While at Wardell Armstrong International Pete Whitbread-Abrutat was involved in several mining environmental and social impact assessments (ESIAs) and related projects in a diversity of different jurisdictions and environmental and socio-economic contexts. Some examples include:
- Liberia: Environmental and social scoping study for a late-exploration gold project in the remote, rainforest of south-east Liberia. He investigated field activities and consulted with national and regional stakeholders and several, remote, local village communities. His report was completed in line with IFC Performance Standards, owing to IFC investment in the project. He also prepared the environmental and community chapter of a NI43-101-compliant preliminary economic assessment report.
- Cuba: Iterative reviews of Cuban ESIA (in Spanish) for a bankable feasibility study for a new lead/ zinc mine in western Cuba. This involved gap analysis of the pre-existing environmental and social baseline to produce recommendations for updating it in-line with national and international requirements, along with developing and coordinating acid and metalliferous drainage (AMD) investigations; production of environmental, biodiversity and waste management plans and a mine closure plan. The work required site visits, technical Spanish language skills, liaison with in-country EIA contractors and other stakeholders to update baseline investigations, a review of available laboratory facilities and liaison with the mine design team.
- Kazakhstan: Review of a pre-existing environmental and social baseline and subsequent scoping and baseline site visits for two prospective new mines in a brownfield gold mine complex in south-east Kazakhstan. The work involved detailed local community consultations and a participatory event in the village. Local and regional stakeholders were also consulted. The scoping report included a gap analysis of the existing baseline against international ESIA requirements and recommendations for bringing it up to international standards. It also included a gap analysis of the wider sites’ baseline data, with associated recommendations. Various management plans for the final ESIA report were produced, which complied with the expectations of good international practice.