Significant Environmental Accidents / Biodiversity Learn about our initiatives for serious environmental accidents and biodiversity.

Emissions into the Atmosphere

SOx emissions during FY2020 increased by about 26% year on year. At THPAL, emissions rose by about 90% due to factors such as fuel properties and adjustments to operating conditions. NOx emissions increased by about 14% year on year. Soot and dust emissions decreased by about 15% year on year. At CBNC, emissions fell by about 58% due to factors such as the effects of fuel properties.

Each emissions figure was calculated based on the measurement of flue gas.

Emissions into Water

The COD*1 pollutant load in FY2020 decreased by about 11% year on year. The BOD*2 pollutant load increased about 15% year on year. Many SMM Group business sites face onto Japan's Seto Inland Sea and are subject to controls on the total amounts of COD, nitrogen and phos-phorous emissions under the Act on Special Measures Concerning Conservation of the Environment of the Seto Inland Sea.
The volume of freshwater usage decreased by about 5% year on year to about 35 million m3. In this calculation, diversion water,*3 which is unrelated to production, is excluded from withdrawal and release at mines. The volume of seawater usage increased by about 15% year on year. This was attributable to an increase in production volumes at the Toyo Smelter & Refinery.

• *1COD (Chemical Oxygen Demand): Measured for emissions into seas, including emissions into rivers flowing into enclosed seas.
• *2BOD (Biochemical Oxygen Demand): Measured for emissions into rivers, excluding emissions flowing into enclosed seas.
• *3Diversion water: Water that flows into the site as an input and flows out of the site as an output without being used for production purposes. Included starting with data for FY2017.

Material Flows within Business Activity (FY2020)

INPUTS (Resources & Energy)

Raw Materials

Gold and silver ore	191 kt
Copper concentrates	1,441 kt
Nickel oxide ore	8,581 kt
Nickel matte, etc.	39 kt

Raw material for batteries	75 kt
ALC raw material, incl. silica rock	159 kt
Hydrotreating catalyst raw material	39 kt

Recycled Materials1(*)

Copper scrap	135 kt
Secondary zinc	19 kt
Secondary precious metals	4 kt

Electric arc furnace dust	71 kt
ALC waste	73 t

Percentage of recycled input raw materials used 2.13%

Does not include materials recycled within plants.

Materials

Silica sand(for copper smelting)	122 kt
Chemicals (lime-based)	1,202 kt
Chemicals (sodium-based)	106 kt

Chemicals (magnesium-based)	14 kt
Sulfuric acid	460 kt
Cement, etc.	103 kt

Non-renewable sources

Energy*	Consumption	Energy Value
Heavy oil	44,991 kL	1,843 TJ
Coal/coke	535,636 t	13,817 TJ
Diesel/gasoline/kerosene	18,145 kL	680 TJ
LPG・LNG	8,812 t	448 TJ
City gas	8,775 ML	395 TJ
Purchased electricity	1,486,802 MWh	14,465 TJ
Purchased steam	65,802 GJ	67 TJ
Sub-total	31,716 TJ

Renewable sources

Energy*	Consumption	Energy Value
Solar power generation, binary power generation	306 MWh	0.03 TJ
Wood pellets	621 t	12 TJ
Total energy consumption	－	31,728 TJ

Calorific values for both Japan and overseas are calculated using coefficients conforming to the Japanese Act on the Rational Use, etc. of Energy for fuel, heat, electricity, etc. that were consumed in busi-ness activities both in Japan and overseas. Fuels used as reducing agents are also included. Energy value indicates the energy input in the case of purchased electricity and purchased steam, and calorific value for all others.

Water*1

Total volume of fresh water withdrawn	35,173 ML
Breakdown of Total volume of fresh water withdrawn	Surface water (rivers)	13,717 ML
Rain water	68 ML
Ground water	6,657 ML
Industrial water (water from another organization)	14,339 ML
Tap water (water from another organization)	393 ML
Volume of seawater withdrawn	165,132 ML
Total volume of water consumed from all areas*2	4,281 ML

• *1SMM uses the WWF/DEG Water Risk Filter to determine regions with high water stress. As a result of this, there are no areas of high water stress at SMM Group's production sites.
• *2The total water consumption is estimated by subtracting the total amount of water discharged from the total amount of water withdrawn.

OUTPUTS (Products & Emissions)

Products

Electrolytic copper	443 kt
Gold	17 t
Silver	203 t
Electrolytic nickel	56 kt
Nickel sulfate	11 kt
Electrolytic cobalt	4 kt
Crude zinc oxide	33 kt

Ferronickel	70 kt
Battery materials	49 kt
Sulfuric acid	341 kt
Slag	1,458 kt
Hydrotreating catalysts	7 kt
ALC(Siporex)	327 ML

Percentage of products from recycled input 4.87%

Emissions into the Atmosphere

CO2	2,785 kt
Breakdown of CO2	Scope 1 (direct emissions)*1	1,877 kt (Decrease of 65 kt compared to the previous fiscal year)
Scope 2 (indirect emissions)*2	882 kt (Increase of 17 kt compared to the previous fiscal year)
Scope 3 (emissions during domestic transport)*3	25 kt (The same year on year)
SOx	1,733 t
NOx	1,444 t
Soot and dust	80 t
PRTR substances	9 t

• *1Direct emissions for both Japan and overseas are calculated using emission factors conforming to the Japanese Act on Promotion of Global Warming Countermeasures. This includes non-energy-derived GHG emissions (385 kt-CO2e) that are outside the scope of the law. GHGs from wood pellets are not included.
• *2The amount of GHG emissions from electric power purchased in Japan is calculated according to the market-based method using the emission factors of electric suppliers. For overseas emission factors, we used the latest emission factors for each country as published by the IEA. The amount of indirect emissions was 744 kt-CO2e when calculated for both Japan and overseas with the location-based method using IEA country-specific emission factors.
• *3Emissions during transportation in Japan are calculated in line with the Act on the Rational Use, etc. of Energy and the Act on Promotion of Global Warming Countermeasures.

Waste (including Items of Value)

Total waste	6,857 kt
Breakdown of total waste	Spoil	3 kt
Wastewater sludge from CBNC, THPAL, etc.	6,777 kt
Industrial waste (Japan)	76 kt
Other	1 kt
Landfill on company premises	6,780 kt
PRTR substances*	1,822 t

• Discharges into rivers flowing into enclosed seas are included as "discharges into seas."

Emissions into Water

Total wastewater	199,057 ML
Breakdown of total waste	Discharges into seas*	198,051 ML
Discharges into rivers	965 ML
Sewerage, etc.	42 ML
COD(chemical oxygen demand)	49 t
BOD(biochemical oxygen demand)	15 t
Total phosphorus	1 t
Total nitrogen	69 t
PRTR substances (discharged into public water areas)	74 t
PRTR substances (discharged into the soil or in landfills within business premises)	3 t

• Total transfers to sewerage and off-site transfers.

Business Activities in Areas of High Biodiversity Value*1 (FY2020)

Area	Size of production site(hectares)	Details
Seto Inland Sea	62 (Minoshima & Ienoshima islands)	Shisaka Smelting Co., Ltd. operates on Minoshima and Ienoshima islands, neighboring Setonaikai National Park (IUCN Category 2 and neighboring equivalent areas)
The Philippines	434	Coral Bay Nickel Corporation operates on Palawan Island (in hunting-prohibited and bird protection areas (IUCN Category 4 and neighboring equivalent areas))

Currently, there are no projects in any region requiring the preparation of a management plan.

• *1Protected areas classified as Category 4 and above by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and neighboring areas, as well as equivalent areas of high bio-diversity value (SMM research). Areas classified as Category 1 are of highest priority.

Amount of Land Developed or Rehabilitated (FY2020)

(hectares)

	A: Total area of land not rehabili-tated (as of the end of FY2019)	B: Area of land newly developed in FY2020	C: Area of land newly rehabilitated in FY2020	D: Total area of land developed but not rehabilitated （A+B-C）
Hishikari Mine	22	0	0	22
Coral Bay Nickel Corporation	274	6	0	280
Taganito HPAL Nickel Corporation	567*1	0	-2*2	568

• *1The area of the developed land was reviewed on the basis of the survey results.
• *2THPAL conducted rehabilitation of 12 hectares in the developed land in fiscal 2020. However, as the survey shows a decrease in existing rehabilitated area due to with-ering and other factors, the area of newly rehabilitated land is adjusted. THPAL is also advancing rehabilitation activities in nearby regions outside the site. In coopera-tion with the Philippine government, rehabilitation of 74 hectares was achieved in FY2020 in nearby regions outside the site. To date, 455 hectares in total have been certified as rehabilitated area.

Significant Environmental Accidents / Biodiversity

Release Control for Chemical Substances

Release and Transfer of PRTR Substances

Breakdown of Releases, by Destination

Breakdown of Transfers

Breakdown of Releases into the Atmosphere

Breakdown of Releases into Water

An overview of releases and transfers of chemical substances based on Japan's Pollutant Release and Transfer Register (PRTR) system in FY2020 is as follows.
The number of data-submitting sites in the SMM Group was 23 (26 in FY2019). The Group had 40 substances requiring registration (42 in FY2019).
The total released and transferred amount (releases + transfers) came to 1,907 t, a decrease of about 14% year on year, mainly due to a decrease in manganese transferred outside of business sites resulting from a decrease in the volume of iron clinker¹ to undergo final disposal as industrial waste after being generated as a by-product at Shisaka Smelting Co., Ltd.
The amount discharged into the atmosphere decreased by about 44%. The main factor behind this was a decrease in releases of dichloromethane at the Ome District Division. In addition, there were no discharges of ozone-depleting substances. Dis-charges into water decreased by about 6% year on year.

• Iron clinker: The residue remaining during the processing of electric arc furnace dust after recovering zinc. The residue able to be sold is called "iron pellets," and the residue to be disposed of is called "iron clinker."

Final Disposal Amount of Industrial and Mining Waste in Japan

The SMM Group has long been making efforts to reduce industrial waste in Japan and the amount of wastewater sludge (mining waste) that undergoes final disposal from the mine-affiliated Toyo Smelter & Refinery. The total final disposal amount in FY2020 was 51 kt, which was a decrease of about 20 kt from FY2019. The main factor behind this decrease was a decrease in the final disposal volume of iron clinker at Shisaka Smelting Co., Ltd.

Final Disposal Amount1of Industrial and Mining Waste in Japan

• *1Includes waste destined for landfills and incineration without heat recovery.
• *2Mining waste in the form of wastewater sludge generated by mine-affiliated Toyo Smelter & Refinery that is landfilled within the business site.

Waste by Type and Treatment Method (FY2020)

Waste by Treatment Method(Hazardous*3/Non-hazardous*4)

（kt）

		Total	Hazardous	Non-hazardous
Treatment method*5	Recycling	24	8	16
Landfill	6,831	49	6,782
Incineration	0	0	0
Volume reduction,etc.	2	1	1
	Total	6,857	57	6,799

（kt）

Landfill on company premises/Contracted disposal	Landfill on company premises	6,780
Contracted disposal	76

• *3In general, this depends upon definitions of the regulations in the other releasing countries concerned. Since Japan does not have such laws or regulations, SMM applies the following definition: "Specially controlled industrial waste and waste delivered to controlled landfill sites (excluding designated inert waste (5 categories of inert waste) that should have been delivered to landfill sites for inert industrial waste, but was disposed of at controlled landfill sites due to the distance limitation)."
• *4Waste other than hazardous waste.
• *5Treatment methods outside of the Company were identified based on the written agreement with the disposal company and the manifest.

Breakdown of Industrial Waste(in Japan) by Type of Watste

Environmental Education

Name of activity	Targeted employees	Purpose, contents (simple overview)
EMS Internal Auditor Training Course	New internal environmental auditors	Training of new internal auditors for the EMS conforming to ISO 14001 (2015)
EMS Internal Auditor Course for updating to the ISO 14001 (2015) standard	Internal environmental auditors	Updating internal auditors with qualifications conforming to ISO 14001 (2004) to the 2015 version
Environmental e-learning (Environmental Laws)	Managers and supervisors, internal environmental auditors	Explanation of Japan's mandatory standards and notification procedures
Environmental e-learning (Environmental Laws, Basic)	Managers and supervisors, internal environmental auditors	Promote understanding of the spirit and idea of Japan's laws
Education of newly-appointed business site general managers	Newly-appointed business site general managers	Promote understanding of the importance of the relationship between corporations and the environment and raise self-awareness and environmen-tal awareness as the business site general manager
Conference for environment managers	Environment managers of each of the business sites	Improve knowledge of Japan's environmental laws and regulations, enhance environmental management capabilities, raise self-awareness
Periodically send out information	Business site general managers	Provide information about revisions of laws and important precedents by a periodical e-mail magazine
Compliance training	Business site general managers	Provide information about environment-related compliance and raise self-awareness
Education about environmental preservation for mid-career hires	Mid-career hires at the Head Office	Impart knowledge about the SMM Group's environmental preservation initiatives
Education about environmental preservation for new employees	Newly hired management track employees at the Head Office	Impart knowledge about the SMM Group's environmental preservation initiatives and raise self-awareness
Education about environmental preservation for newly-promoted section managers	Newly-promoted section managers	Provide information about the SMM Group's environmental preservation initiatives and raise self-awareness
Periodic education about the Chemical Substances Control Law	Division environment managers	Overview of the Chemical Substances Control Law, checking for revision information, and prevent omissions of notification
Explanatory meeting: overseas chemical substance regulations	Head Office sales representatives	Impart knowledge to sales representatives about overseas chemical substance regulations and raise their self-awareness

Laws Covered in the Environmental e-learning Courses

Environmental Laws	Environmental Laws, Basic
Basic Environment Act	Basic Environment Act
−	Basic Act on Biodiversity
Basic Act on Establishing a Sound Material-Cycle Society	Basic Act on Establishing a Sound Material-Cycle Society
−	Act on the Promotion of Environmental Conservation Activities through Environmental Education
−	Law Concerning the Promotion of Business Activities with Environmental Consideration
−	Act on Promotion of Global Warming Countermeasures
Act on the Rational Use, etc. of Energy	Act on the Rational Use of Energy
Air Pollution Control Act (including the content of the Act on Pollution Prevention Systems in Specified Factories)	Air Pollution Control Act
Water Pollution Control Act	Water Pollution Control Act
Soil Contamination Countermeasures Act	−
PRTR Law	PRTR Law
Poisonous and Deleterious Substances Control Act	−
Waste Management and Public Cleansing Act	Waste Management and Public Cleansing Law
PCB Special Measures Law	−
−	Act on Promoting Green Procurement

The SMM Group has established two e-learning courses on environmental laws with the objective of raising levels of compliance. Employees, especially managers and supervisors involved with environmental laws and regulations and internal environmental auditors, are taking part in those courses. The e-learning course on Japan's main environmental laws covers ten laws that are deeply related to the businesses of the SMM Group and provides explanations of mandatory standards and notification procedures. As failing to comply with these requirements constitutes a violation of the law, employees must be certain to keep them in mind when conducting business. Given not only compliance with regulations and obligations, but also the voluntary risk management and information disclosure demanded of businesses today, the Group offers an e-learning course called Environmental Laws, Basic that serves as a stepping stone for properly conduct-ing business. This course covers 12 laws, including the Basic Environment Act and the Basic Act on Biodiversity.

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