Environmental priorities
The Company sets environmentally safe production and protection of the environment as top priorities. And we recognize the magnitude of challenges in this field.
The complexity and scope of the environmental problems stem from the Soviet approach to industry, under which production facilities were built without due consideration for environmental protection.
The Company’s Production Development Strategy through 2015 (reconfirmed in its Strategy through 2020) sets environmental safety improvement, air emissions and wastewater discharge reduction aimed at environmental legislation compliance, as one of the long-term objective of the Company’s business.
Pursuant to the Environmental policy approved of by the Company’s board, the top environmental protection priorities are as follows:
- Gradual air emissions reduction, including sulfur dioxide and solid substances;
- Gradual reduction of wastewater discharge into rivers, lakes, etc.;
- Arrangement of waste disposal zones.
The Company also develops energy efficiency programs, promote alternative energy and biodiversity in the regions where it operates.
Environmental management system
The Integrated Quality Control and Environmental Management System (IQCEMS) was introduced and certified at the Head office. ISQCEM implementation and certification is scheduled for the Company’s other business units during 2007-2008. For more details see www.nornik.ru/about/certificates.
In 2007, the Environmental Management System (EMS) was run through the Corporate Integrated Quality Control and Environmental Management System.
In 2007, the following effective EMS documents were updated:
- STO CIMS 120-002-2008 “Environmental management planning. Monitoring and measurement of environmental indicators”;
- STO CIMS 120-005-2008 “Organisation of operations management related to significant environmental aspects. Monitoring of applicable management initiatives”.
Based on the Second supervisory audit of June 2007 by Bureau Veritas Certification in the Corporate Centre and Polar Division, certification coverage was expanded (by including production of finished goods in the Polar Division) and compliance of the CIMS with ISO 9001:2000 and 14001:2004 was confirmed.
Environmental impact and performance
Sulfur dioxide emissions
In 2007 the Company continued to implement its Action Plan for the Reduction of Emissions for gradual achievement of the maximum permissible emissions (MPE) level established for the Polar Division through 2015.
The Action Plan envisages reconstruction or construction of sulphur disposal facilities at the Copper Plant and Nadezhdinsky Metals Factory and closure of the agglomeration and smelting workshops at the Nickel Plant for example. In 2007, as part of the Plan, technological line No. 1 of elementary sulphur production was modernised at the Copper Plant.
Cumulative emission of pollutants across the Polar Division of MMC Norilsk Nickel exceeds the level of 2006 by 12.17 thousand tons (by 0.62%). Sulphur dioxide emission increased by 11.40 thousand tons (by 0.59%) in the reporting year which is mainly due to the planned laying-off of the elementary sulphur production section at the Copper Plant to modernise the first technological line and increase its productivity and the volume of sulphur disposal.
In the Kola Peninsula, a number of projects were implemented aimed at reduction of pollutant discharge to the atmosphere and effluent discharge to water bodies. In 2007, significant feasibility studies, design and budgeting works were performed under the complex project “Modernisation of metallurgic production at OJSC Kolskaya MMC”. The implementation of this project in due time will allow significantly reducing emissions and discharge of pollutants in 2010.
In 2007, Kolskaya MMC decreased its sulphur dioxide emission to the atmosphere by 3.7% compared to 2006.
Control of air emissions under adverse weather conditions
Aggregate emissions of solid substances by the Polar Division after purification fell 5.6% in 2007 compared to 2006; including emission of nickel oxide – by 11.7 tons (by 2.68%), of copper oxide – by 19.16 tons (by 3.89%), cobalt oxide – by 7.87 tons (by 19.24%). The effectiveness of gas purification facilities grew from 99.3% to 99.4% in 2007 compared to 2006.
Emissions of solid substances exceed the level of emission in the previous year by 0.43 thousand tons (by 3.98%) mainly due to updates in the figures of dust emission by fugitive emission sources (pit heaps, waste dumps, tailing dumps, etc.) based on the emission inventory performed in 2007.
Water Resource Use
The Company has developed and is implementing environmental actions aimed at rational water resource management and the avoidance of pollution.
Water for household (including drinking water) and industrial use is collected from the surface of rivers and lakes (Norilsk River, Kharaelakh Reservoir, Dudinka River, Lake Podkamennoye, Lake Samsonkino and Barents Sea basin rivers) and from underground sources (Talnakh, Ergalakhsk, and Ambarninsk underground water fields).
Total water collected in 2007 by Norilsk Nickel entities amounted to 298.22 million cubic metres which is 3.3% less than in 2006. The volume of water collection from the surface of water sources decreased by 3.8%.
In 2007, the Company continued steps to optimise water resources use and reduce the volume of waste-water discharges to the surface water sources. A reduction in water consumption is explained by the implementation of rational water use measures by the entities.
Aggregate discharge of wastewaters by Norilsk Nickel Group in 2007 fell by 40.02 million cubic metres (or by 18.4%) compared to 2006. The most radical reduction was achieved in terms of inadequately treated water discharge (by 52.8%) and untreated waste-waters discharge (by 10.9%).
Compared to 2006, 2007 saw a substantial decline in the weight of pollutants discharged to water bodies with waste water. The total decline across Norilsk Nickel group amounted to 22.9 thousand tons (or 12.5%). The most significant reduction was achieved by the Polar Division - by 23 thousand tons.
In 2007, in order to gradually reduce its waste-water discharges, the Group was implementing an Action Plan to achieve maximum permissible discharges (MPD) standards; in particular, steps were taken to design and construct water treatment facilities:
Waste management
Notwithstanding that more than 90% of the Company’s waste is considered to be non-hazardous waste (5th hazard class) – overburden and hard rock, enrichment tailings, metallurgical slag, etc., one of the Company’s environmental goals is a further decrease of development pressure of waste disposal on the environment.
In 2007, the volume of waste generation across the Norilsk Nickel Group was reduced by 10.05% compared to 2006, with the volume of waste transferred to other companies for use and detoxication increased by 12.1% and the volume of waste placed at own waste disposal facilities decreased by 2.07%.
Biodiversity
Norilsk Nickel invests in nature conservation technologies and is shifting to global environmental protection standards, while supporting organizations helping to protect the flora and fauna of the Taimyr Peninsula.
R&D programmes to preserve biodiversity in the Putoran (Taimyr Peninsula) and Big Arctic (Taimyr Peninsula) national reserves receive financial support from the Company. The main objectives of the Putoran reserve include protecting mountain, lake, and taiga landscapes, unique flora, and rare species of animals such as the Putoran big-horn (included in the Russian Red Book) and the world’s largest population of wild reindeer, who winter on the reserve (which covers 1,887,000 ha). Since 2006, the Company and the Putoran National Reserve have been studying and protecting the lesser white-fronted goose, which nests on the reserve. (for more detail, see http://gis-lab.info/projects/piskulka.html and http://www.northstarst.com).
Jointly with the non-profit Working Group for North Eastern Geese, the Company is helping to implement the Putoran Tablelands Project 1 aimed at preserving rare and endangered species of birds with habitat on the Taimyr Peninsula, including the lesser white-fronted goose, which is included in the Global Red Book and the Russian Red Book. The lesser white-fronted goose is used as the symbol of the Company’s environmental programs.
In 2007, in order to restore natural numbers of valuable fish species and preserve biodiversity in Taymir, the Company sponsored the work of Norilsk Fish Farm related to the collection of eggs of valuable fish species, raising them to the viable condition, and releasing fry to Norilo-Pyasinskaya water basin.
1 The Putoran tableland was included in UNESCO’s Global Cultural and Natural Legacy list in 2003.
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