Maintaining strong relationships with the communities we work in is both a strategic priority and moral imperative for our business.
By developing positive relationships with our communities, we are better able to understand, manage and mitigate impacts of our business on these communities.
Each operation’s Environmental Impact Assessment includes a comprehensive examination of issues and potential impacts, including environmental, social, and economic issues. In each operation, we identify affected stakeholders based on the potential and severity of impacts – both positive and negative – and develop an engagement plan for consultations. We measure, track, and manage our impacts on an ongoing basis.
Each operation’s Environmental Impact Assessment includes a comprehensive examination of issues and potential impacts, including environmental, social, and economic issues. In each operation, we identify affected stakeholders based on the potential and severity of impacts – both positive and negative – and develop an engagement plan for consultations. We measure, track, and manage our impacts on an ongoing basis.
Key Community Activities Throughout the Mine Lifecycle
Exploration
As contact with community members starts, so do discussions and dialogue to gain the trust and support of community members. Activities include discussions to facilitate opportunities for people living in nearby communities, negotiations for land access, assistance to traditional owner groups to build their capacity to negotiate, and support or contributions to local initiatives.
Project Development
Initiation of community needs analyses and social baseline studies, in collaboration with key stakeholders to plan the company’s community development and engagement programs
Construction
Implementation of programs to help integrate new employees and contractors and their families into the community (if not hired locally). Partnering and collaborating with government and other organizations to ensure the delivery of services (such as childcare, education, housing) to communities impacted by construction activity. Providing employment, training, and business opportunities for local people in the construction phase and beyond.
Operations
Working in collaboration with the community to allocate and distribute community development funding, in line with community needs analyses. Implementing or supporting initiatives that address identified that address identified community needs. Building the capacity of local organizations (such as through the provision of funding and in-kind support to volunteer and not-for-profit organizations). Providing training, employment and business development opportunities for local people. Partnering and collaborating with other organizations to deliver improved services for the community. Supporting or funding a community visioning exercise.
Planning for Closure
Working with communities to help them define a post-mining future or providing support for the community to undertake these processes independently. Identification of viable alternative uses for mine land and project infrastructure. Helping to build the capacity of local people to utilize opportunities presented by mine closure. Evaluation of appropriate alternative structures such as trusts and foundations to provide economic benefits beyond the life of the mine.
During 2019 SSR launched an enterprise-level community relations management system. As part of this, in 2020 legacy SSR sites continued working to develop a formal community relations strategy and plan based on each community’s specific needs. The systems include formal grievances mechanisms. Çöpler already had both a formal stakeholder engagement strategy and grievance mechanism in place.
Grievances received and resolved in 2020
Communities located near our operations
Seabee
Seabee is a fly-in/ fly-out mine and defines five communities as local based on their proximity to the mine. We focus our engagement and outreach efforts on these communities.
Marigold
The Marigold Mine in Nevada is less remote, with less of a clearly defined “local community”, but our community relations management system has identified communities for the focus of our engagement.
Puna
At our Puna Operations, we have six local communities defined as ‘direct impact’. These communities are closest to our operations and associated infrastructure. We define a further eight communities as ‘indirect impact’. Although these communities are also an ongoing focus of our engagement efforts, our operations are less likely to impact them.
Çöpler
Çöpler classifies communities on a four-scale ranking. Impacted, Affected, zone 3 and zone 4. Seven local villages are classified as impacted, and a further three as affected. While the wider province of Erzincan is classified as zone three, and Turkey classified as zone four