Investments

Maintenance of investments in the environment

Anglo American’s environmental commitment has been maintained in 2009 by means of a series of investments in actions and equipment oriented to pollution control and management of natural resources, as well as consumption reduction projects and environmental information and education actions.

The company invested R$ 13.2 million in environmental protection in 2009 – approximately R$ 2 million more than the amount of 2008, which totaled R$ 11.8 million. Environmental control actions in connection with these disbursements are meant to maintain proper conditions for plants and optimize the management of resources.

Tailings Project

The Tailings Project is an operation created to process the waste of phosphate operations. The purpose of the initiative is to recover part of the niobium content existing in tailings from phosphates extracted in the Copebrás mines in Catalão. Started in the last quarter of 2008, the project intended to increase the niobium production by 30% in Brazil. The phosphate tailings are sent from Catalão to the Ouvidor unit, where niobium is produced. The project’s performance is satisfactory, as the goal of producing 30% of niobium from tailings was achieved in 2009. This percentage can be improved with additional investments.

Tailings dam

The new niobium tailings dam of Catalão (installed at Mineração Catalão) was completed in March 2009 and consists of two waterproof compartments, one of them for niobium tailings and the other for general tailings.

Reuse of large plastic barrels for waste collection

An initiative by the Copebrás unit in Cubatão, which resulted in environmental benefits and resource savings. The large plastic barrels used, which would be forwarded as waste to landfills are today reused for manufacture of waste collectors. These collectors are distributed by the Cubatão plant to collect recyclable waste, which is reused, and non-recyclable waste, which is forwarded to appropriate destinations. With this initiative, it was possible to reduce the consumption of material, as it is not necessary to buy new collectors, and reduce the sending of waste (large plastic barrels) to landfills, thus generating savings of financial resources as well.

Mitigating actions adopted in Cubatão

After receiving in 2008 an environmental warning notice in Cubatão concerning the release of rain water with the manganese parameter above the established limit, Anglo American filed an appeal and in 2009 adopted mitigating measures to adjust that parameter. The company alleged that the presence of manganese above the limit in the water was the result of natural conditions of the soil in the region, which registers a high index of this substance (denominated background). Among the actions taken to prove that the increase of the manganese parameter was not company’s responsibility, we mention the replacement of the drainage piping with a waterproof system and the installation of decantation boxes, action which resulted in the reduction of manganese in the rain water directed by the company.