OREANDA-NEWS. Vale has obtained the preliminary environmental license (LP) to EIA Global, issued by the Instituto Brasileiro do Meio Ambiente e dos Recursos Naturais RenovЁўveis (Ibama).

The licensing for EIA Global comprises the expansion of N4WS, N5S, Morro I and Morro II pits, which encompass 1.8 billion of reserves, and the permit for waste stockpiles in the Northern System in CarajЁўs, Brazil.

The next step in the environmental licensing process is to obtain the installation and operation licenses, as well as the authorization for vegetation suppression.

"We are very pleased because the preliminary license to EIA Global represents an important step to delivering the production growth of iron ore and to reaching our goals, maintaining our commitment to act with transparency and respect the environment", said our CEO, Murilo Ferreira.

CarajЁўs Mining Complex now spans simultaneous operations at five open-pit mines: N4E, N4W, N5E, N5W and N5S. The complex is the largest producer of iron ore in operation on the planet. The mines of CarajЁўs account for approximately 35% of the iron ore produced by Vale every year. Once extracted, the ore is screened, which adds value by separating out different products.

CarajЁўs Mining Complex is located inside CarajЁўs National Forest. The complex covers less than 3% of the forest's area of more than 400,000 hectares. In partnership with the Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation (ICMBio) and Brazil's environment regulator, Ibama, Vale helps to conserve an area of forest three times larger than the CarajЁўs National Forest itself - around 1.2 million hectares, which is 10 times the size of BelЁ¦m, the capital of the state of ParЁў.

Vale's operations at the CarajЁўs iron mines are based on an Environmental Quality Management System implemented and certified in accordance with ISO 9000 (production quality) and ISO 14001 (environmental quality) standards and procedures.

Vale's actions in CarajЁўs include an extensive program to restore vegetation on former mining sites using native species of the CarajЁўs National Forest. The company also maintains a well-structured environmental monitoring network that systematically evaluates aspects such as air quality, noise, vibrations and water quality.

In partnership with ICMBio, Vale contributes to the management of CarajЁўs National Forest and the carrying out of research, thereby expanding knowledge of the region's biodiversity. This partnership also enables work to help monitoring and fighting forest fires.