Peter Hambro Mining said Russian authorities did not find any material ecological breach in its mining projects during their initial inspections, AFX News reported Wednesday.
“According to preliminary data, no material violations of laws or license terms have been discovered,” the group said in a statement, citing Russia’s Ministry of Natural Resources press service.
“In particular, in the course of inspections of Peter Hambro Mining subsidiaries in Amur region, geological prospecting company Victoria and Porkovsky Rundik, Rosprirodnadzor inspectors have not recorded any facts of laws violation,” it added.
Rosprirodnadzor, Russia’s environmental watchdog, is inspecting the company’s licenses to find out whether ongoing work on these sites violated environmental rules.
The mining group, led by chairman Peter Hambro, and his deputy Pavel Maslovsky, met with Oleg Mitvol, deputy head of Rosprirodnadzor, in Moscow today.
During the meeting, Mitvol denied speculation that his move was politically motivated.
“Rosprirodnadzor’s inspections are in no way related to politics, inspectors do their work, (and) exercise government control over use of mineral resources”, he said.
“Once again, I am urging foreign investors to comply with regulations on environmental protection and rational use of mineral resources,” he added.
Mitvol stressed that if companies follow the rules, “then there won’t be any problems with controlling bodies.”
Maslovsky, in response, said the company will address the issues raised by the agency on its unit Yamalzoloto.
It offered to hand over Yamalzoloto’s license to another entity if the unit fails to “timely meet all the terms” laid down in the permit to develop Novogodnee-Monto field.
Mitvol was quoted by the Russian press as saying that Yamalzoloto has not done enough to develop the field even since it secured the permit for the project.

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