The Board of Directors of the International Cyanide Management Institute (ICMI) has approved a request from Kinross Gold Corporation (Kinross) to extend the deadlines for completion of recertification audits for its Kupol gold mining operation and for its related transportation group operation, which is responsible for storage and truck transportation of cyanide in Russia for the Kupol operation. The Kupol mining operation was certified in full compliance with the Cyanide Code on December 22, 2009, and the Kupol Transportation Group was certified in full compliance with the Cyanide Code on November 25, 2009.
The Kupol mine is located in the Russian Far East, and special passes are required for non-Russians traveling into the area. Delays in the timely issuance of the necessary pass for Kinross corporate personnel necessitated the requested extensions for the required audits until the end of the first quarter 2013. In addition, the requested extension for the transport audit will allow the transportation auditor to travel the winter ice road on which cyanide is transported. Based on the information provided by Kinross and the company’s good-faith effort to meet the Cyanide Code’s requirements, ICMI’s Board of Directors granted the company’s request and extended the deadline for completion of the recertification audits until March 31, 2013.
The Cyanide Code is a voluntary industry program for companies involved in the production of gold using cyanide and companies producing and transporting this cyanide. It was developed under the aegis of the United Nations Environment Programme by a multi-stakeholder Steering Committee. The Cyanide Code is intended to complement an operation’s existing obligation to comply with the applicable laws and regulations of the political jurisdictions in which the operation is located.
ICMI has been established to administer the Cyanide Code, promote its adoption, evaluate its implementation, and manage the certification process. A detailed list of the operations covered by signatory companies’ applications, along with the full text of the Cyanide Code and its implementing and administrative documents, are available at www.cyanidecode.org.
Date:
Friday, October 26, 2012