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Xstrata Nickel: Xstrata Nickel donates more than US$1 million to relief efforts in the Dominican Republic
Toronto, Canada and Bonao, Dominican Republic, 15 November 2007
Xstrata Nickel, one of the commodity businesses of Xstrata plc (LSE: XTA.L, ZSE: XTA.S), has donated US$1,000,000 in cash, in addition to materials and services to support Tropical Storm Noel relief efforts in the Dominican Republic, home of its Falcondo operations.
“We are all very proud of the role Falcondo took in immediately helping to stabilize their community in the wake of Tropical Storm Noel with materials, hot meals, food, water, diesel and clothes donations, road repairs, power grid stabilization and rescue efforts,” said Ian Pearce, CEO of Xstrata Nickel. “This additional donation of $1 million recognizes the extent of the devastation and is a clear show of our support for the Dominican Republic.”
The donation will be shared among provincial and municipal emergency committees and NGOs across the affected region, and will be used directly for relief and rebuilding efforts.
“Falcondo is actively participating with the authorities and aid organizations in the provinces of San Cristobal, Monseñor Nouel and La Vega associated with our operations,” said Ernest Mast, General Manager of Falcondo. “We are proud to take a leading role in rebuilding areas damaged by the storm.”
The company has also committed to match any voluntary donation to relief efforts made by Xstrata Nickel employees globally. The matched funds will be donated to the Falcondo Foundation, the non-profit body that receives funding from Falcondo for community initiatives in the Dominican Republic. The Falcondo Foundation will use the funds to support directly impacted employees and communities associated with Falcondo’s operations.
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Xstrata contacts
Xstrata Nickel
Peter Fuchs
Telephone: +1 416-775-1523
Mobile: +1 416-305-9273
Email: pfuchs@xstratanickel.ca
Xstrata
Claire Divver
Telephone: +44 20 7968 2871
Mobile: +44 7785 964340
Email: cdivver@xstrata.com
About Falcondo
Falcondo is a surface mining operation that has the capacity to produce 29,000 tonnes of nickel contained in ferronickel annually. Ferronickel is a combination of iron and nickel used almost exclusively by the stainless steel industry. The property is situated in the Dominican Republic, in the town of Bonao, 80 kilometers north of Santo Domingo. The facilities include a metallurgical treatment plant, a crude oil refinery and a 200 megawatt thermal power plant. Xstrata owns 85.26% of the outstanding shares of Falcondo.
The Falcondo Foundation, established is 1989, is a non-profit foundation designed to encourage development in the areas of health, education, environment and culture. The Falcondo Foundation also enables area residents to plan and carry out development activities by supporting projects related to the preservation and management of natural resources. Since inception, the Foundation has donated approximately US$12 million, reforested more than 500 hectares of land, and complemented the efforts of the Dominican government to improve education by supporting approximately 78,000 students. In 2005, Falcondo received recognition from the Organization of States of America, as one of the “corporate citizens of the Americas” for its community initiatives.
About Xstrata Nickel
Xstrata Nickel, headquartered in Toronto, Canada, is one of Xstrata Group’s global commodity businesses, comprising five mines and processing facilities in Ontario and Quebec, Canada; a ferronickel mine and processing facility in Bonao, Dominican Republic; and a refinery in Kristiansand, Norway. Xstrata Nickel has a significant portfolio of growth projects, including Koniambo in New Caledonia, Nickel Rim South in Canada, Kabanga in Tanzania and Araguaia in Brazil. Xstrata Nickel is the world’s fourth largest nickel producer, with annual managed production of more than 110,000 tonnes of refined nickel.
About Xstrata plc
Xstrata is a major global diversified mining group, listed on the London and Swiss stock exchanges. Headquartered in Zug, Switzerland, Xstrata maintains a meaningful position in seven major international commodity markets: copper, coking coal, thermal coal, ferrochrome, nickel, vanadium and zinc. The company also has recycling facilities, additional exposures to gold, lead, silver and cobalt and a suite of global technologies, many of which are industry leaders. The Group’s operations and projects span 18 countries: Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Germany, New Caledonia, Norway, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Philippines, South Africa, Spain, Tanzania, the USA and the UK.