2 | Environmental Management Due to their nature, mining operations are related inevitably with environmental impact. As a result, we are committed to operate responsibly regarding the environment and minimize our environmental impact, as well as implement responsible environmental management initiatives and practices. Your View
Environmental Concerns According to a quantitative survey conducted in August 2019 to 500 members in the Municipality of Aristotle, 34% has a negative opinion about Hellas Gold, with 81% of those being due to environmental impact concerns.
Operating based on Environmental Management Systems Policy
Protecting the Natural Environment Our Environmental Policy dictates our commitment to ‘design, develop, operate and decommission facilities in an environmentally sound manner’. Through the development of its Sustainability Integrated Management System (SIMS), Eldorado Gold reviews systematically the environmental management systems’ requirements at our operations and incorporates best practices into an internal set of performance standards (see Section 2.2).
Environmental Management Pillars Environmental Monitoring
Rehabilitation in parallel with Mining
Best Available Techniques
As part of our systematic approach to environmental protection: • We have established environment teams at all sites to daily oversee, implement and manage our environmental policies, programs and activities • The teams report directly to the Environmental Manager and their Mine General Manager, who in turn report to our Vice President & Managing Director • The Vice President & Managing Director reports to Eldorado Gold’s Chief Operating Officer, who sets annual environmental objectives and targets and reviews weekly environmental performance • At Eldorado Gold Board level, the Sustainability Committee oversees all environmental activities and Eldorado Gold’s President & CEO is ultimately accountable for environmental performance • We operate an Environmental Management System independently certified to ISO 14001, whose scope 56
Hellas Gold
includes all project life cycle stages, including exploration for new deposits, construction of new mining facilities, mine operation and processing, material transportation and site reclamation • Our Kassandra Mines are the first mining operations in Greece with an Energy Management System certified to ISO 50001, which defines the prerequisites to establish, implement, maintain and improve the energy management system • We are one of the few companies in Greece to validate GHG emissions according to ISO 14064, which specifies principles and requirements to measure and report greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Environmental Impact Assessments: We conduct Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) for our projects, which have developed through extensive consultation with local communities and input from technical and environmental experts, in order to evaluate their potential environmental impacts. Furthermore, we submit environmental impact mitigation plans to regulators as part of the permitting process and work with various Stakeholders to understand, assess and mitigate our impacts. Independent Environmental Monitoring Committees: As part of our commitment towards transparency and accountability, independent environmental monitoring committees have been established for all our operating sites. The committees include government regulators, technical experts and representatives from local authorities, who visit our sites to oversee independently our activities and observe our environmental practices. Contractor Environmental Management Handbook: We have included an Environmental Management Handbook as an integral part of contractual agreements with Contractors, who have to sign that they understand and accept its requirements, before starting their work. According to this Handbook, Contractors: • Receive induction training before starting work and are obliged to train their employees on environmental and energy management issues at least twice a year for each employee • Must assess their own environmental risk before starting work and submit a Written Environmental Risk Assessment, if required • Must ensure that waste management is compatible with environmental regulations and applicable legislation, as well as our procedures • Are obliged to report any type and quantities of hazardous materials they will use • Are briefed and trained on dealing with fire incidents and use of firefighting equipment.
