Environment

Anglo American Environmental management

One of the main highlights of Anglo American Brazil environmental management in 2009 is the adhesion to EPC (Companies for the Climate, a group of companies which seek to develop a national methodology for development of the GHG inventory according to the methodology of the GHG Protocol International), a platform comprised with organizations committed to sustainable development.

EPC represents a breakdown of the GHG Protocol, of which Anglo American is one of the founders in Brazil. Another measure taken by the company last year was the expansion of the actions of the Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP), purpose of which is to assess the fauna and flora conditions in the areas surrounding its operations and recover them if required. In 2009, according to an established goal, the company achieved 83% of alignment with the new biodiversity protocol of the Anglo American Group at the nickel units.

As to water and energy consumption, a number of developments occurred in 2009. Water reuse has grown in the organization as whole. In Cubatão, a 90% increase was registered in the volume of reused water, while in Catalão water reuse increased from 45% to 59% at the niobium unit and jumped from 90% to 94% at the phosphate units.

At Mineração Catalão, water reuse increased due to the construction and operation of the ponds of the Alloy Recovery Unit (URL, in its acronym in Portuguese), which enabled a significant reuse of process water. At Copebrás, we have also achieved the goal focused on reuse water consumption due to better use of tailings dam water. The dams are already in operation and their performance is satisfactory, as they contribute to reduction in consumption of new water and also to the protection of the water table. At the niobium unit, the reduction was 28% in 2009 and there has been no reduction at the phosphate unit.

At the Copebrás unit in Cubatão, the main highlight in connection with environmental management in 2009 was the development of partnerships with the State (SP) and Municipal (Cubatão) Secretariats for the Environment and with the São Paulo University (USP) for implementation of education, income generation and environmental conservation projects. These projects shall be implemented in 2010. There has also been an advance in the ORAC Project (Optimization of Rain Water Reuse)