Cover Story
Spring 2018 / Issue 57
Cover Story
Spring 2018 / Issue 57
How Sasa Does Sustainability
S
ustainability is the new
catch phrase for Industry,
but what does it mean in
practice?
Evaluating the impact of an
organization or operation using
costs and benefits by classical
economic measurements such
as net present value (NPV) and
internal rate of return (IRR) tends
to ignore or undervalue indirect
or non-intrinsic elements. The
concept of sustainability is to
broaden this focus to determine
all factors and impacts that an
organization or operation has on
the receiving environment so that
the true impact of a project can be
determined.
Sustainability issues include
such factors as: environmental
impact, climate change, waste
management, human rights, gov-
ernance, and social well-being.
The goal of undertaking activi-
ties to improve sustainability is
to create social, environmental
and economic benefits for all the
stakeholders in an organization.
The most detailed definition of
the activities and factors associ-
ated with Sustainability has been
set out under the Global Report-
ing Initiatives (GRI) Sustainabil-
ity Reporting Guidelines (www.
globalreporting.org).
Reporting on sustainability is
becoming a legal requirement in
many jurisdictions. In December
2014, the European Commission
adopted a new directive obliging
large multinational corporations to
provide non-financial disclosure to
the markets. The law applies to
public companies with more than
500 employees. Companies are
required to report on environmen-
tal, social and employee-related,
human rights, anti-corruption
and bribery matters. Addition-
ally, these large corporations are
required to describe their busi-
ness model, outcomes and risks
of the policies on the above topics,
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AmCham Macedonia Magazine
Author:
Neil Stevenson, General
Manager, Sasa Mine
and the diversity policy applied for management and supervisory
bodies.
In a somewhat dated publication, KPMG reported that in 2011,
95 percent of the world’s largest 250 corporations produced
annual sustainability reports, (up from 80 percent in 2008) and in
addition 86 percent of the largest U.S. companies.
In the financial year 2016, 2,500 companies voluntarily pro-
duced sustainability reports; the GRI predicted that this would
rise to nearly 7,000 by 2017.
At the Sasa mine we view our activities toward sustainability in
terms of the following areas of effect: Environment, Health and
Safety, and Community Engagement and Support. I will detail
some of the initiatives we have put in place or commenced activ-
ities in these areas.
Environmental Monitoring
Environmental monitoring seeks to determine if there is any
impact on the natural environment as a result of the activities
associated with the work undertaken. This encompasses water
sampling of all the surface water flows entering and leaving the
project area. Water samples are analyzed chemically to not only
determine compliance with Macedonian water discharge crite-
ria but also to determine compliance with the IFC guidelines of
water quality. This is done as these two standards differ on what
elements are required to be analyzed. Sample and analysis for
bacterial criteria is also undertaken. Air monitoring is undertaken
for particulate matter with the installation of two continuous mon-
itors, one located at the mine site and one located in Sasa vil-
lage which is the closest settlement to the mine area. These air
sampler monitors are designed to determine dust reading at the
PM10 sizing. They also allow a physical sample of the dust to
be taken to allow chemical analysis of the dust to determine the
actual constituent particles that make up the dust to determine
if this poses any health threat to the community. The mine also
undertakes measurements of noise levels to ensure this does not
exceed the legal limits.
Biodiversity
The mine, located in the Osogovo Mountains, had never had a
detailed survey or study of the biodiversity of the area conducted.
The most detailed work done was in a country-wide study under-
taken in 2003, Country Study for Biodiversity of the Republic of
Macedonia.
Sasa has commissioned the Skopje-based company, Far-
mahem, to undertake a detailed biodiversity study of the fauna
and flora in the catchment area of the mine from the crest of the
surrounding mountains to the Kamenica Lake. Farmahem have
assembled a project team including academics and professors
from Macedonian educational institutions to be involved in the
study. The study has a 12 month field work component to ensure
that all migratory species are included in the analysis. The study
will result in the production of a Biodiversity Management Plan
to assist the mine in undertaking future planning and possible
impacts.
Hazardous Waste
and Waste Management
As part of mining activities hazard-
ous waste is generated. Sasa under-
took a detailed study of the wastes
generated from different parts of the
process, developed mechanisms
for initial storage at the site of waste
generation, and transport to per-
manent storage and disposal. The
Ministry of Environment and Physical
Planning has a list of authorized &
licensed companies for the handling
of hazardous waste on their web
site. Sasa contacted three of these
companies to determine their capac-
ity for handling our waste materials.
The selected company, EkoClub
from Bitola, was then subjected
to a supplier audit. They send the
hazardous waste to Polyeco in Ath-
ens. This waste consists of oil filters,
hydraulic hoses, NaCN metal barrel
and reagent packaging of: NaCN,
CuSO4, Potassium Ethyl Xanthate
and Potassium Amyl Xanthate. Sasa
sent members from our environ-
mental team to inspect their facilities
and check the licenses to determine
that the disposal complied with the
required legal requirements. In addi-
tion, we have sourced local suppliers
to handle other waste: waste oils are
handled by FPIM Minol- DOOEl Shtip;
old vehicle batteries are handled by
DT Ival-Trade, Shtip; small size used
Green House Gas
Emission Monitoring
The requirement to determine
emissions of Green House Gases is
likely to become an issue for future
regulation as Macedonia seeks to
implement European standards and
conventions.
To establish a base line of current
emissions with which to measure
the effectiveness of future emis-
sion reduction strategies, Sasa has
commissioned EcoMosaic, Skopje
to undertake training in line with the
Greenhouse Gas Protocol (www.
ghgprotocol.org) to enable Sasa to
determine emissions according to
accepted guidelines. closure plan that defines what activ-
ities will be undertaken at the end of
the mine life to decommission the
facilities and re-establish a natural
landscape. This will require a large
exercise in reconfiguration of mine
excavations and re-vegetation. This,
in combination with the concept of
“environmental offsets” that seek
for a mining operation to implement,
over its life, a programme of regional
reforestation to encompass a land
area of larger footprint than the min-
ing area of impact, has led Sasa to
commence the establishment of a
plant nursery facility. In collaboration
with the Faculty of Forestry at St. Cyril
and Methodius University in Skopje,
a Memorandum of Understanding
has been signed for the establish-
ment of nursery facility at Sasa. The
main mission of the Faculty is edu-
cation and it is anticipated that the
University will utilize the nursery as a
training facility for their institute. For
Sasa it will provide plant material to
undertake mine site rehabilitation as
well as in coordination with the Uni-
versity and local government and
communities to undertake regional
reforestation.
Nursery
As part of the IFC Performance
Standards and Guidelines it is a
requirement for mines to produce a Energy Management
Industry accounts for about one
third of global final energy consump-
tion and greenhouse gas emissions.
batteries are handled by Nula Otpad
DOO, Skopje; empty packages from
chemical are handled by the supplier
EuroChemical, Skopje; packaging
(cardboard, plastic, metal recycling)
are handled by EkoPacking DOO
Export-import Tetovo; and PET plas-
tic is handled by the supplier Tea-Mil
DOOEL, Delcevo. A contract for the
collection of waste paper for recy-
cling with Eko-Pak-Hit, Kocani has
just been finalized.
AmCham Macedonia Magazine
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