Three Valley Copper (TSXV:TVC), the majority owner of the Minera Tres Valles (Three Valley Mine) in Chile, is located in the town of Salamanca in the Choapa Province. The mine is 91.1% owned by the Canadian company, with the rest of the mine (30%) being owned by the Chilean group, Vecchiola S.A.

Three Valley’s approach to mining means its commitment to ESG principles comes first in the process from development to production, and consultation is critical to this process. One of the ways the company is achieving this is through bringing visitors to the mine to ensure the company is being totally transparent with everyday operations. 

In May, Minea Tres Valles received visitors from nearby communities in Salamanca for a demonstration of an in-situ controlled blasting event. This blasting event allowed Three Valley to teach the protocols requires by the regulatory authorities to the community representatives and show correct compliance with regulations. This transparency is something most companies don’t bother with and is what Three Valley seems set on dedicating itself to. 

The event was directed by the Sustainability Manager and other managers from Minera Tres Valles and included the president of the surrounding communities for the project. They included: Viviana Varas, president of the Manquehua Community, Iris Astudillo, president of the El Senor de la Tierra Community, Fredy Rivera, president of the El Tebal community, and Wenceslao Layana, present of the Chalinga Agricultural Community. 

Critical points with the blasting event included and were confirmed by all parties:

• Minera Tres Valles complies with the required protocols to perform blasts and it complies with the procedures necessary for lowering dust emissions, measuring these via established monitoring stations that record MP10 emissions and vibration levels. The Company has not surpassed regulatory limits in any of its recordings measured in past months.
• There are 15 other mining operations in the Chalinga area, with no association to MTV.
• MTV is committed to maintaining the current measures used for controlling the dust that is released from the Don Gabriel Mine and Manquehua road. These environmental actions were demonstrated, and the community representatives were satisfied with the results obtained.
• It was agreed to keep the table open, continuing constructive, transparent and collaborative dialogue between the communities and MTV. This communication will be direct and immediate through WhatsApp groups, where items of common interest, such as the blasting schedule, will be previously notified.
• The next activity that will be discussed with this panel will be the scheduling of the community inspection of MTV’s MP10 monitoring station, with a third-party specialist who will explain how the emissions are recorded. Likewise, an onsite inspection of the shock (vibrational) monitoring station will be performed by an expert, in order to verify and learn about the operational methodology used at this station.

While most companies end consultation once the project has begun, the importance of Miner Tres Valles is not lost on management. Three Valley Copper is looking to set an important precedent for the region and the industry as it consults with local communities, particularly during a time of great necessity due to the ongoing health pandemic.

Mining Manager of Minera Tres Valley Sergio Molina commented, “It is thanks to these opportunities to discuss and participate with the leaders of surrounding communities that give MTV that tools to understand and respond to the questions from our neighbours; this promotes a great closeness with the Company, receiving reliable information from the source.”

The above references an opinion and is for information purposes only. It is not intended to be investment advice. Seek a licensed professional for investment advice. The author is not an insider or shareholder of any of the companies mentioned above.