30 January 2012

Rio Tinto launches second round of SEIA Stakeholder Engagement Consultations Process

Rio Tinto, through its subsidiary Simfer S.A, has announced it will begin the second round of its stakeholder engagement process from 31st January to 14th February for the Social and Environmental Impact Assessment (SEIA), in relation to the Simandou project.

The second round of consultations, as defined in the Stakeholder Engagement Plan (SEP), developed in September 2011, will serve to collect the views and concerns of all stakeholders in the 10 prefectures affected by the project. A set of prefectural workshops are set to be held as follows:

Graham Davidson, Managing Director Simfer says 'I am very pleased we are moving ahead with the SEIA process. The second round of consultations will provide us with further insights as to how we can responsibly develop the Simandou project for all its stakeholders. We want our impacted communities to feel comfortable and reassured that any concerns they may have will be listened to and taken into account.'

Rio Tinto will lead the stakeholder engagement workshops with participation by the Government of Guinea supported by our consultants Environmental Resources Management (ERM). The workshops will allow us to add to the feedback and comments we received during the first round of SEIA consultations held in September-October 2011. We will also use the opportunity to provide further detail to participants as it has become available through the SEIA process.  

The primary purpose of the SEIA stakeholder engagement workshops is to identify the impacts the project may have on affected communities and on the environment, so that the final design can be tailored to maximise the social and environmental contribution, minimise adverse effects where possible, or compensate fairly where these cannot be avoided. The workshops also provide an opportunity for local stakeholders in affected communities to further develop their understanding of the Simandou project and its potential opportunities for their towns and villages.

The third and final round of the stakeholder engagement process will be held once the SEIA has been submitted to government for approval, with the objective of outlining the findings and presenting any mitigation measures set out in the SEIA.  

The SEIA report is expected to be completed and submitted to the Government for review and approval in 2012.  It will then be made available for public comment and its findings disseminated to affected communities.

Notes to editors

About Simandou
Simandou is a world class iron-ore mining project operated by Rio Tinto that will include joint venture partners, the Government of Guinea, the Aluminum Corporation of China (Chinalco) and the International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of World Bank Group. The project is located in the southeast of Guinea and will comprise the mine, approximately 650 km of trans-Guinean railway, and a deep water port south of Conakry.  First ore is expected to be delivered using the new railway and port in mid-2015.  After a five year ramp up, the project will export up to 95 million tonnes per year.

About Rio Tinto
Rio Tinto is a leading international mining group headquartered in the UK, combining Rio Tinto plc, a London and NYSE listed company, and Rio Tinto Limited, which is listed on the Australian Securities Exchange. Rio Tinto's business is finding, mining, and processing mineral resources.  Major products are aluminum, copper, diamonds, energy (coal and uranium), gold, industrial minerals (borax, titanium dioxide, salt) and iron ore. Activities span the world but are strongly represented in Australia and North America with significant businesses in South America, Asia, Europe and southern Africa.

About ERM
Environmental Resources Management (ERM) is a leading global provider of environmental,     health and safety, risk, and social consulting services. ERM delivers innovative solutions for business and government clients, helping them understand and manage their impacts on the world around them. ERM has 130 offices in 40 countries and employs approximately 3,600 staff.

For further information, please contact :

Media relations, Guinea
Fatoumata Diaraye Bah
Mobile: +224 62 35 51 91

Carine Gracia
Mobile: +224 62 35 04 85

Website: www.riotintosimandou.com

Press release - SEIA 2ND Round - EN - 30 JAN 2012 [PDF: 54 KB]