Following months of delay and pressure from civil society, OT LLC finally releases the long-awaited Environmental and Social Impact Assessment for the mine.
On August 20, the company that manages the Oyu Tolgoi copper/silver/gold mine announced the disclosure of the project’s Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) on its website. Oyu Tolgoi LLC, a subsidiary of the London-based mining corporation Rio Tinto, had pushed back the release of the ESIA since December 2011, causing consternation among civil society groups in the region. The disclosure of the document follows a CSO letter written at the end of June to the IFC, which is actively considering financing the $13 billion dollar project. The concerns expressed in the letter include debt management, water resource management, labor disputes, threats to biodiversity and the environment, public health, involuntary resettlement and inadequate consultations, the need for cumulative impact and risk assessments, and a lack of transparency regarding the continued delay of the ESIA. Although the company has disclosed the ESIA in both English and Mongolian, the IFC has not yet disclosed its own Project Information Document on the Oyu Tolgoi mine. The disclosure announcement is included in full below.
Environmental and Social Impact Assessment
Assessing the environmental and social impact of Oyu Tolgoi
Oyu Tolgoi contains some of the largest undeveloped deposits of copper and gold in the world. The mine will transform Mongolia and create major economic, social and environmental change over its potential life of over 50 years.
An independent environmental and social impact assessment (ESIA) has been commissioned to look at the environmental and social impacts of the Oyu Tolgoi project. It describes how Oyu Tolgoi will minimise and manage its environmental and social impacts, as well as maximise the positive benefits of the project over the lifetime of the mine.
Why has the ESIA been completed?
The ESIA and the contents within it exhibit how Oyu Tolgoi is putting its values into practice. The ESIA was out as part of our commitment to responsible corporate citizenship, but also as a requirement for financial institutions that are funding the project.
How to Provide Feedback
Total transparency for public review
Oyu Tolgoi is inviting feedback on the ESIA from all stakeholders, including members of the public.
The consultation period for receiving feedback runs for 60 days commencing the week of 13 August 2012.
A full copy of the entire ESIA and a non-technical summary document are available in both English and Mongolian.
The documents will also be available in public locations throughout the South Gobi region and in Ulaanbaatar, including:
- Oyu Tolgoi Offices in Khanbogd soum centre, Manlai, Bayan-Ovoo, and Dalanzadgad
- Additional locations in South Gobi:
- Khanbogd: Ceremonial House (Yosloliin Urguu)
- Manlai: Information Hall at the Governor’s Office
- Bayan-Ovoo: Secondary School
- Dalanzadgad: Central Library and the Citizen’s Hall
- In Ulaanbaatar: Oyu Tolgoi Information Centre
Comments and questions
The public may submit comments about the ESIA. We will review comments and questions on the ESIA and will do our best to provide answers and information as required.
You can make your comments and raise questions in the following ways:
- By email – OTESIA@ot.mn
- By drop-box – forms and drop boxes can be found at the locations above
Read the entire ESIA online: Environmental and Social Impact Assessment, Oyu Tolgoi LLC