP 848, Conakry, République de Guinée