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Vale Inco is a signatory to the Mining Association of Canada's Towards Sustainable
Mining (TSM) initiative. The goal of TSM is to improve the performance of Canadian
mining companies and as a result, increase public trust in the mining industry's
ability to manage environmental and social issues important to Canadians. The TSM
process is still under development, with priority being given to tailings management,
energy use and greenhouse gas emissions management, external outreach and crisis
management planning. Monitoring progress and evaluating performance is now being
reported using these TSM performance indicators. The next priorities for development
are protocols for Aboriginal Relations and Biodiversity.
Vale Inco's approach to environment, health and safety is based on the fundamental
principle that we accept responsibility and act responsibly. This principle guides us
wherever we operate irrespective of the jurisdiction of each of our operations and
the related regulatory requirements. Read more about HSE Management.
Exploration programs are designed to locate, evaluate and define mineral deposits
through a balanced approach to economic, technical and social issues, while
committing to health, safety and the environment. Where we are involved in developing
new operations, such as Voisey's Bay, Canada Onca Puma, Brazil and Goro, New
Caledonia, we have identified best practices through environmental assessment
processes and are designing these projects to have a minimum impact on the
environment during the construction and operation phases. In our existing operations,
where in some cases we have been operating for over a century, we are implementing
measures to deal responsibly with legacy issues where they exist and are working to
ensure that we can meet and surpass the standards that are expected of us in our
day-to-day operations. Decommissioning plans are written to plan for asset
management, cleanup and closure of mining properties in a responsible manner.
Most importantly, wherever we operate - or plan to operate - we consult with our
communities. We accept our responsibilities for the products that we process and have
developed a strong product stewardship program. This program provides our customers
with detailed information regarding our products and the associated environment,
health and safety issues related to these products, and also encourages significant
recycling efforts for the metals that we produce. Read more about Product
Stewardship.
© Vale Inco 2007
Last Updated: November 28, 2007
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