COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP
We take pride in being part of the Kings Mountain community. We consider the well-being of our neighbors as an essential component of our business decisions. We strive to make a positive impact on the community through open, transparent communication and economic and community prosperity. Throughout the process, we plan to connect with the community through local town hall meetings, the Albemarle Kings Mount Project Center in downtown Kings Mountain, mine tours on our website, and numerous other coming events. Our engagement will be supported through numerous outreach opportunities posted on our website calendar of events.
We are committed to responsible mining and doing things the right way, which means encouraging dialogue among all stakeholders – residents, businesses and organizations - and including all voices and views from the community.
As part of our commitment to responsible mining, we are developing the Kings Mountain Mine in line with the Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance's (IRMA) Standard for Responsible Mining. Globally, the IRMA Standard is considered the most comprehensive and rigorous certification standard for assurance of responsible mining, with specificity for environmentally and socially responsible mining practices.
Environment and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA)
During the mine preplanning phase, we will undertake an Environment and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) Process to identify and assess, in a comprehensive manner, the potential environmental, social, health, and safety (ESHS) impacts that could occur because of the development, operation, and closure of the Mine. A primary objective of an ESIA process is to align with IRMA’s multi-stakeholder engagement process. An outcome of the ESIA and stakeholder engagement is to inform the mine design and develop appropriate management measures to minimize adverse impacts and enhance positive results.
Our ESIA Process for Multi-Stakeholder Engagement
Our ESIA process supplements federal, state, and local permitting.
When we prepare an ESIA, we consider:
- Impacts on the physical environment (e.g., air quality/GHG, noise, vibration, water);
- Impacts on the biophysical environment (e.g., wetlands, sensitive areas, wildlife, and plants);
- Impacts on the human environment (e.g., community health and safety, cultural heritage, local economy);
- Cumulative impacts to the above environments; and
- Impacts from unplanned events that are part of customary risk mitigation.
Throughout the ESIA Process, we will continue to share information and seek knowledge, input, and feedback from stakeholders through our accessible engagement channels. Keep abreast of opportunities on our Community page of this website where you can learn more about events taking place and how you can participate/provide feedback.
Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance
The Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance (IRMA) envisions a world where the mining industry respects the human rights and aspirations of affected communities; provides safe, healthy, and supportive workplaces; minimizes harm to the environment, and leaves positive legacies. IRMA offers objective, independent third-party verification of industrial scale mine sites against a comprehensive definition of responsible mining agreed to through a collaborative, multi-stakeholder process. This definition, which forms the basis of IRMA's Standard for Responsible Mining, covers the full range of issues related to the impacts of mining.
