CHARLOTTE, N.C., Sept. 2, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Albemarle
Corporation (NYSE: ALB), a leader in the global specialty chemicals
industry and in lithium extraction and production, announced today
that it has commenced an independent, third-party assessment using
the Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance's (IRMA) Standard
for Responsible Mining at the company's lithium brine extraction
site, the Salar Plant, located in Northern Chile in the Salar de Atacama.
IRMA is globally considered the most comprehensive and rigorous
certification standard for assurance of responsible mining. The
organization specifies objectives and requirements with the
greatest depth, breadth, and specificity for environmentally and
socially responsible mining practices.
Albemarle's third-party audit
makes the company the first global lithium producer to commence
such an assessment using the rigorous IRMA Standard. ERM
Certification and Verification Services (ERM CVS), an IRMA-approved
certification body, is executing the audit, which includes a
desk review followed by an onsite audit. Onsite auditors will
interview mine management, department staff, mine workers and
external community stakeholders; review relevant data and
documents; develop corrective action items, and publicly disclose
the audit summary. Once the process has been completed, a full
report will be published on IRMA's website for public access.
Prior to beginning the independent audit with ERM CVS,
Albemarle was the first lithium
producer to complete and submit IRMA's self-assessment process at
the Salar Plant in February 2021. The
third-party assessment covers 26 areas, including water management,
human rights, greenhouse gas emissions, fair labor, and terms of
work.
"How we produce lithium in the Salar de Atacama is as important
as how much lithium we produce. We are committed
to operating transparently and growing responsibly as
part of a sustainable supply chain that helps our customers reach
their sustainability goals," said Ellen
Lenny-Pessagno, Albemarle's
Vice President of Lithium Sustainability. "This third-party audit
process will help us not only better understand how we can continue
to improve our sustainability efforts, but also assure our
customers and communities that we will always do what is
right."
"We appreciate Albemarle's
leadership in initiating such a rigorous review and encourage the
various stakeholders to share their perspectives with the
auditors," said Aimee Boulanger,
IRMA's Executive Director. "This is an opportunity to further
protect this fragile region's communities and the environment on
which they depend, and for the market to value that effort."
Albemarle shareholders,
customers, employees, and the public can visit the Mines Under
Assessment page of IRMA's website for updated information on the
company's third-party audit. For more information about IRMA,
please refer to www.responsiblemining.net.
Albemarle's Sustainable
Commitments in Chile
Albemarle's freshwater rights at
the Salar make up 0.5%, or less than 23.5 liters per second (L/s),
of the total freshwater rights in the Salar de Atacama basin. Of
those rights, the company uses only 9 L/s for its camp, producing
potassium chloride, and rinsing equipment. The company uses no
fresh water in its brine extraction and concentration process.
The company recently committed to reducing the intensity of
freshwater use by 25% by 2030 in areas of high and extremely
high-water risk as defined by the World Resources Institute,
which includes the Antofagasta
region. To that end, Albemarle has
invested $100 million in a thermal
evaporator at its La Negra operation to increase conversion
capacity without a corresponding increase in freshwater use. No
other lithium manufacturer is currently utilizing this
technology. La Negra is not included in this IRMA third-party
audit as the current standard only covers the mine site, not
stand-alone mineral processing facilities, and IRMA's draft Mineral
Processing Standard has not yet been finalized.
Albemarle also shares 3.5% of
revenues from its Chilean operations with local indigenous
communities that are part of the Council of Atacameño Peoples,
through a historic agreement signed in 2016. These 18 communities
are responsible for selecting and implementing the projects to be
funded by these Albemarle
resources. To date, communities have built new and expanded water
systems locally; constructed a wastewater treatment plant; built
two photovoltaic plants; installed photovoltaic panels on homes;
reduced reliance on diesel generators, and provided more than 500
scholarships. Lastly, five communities are in the process of
building or have completed community centers.
About Albemarle
Albemarle Corporation (NYSE: ALB) is a global specialty chemicals
company with leading positions in lithium, bromine, and catalysts.
We think beyond business-as-usual to power the potential of
companies in many of the world's largest and most critical
industries, such as energy, electronics, and transportation. We
actively pursue a sustainable approach to managing our diverse
global footprint of world-class resources. In conjunction with our
highly experienced and talented global teams, our deep-seated
values, and our collaborative customer relationships, we create
value-added and performance-based solutions that enable a safer and
more sustainable future.
We regularly post information to www.albemarle.com, including
notification of events, news, financial performance, investor
presentations and webcasts, non-GAAP reconciliations, SEC filings
and other information regarding our company, its businesses, and
the markets it serves.
About IRMA
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.
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SOURCE Albemarle Corporation