Nkamouna Project Environmental & Social Assessment Executive ...

− African Convention on the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (Algiers 1968)• Lending Institution Policies and Guidelines:−Equator Principles− Stakeholder engagement: A Good Practice Handbook for Companies Doing Business in EmergingMarkets (2007)− Investing in People: Sustaining Communities through Improved Business Practice (2000);− World Bank Environmental, Health and Safety General Guidelines (2007)− World Bank Environmental, Health and Safety Guidelines: Mining (2007)− IFC Performance Standards on Social and Environmental Sustainability and Guidance Notes(2006)− Operational Policies (OPs), Operational Policy Notes (OPNs), and Operational Directives (ODs)including Operational Policy OP 4.01 – Environmental Assessment; OP 4.04 – Natural Habitats; OD4.10 – Indigenous Peoples; OP 4.37 – Safety of Dams; and OPN 11.03 – Cultural Property.Numeric compliance targets are identified in some of the Cameroon laws and regulations and lendinginstitution policies and guidelines, and some are simply set by generally accepted international miningpractices. It is noted that some of these limits are legally enforceable while others are established asguidelines that allow due consideration for site-specific conditions. The numeric limits establish the basisagainst which GeoCam’s environmental performance will be measured. Project monitoring programs andthe processes for environmental and social performance evaluation have been developed with referencesto specific action levels and compliance targets.2.3 Project DescriptionMining will involve surface extraction methods using a fleet of conventional earth-moving equipment.Mining will proceed with the excavation of contiguous panels approximately 15 m deep. The panels willbe backfilled with mine overburden allowing for concurrent reclamation of these areas followingcompletion of each mine panel.Ore processing initially involves beneficiation, or physical upgrading (PUG). In the PUG, ore is becrushed, scrubbed, and sized to separate the low-grade fines tailings waste from a high-grade, coarseconcentrate. The coarse material is washed of fine particulates and dewatered before advancing to theleaching circuit.The PUG and leach plant tailings will be disposed of in dedicated, conventional tailings storage facilitiesin the headwaters of Napene Creek (the PUG and counter-current decantation [CCD] Tailings StorageFacilities [TSFs]), located immediately north of the plant site. Glauber Salt crystals produced as abyproduct of water treatment will be bagged and stacked on an engineered, lined pad north of the TSFs.GeoCam has received a Letter of Interest for the potential sale of Glauber Salt. An agreement for thesale and removal from site of Glauber Salt is planned to be established by year 4 of operations.The following discussion presents an overview of the mining through tailings storage and reclamationprocesses at Nkamouna.2.3.1 ManagementThe Project sponsor is Geovic Cameroon PLC (GeoCam), and the Managing Director of GeoCam isultimately responsible for all activities associated with the Project. The Health, Safety, Social, andEnvironmental (HSSE) Manager is responsible for all environmental and social program monitoring,reporting and performance and reports to the Deputy General Manager of Operations and then to theGeneral Manager. The General Manager will collaborate with the HSSE Manager and staff at all levels toExecutive Summary, Rev 02-3