London-listed Emmerson has completed all of the workstreams required for its environmental- and social-impact assessment (Esia) for the Khemisset potash project, in Morocco, and will soon submit it to the relevant governmental bodies for approval.
Emmerson says the assessment package comes as a capstone to two concurrent phases, which involved an extensive baseline programme that started in the early stages of the project development two years ago and the Esia study, which started early this year.
Findings of the baseline investigations have been integrated into the Esia and the proposed monitoring programmes.
These will be reflected in the final project design in the forthcoming front-end engineering design, so that positive impacts are maximised and negative impacts minimised, from the construction to closure stages.
The company says its project team, together with the Morocco-headquartered firm Phénixa, consulted the various project stakeholders at every stage and inventoried the applicable Moroccan legislation.
The related workstreams have been completed in compliance with the International Finance Corporation Performance Standards and Equator Principles.
These standards are the global benchmark for the development of mining projects and complying with them is vital for mining projects, particularly those seeking finance from international investors and lenders.
“We are confident that the results of our work will demonstrate that Khemisset is going to be accepted as an important new potash mine to the benefit of Morocco and the shareholders of Emmerson,” remarks CEO Graham Clarke.