Environmental Management at MRN

In 1976, Mineração Rio do Norte started working towards the implementation of the project that at the time was known as the TROMBETAS PROJECT, for the production of three and a half million tonnes of bauxite per year.

This project envisaged the mining and enrichment of bauxite, rail transport and drying of the mineral, followed by loading onto ships, together with an urban area with infrastructure to house a population of 6,000 people, in a completely isolated location in the middle of the Amazon forest.

Since the start of operations in 1979, the reforestation of the mined areas has been carried out in systematic fashion, with technology developed by professionals from within the company and which has met with acclaim from the scientific community.

Over the last decade, a relentless quest for excellence in its management processes has been an indelible mark of the performance of Mineração Rio do Norte, which as a result has met with national and international acclaim for its processes of production and maintenance, quality management, safety in the workplace, economic and financial results and Environmental Preservation.

ISO 14001 Certification

In 1999, fully aware of its greater maturity as a quality company, operating in a region extremely rich in natural resources but fragile, as the Amazon region, MRN started its process towards getting ISO 14001 certification, which is proof of environmental responsibility from an economical development. This work had special characteristics in itself, as the scope of certification would cover not only the operational and administrative areas of the company but also the Residential Village.

The challenge of getting this certification was accepted and taken seriously not only by the employees but also by the community as a whole. Finally, on December 7th 2001, MRN was recommended for certification by DET NORSKE VERITAS - DNV and then received two certificates, one giving national certification, issued by Brazilian organization INMETRO, and the other on an international basis, issued by Dutch organization RVA.

The new challenge that now faces the company and its people is the upkeep and constant improvement of the Environmental Management System, as required by ISO 14001.

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