Through its registered company in Serbia, "RIO SAVA EXPLORATION" d.o.o. Belgrade, Rio Tinto, as the project lead, has filed a request to establish the scope and content of the EIA for the underground mining of the Jadar lithium and boron deposit. The request was made in accordance with Articles 14 and 29 of the Environmental Impact Assessment Law (“Official Gazette of RS” 135/04, 36/09).

Filing the request to establish the scope and content of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for the underground exploitation of the Jadar lithium and boron deposit is the first step in preparing the final EIA for this process. Following this, the company has up to 12 months to update, complete, and submit the study through the regular procedure, which includes public review. Before any potential start of the Project, the company still has several steps to complete, including continuing the legal development of the project, finalizing the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), undergoing public review, and obtaining the necessary permits and approvals.

By filing the request to establish the scope and content of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for the underground mining of the Jadar lithium and boron deposit, both experts and the general public are given the opportunity to thoroughly review the documentation in a transparent process and provide their comments and suggestions based on the presented documents."

Through the documentation, the public will have the opportunity to review specific improvements we have been working on over the past couple of years, such as the improvements aimed at enhancing safety and optimizing resource use. This ensures complete transparency and inclusiveness in the process.

Before we open the mine, we must demonstrate to the citizens and the Government of the Republic of Serbia that we can do it safely and in line with the highest environmental protection standards of Serbia and the EU. We invite the public to actively participate in the dialogue and exchange of views on the Jadar Project. This process is important to us, as we want to ensure that all feedback and suggestions are considered through transparent and open communication. We thank all interested parties in advance for their contributions to the further development of this project,’ said Marijanti Babić, Country Head for Rio Tinto in Serbia.

Interested parties can review the content of the request on working days from 11 AM to 2 PM at the Ministry of Environmental Protection in Belgrade, Omladinskih brigada 1, Room 320, and on the website https://www.ekologija.gov.rs/obavestenja/procena-uticaja-na-zivotnu-sredinu. It is also available at the City Assembly of Loznica, Karađorđeva 2, and on the City’s website https://loznica.rs/, as well as at the Krupanj Municipal Assembly, Maršala Tita 2, and on the Municipality’s website http://www.krupanj.org.rs/. Feedback should be submitted within 15 days from the publication of this notice in printed newspapers and on the website published on 17/09/2024 https://www.ekologija.gov.rs/obavestenja/procena-uticaja-na-zivotnu-sredinu.