Rio Tinto Iron and Titanium Quebec operations communities

We strongly believe that our growth is inextricably linked to the growth of neighbouring communities. That’s why we maintain close ties with local residents and key stakeholders through continuous dialogue. We support initiatives that help our local communities grow and thrive, focus on regional development, and are aligned with community needs. RTIT Quebec Operations is also committed to building long-term partnerships in the areas of education, economic development, and the environment, as well as with community organisations. 

Environment

Water is crucial to our operations, and most of it is pumped from the St. Lawrence River. We use water for a variety of purposes, including various processes and cooling operations in our facilities. RTIT recycles and reuses part of that water internally to reduce water consumption at the source. All the water we use, as well as most rainwater, is treated at our water treatment plant before being discharged back into the river.

As our facilities are located in urban environments, minimising the impact of our operations on the air quality of nearby communities is a priority. This includes monitoring emissions at the source and using a range of equipment to assess air quality at our facilities and in the community.

We care about our communities and look for ways to minimise our footprint and show our commitment to the environment. For example, we installed acoustic walls and silencers to mitigate potential noise pollution that could affect residents in the nearby towns of Saint-Joseph-de-Sorel and Saint-Ignace-de-Loyola. We carry out annual assessments of noise levels from various sources and take corrective action where necessary. Noise levels in the communities are also continuously monitored by 2 noise measuring stations.

Communities and Social Performance

Social investments

When we talk about social investments, we’re talking about the amounts we contribute through our donations and partnerships program, as well as the time our employees spend working with regional organisations to understand the challenges and issues facing the communities in which we operate.

Our approach fosters long-term thinking, so that our team can respond to the needs and wishes of these communities in a more strategic way—to be rigorous and thoughtful throughout the investment process in order to provide financial support to high-impact projects that effect meaningful change.

Our donations and partnerships program has 4 main pillars:

1. Social

Provide essential health services and support social, community and volunteer initiatives that complement existing public services in order to improve the quality of life of vulnerable groups and encourage everyone to lead healthy, active lives.

2. Regional economic development

Foster the emergence of a regional economy rooted in sustainable development and industrial ecology, encourage a strong entrepreneurial culture, and support a diversified arts and culture scene.

3. Education

Promote training, education, and graduation and partner with initiatives aimed at training and retaining skilled workers.

4. Environment

Protect ecosystems and biodiversity, especially in protected areas, and improve the quality of the natural environment.