The Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance (IRMA), a group that includes stakeholders from the mining industry, organized labor, nongovernmental organizations, impacted communities, and businesses, is working to establish a multi-stakeholder and independently verifiable responsible mining assurance system that improves social and environmental performance.
The members of IRMS have sat around a table together and crafted basic principles for a new international standard for more responsible mining, which was released in draft form in July. The Standard for Responsible Mining seeks to emulate for industrial-scale mining what has been done with certification schemes in agriculture, forestry and fisheries. The goal is to launch a certification program in late 2015 that provides independent, third-party verification of compliance with a set of measures for social and environmental performance at industrial-scale mine sites.
IRMA is now soliciting feedback from all stakeholders who have an interest in mining issues. Between now and November 22, 2014 (deadline was recently extended), stakeholders may submit feedback on the draft Standard for Responsible Mining. Get the document here in Spanish or English. IRMA is accepting comments in several forms:
- You can comment in an online survey in English or Spanish
- Or download the survey first, then comment
- Or email your comments to info@responsiblemining.net
