2007 Full Report - Kinross Gold

At Round Mountain, employees are given time off to volunteer with organizations suchas local fire departments, city council, sporting teams and groups that provide emergencymedical care.Our operations at FortKnox, Kettle River-Buckhorn and RoundMountain all have activecommunity and socialdevelopment programstailored to addressthe unique needs ofnearby communities.At Fort Knox, we operate a very active site visitor program to help local residentsunderstand our business and operations. We fund a range of social services in theFairbanks community, including the United Way, the Fairbanks Community Food Bankand the rescue mission. We also contribute to a range of youth-oriented activities,including sports teams, events, and science education. In addition, we support theAlaska Mineral and Energy Resource Education Fund to teach Alaskan students howto make responsible decisions regarding Alaska’s natural resources.At Kettle River-Buckhorn, our focus is improving education, public services andinfrastructure, including tree-planting programs, donations to the local fire departmentto buy emergency equipment and financial support to improve local roads and highwaysin the vicinity of the mine. We will continue to assess our community programs in theregion as our new Buckhorn mine goes into production.RussiaAt Kupol, the remote location and lack of economic and social infrastructure is a majorchallenge. We believe we can make a significant difference in the region through ourinvestments and involvement in community initiatives in the coming years as our newKupol mine begins operations. For more information on our community initiatives at Kupol,please see the case study on page 43.Public Consultation/Stakeholder IssuesIn our business, public consultation is a critical aspect of social performance. Publicconsultation means formally engaging the community – and advising its residents,authorities and interest groups – of plans we may have for developing a new mine, oroperating or upgrading an existing one. It is an area of community engagement wherewe expect – and often encounter – tough questions and public concern. In the case ofopposition, we believe that an open dialogue based on exchanges of fact and reasonedperspectives is the most productive, ethical and efficient way to reconcile differences tothe best possible conclusion.Whether our public consultations take place during the exploration phase, the permittingphase (during which we discuss the potential environmental impacts of a new mine), theoperational phase or the reclamation phase of a mine’s existence, we believe in constructivedialogue with stakeholder groups in our communities.Page 42 Kinross 2007 corporate responsibility reportIn 2007, Kinross continued initiatives to help ensure that we take a thorough andsystematic approach to stakeholder engagement and apply best practices across allof our operations. These included a workshop in stakeholder mapping for EHS managersfrom our operations worldwide, and training at selected operations to identify stakeholdersand establish effective consultation and engagement plans.