An Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) report is released in August 2012, primarily addressing the construction of an open pit mine while also mentioning underground block caving and future infrastructure. This ESIA is considered to have covered all required assessments and both lead lenders (the International Finance Corporation and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development) support Rio Tinto’s refusal to carry out a full assessment of the underground mine’s impacts and risks.

 

In December 2012, a group of international and national civil society organizations review the ESIA and issue a report which shows that problems faced by Rio Tinto today in its underground mine development could have been predicted earlier had the assessment been carried out in compliance with international standards.

 

The many problems and objections to the Oyu Tolgoi mine are noticeably absent from Rio Tinto’s own timeline.

 

‘A Useless Sham’ report

The Corporate Capture of Mongolia by SOMO

2021 Investor Briefing