IMnI News

As part of the IMnI’s on-going campaign to raise the bar on health and safety in our industry, the IMnI organized its 3rd Safety Workshop focusing mainly on health issues in Johannesburg (February 28 – March 2, 2012). Jointly hosted by Ore & Metal Company and Samancor Manganese, the workshop was a decided success with 37 delegates, representing 19 different companies and 4 different continents.

The three-day workshop covered:

A one-day seminar, which focused on the following issues:

1. Defining & diagnosing occupational disease accurately
2. Identifying areas and tasks with high workplace exposure, along with strategies for minimizing exposure
3. How best to work together as a responsible and sustainable industry to understand and educate workers and communities on potential risks

In addition, participants visited a mine and a manganese smelter, where policies for ensuring worker safety, controlling dust emissions and reducing exposure wre highlighted.

To view presentations please click here (will be made available shortly).

As part of the IMnI’s ongoing campaign to raise the bar on health and safety in the Mn industry, we are proud to announce our 3^rd Health & Safety Workshop.

The Workshop will take place in Johannesburg, February 29 – March 2, 2012. Jointly hosted by Ore & Metal Company and Samancor Mn, it will largely focus on health issues.

To date, over 25 participants have registered, representing 4 different continents and 14 major companies.

Draft program and registration form are available at: IMnI 3^rd Health & Safety Workshop

IMnI’s 9^th EPD Conference and Int’l Forum is the major global event for Electroytic Mn Metal & Mn Dioxide producers. Over 95% of the world’s Mn metal is produced in China, and most major players will be in attendance. 

So if you trade or buy Mn metal, or are an ore supplier to China, you should mark your calendar and join us in Nanning on March 31^st.

Held jointly with our four major China partners:

1. National Committee of Manganese Industry Technology (NCMIT)
2. National Friendship Association of Electrolytic Manganese Metal
3. National Friendship Association of Electrolytic Manganese Dioxide
4. Hunan Jiufeng Metal Exchange

The event attracts over 200 delegates and top class speakers.

Do not miss out! Register now!

For program (see next page) and registration form, please click this link or visit our website:http://manganese.org/events/upcoming_imni_events

JULY – DECEMBER 2011

ASIA (China, Japan, S. Korea, Taiwan & India)

There are several regulations in China that affect the manufacture and use of chemicals. The Regulation on the safe management of hazardous chemicals (existing chemicals) came into force in December 2011, replacing the 2002 version. Existing substances are listed in an inventory/catalogue and are defined as “hazardous chemicals” when they are considered to be highly toxic, corrosive, explosive, flammable or harmful to human health or the environment. The catalogue contains the following manganese based substances: manganese metal, manganese iodate, calcium silico-manganese, resin acids manganese and manganese nitrate.

China’s Global Harmonised System (GHS) of Classification and Labelling stipulates that companies cannot sell hazardous chemicals without a Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) and a chemical safety label. These must be prepared in accordance with national standards. Although China GHS applies to all chemicals, it is currently believed that only hazardous chemicals that do not comply with national MSDS and labelling standards will incur a fine. The new GHS legislation in China came into application on May 1^st, 2011, although the months running up until December 1^st, was deemed to be a ‘transitional period’, and no penalties were issued. Labelling of chemicals in line with China GHS is similar to the labelling requirements in the UN GHS 1^st edition but differs slightly from the EU Classification Labelling and Packaging Regulation (EU CLP).

The following manganese based substances are not found in the Inventory of Existing Chemical Substances produced or imported in China (IECSC), hence are regulated by China REACH which came into force in 2010: SiMn slag, FeMn slag and Sinter Ore.

On the 9^th August 2011, the State Administration of Work Safety (SAWS) of China released a revised version of the Measures for the Administration of Operating Licenses for Hazardous Chemicals (THE MEASURES) for public consultation. The regulation came into force on December 15, 2011.

The Japanese Chemical Substance Control Law (CSCL) was subject to major amendment in 2009 and came into force in two phases during 2010 and 2011. The amendment was made to harmonise with regulations in other countries or communities such as the EU Registration Evaluation and Authorisation of Chemicals (REACH). Moving forward, the European Chemical Agency (ECHA) and the Japanese competent authorities recently announced that they will enhance technical cooperation and the exchange of views on regulatory tasks – published 2011.

Under this new amendment, manganese (as an element) and its compounds are listed as Class I designated Chemical Substances under the Japanese regulation (Transfer Registerand Promotion of Chemical Management (PRTR)) – these are substances for which manufacture and importation are strictly restricted. This means that an annual environmental release should be reported to the competent authority using the PRTR System and an MSDS is required.

Although the proposal for a ‘REACH-like’ legislation in South Korea was released in February 2010 and is currently under discussion it will only come into force in 2013 or 2014. Therefore, the legislation in place - the Toxic Chemicals Control Act (TCCA) is still in force. In September 2011, substances were added to the TCCA observational and toxic chemicals lists. No manganese-based substances were added to these lists.

Classification labelling and packaging in accordance with GHS is mandatory in South Korea. For substances the deadline is 1^st July 2011, for mixtures 1^st July 2013. Since 1^st July 2011 it is now mandatory for companies to use GHS classifications provided for Toxic chemicals under TCCA for labelling and in MSDSs. However, no manganese-based substances are listed as toxic chemicals or observational chemicals.

Taiwan is introducing a system of new chemicals notification, through amendments to the Labour Safety and Health Act (LSHA) and the Toxic Chemical Substance Control Act (TCSCA). The amendments still need to be approved formally. An inventory of existing chemicals is under development with a publication date scheduled for the end of 2011.

India’s Ministry of Environment and Forests published a draft legislation called Hazardous Substances (Classification, Packaging and Labelling) Rules, 2011 in July of this year. The rules detail the responsibilities and procedures for supply chains handling hazardous substances. These are described as “any substance or preparation, which by reason of its chemical or physico-chemical properties or handling, is liable to cause harm to human beings, or other living creatures, plants, micro-organisms, property or the environment”.

North America (Mexico, Canada, USA)

In Mexico’s 2011 official Chemical Gazette, Mexico became the first NAFTA country to adopt the Globally Harmonized System (GHS) of classification and labelling. The standard allows companies to use the GHS on a voluntarily basis as a way of complying with the existing mandatory standard for classification, labelling and safety data sheets in the workplace, while at the same time meeting the GHS requirements of countries in Europe, Asia and South America.

In Canada, new substances need to be notified so that they can be assessed for their risk to human health or the environment before manufacture or import into the country. New substances are considered to be those that are not on Canada’s Domestic Substance List (DSL).

Existing substances on the DSL have undergone a categorisation process, conducted by the Government of Canada. This year, Environment Canada carried out a “categorisation process”. Categorisation is based on level and type of toxicity to the environment and human health. Four of the manganese substances listed on the DSL are categorised, all of them on the basis of human health criteria and not the environment. These substances are manganese, manganese oxide, manganese dioxide and manganese sulphide. FeMn Slag, SiMn slag and Sinter Ore though not listed on the DSL are listed on the Non-Domestic Substance List (NDSL).

The United States Environment Protection Agency (US EPA) has proposed (November 2011) amendments to the national emissions standards for hazardous air pollutants from Ferroalloy production. These proposed amendments include revisions to particulate matter standards for electric arc furnaces, metal oxygen refining processes, and crushing and screening operations.

Furthermore, the amendment expands and revises the requirements to control fugitive emissions from furnace operations and casting. Other proposed requirements related to testing, monitoring, notification, recordkeeping, and reporting are included.

South America (Brazil)

In South America, initiatives are being developed to increase cooperation between South American countries in order to increase the competitiveness of their chemical industry worldwide.

Brazil adopted the Globally Harmonised System of classification and labelling of chemicals (GHS) in 2009 and is now aiming to develop a regional strategy for GHS implementation in the MERCOSUR countries (Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay) and Chile.

In May 2011 the Ministry of Labour and Employment revised Health and Safety Labour Standard Number 26 to adopt GHS classification, labelling and safety data sheets. The Brazilian technical standard concerned with GHS is currently based on the first edition of the GHS, but is expected to be revised to align with the GHS 3rd edition. There has been no further update post May 2011.

European Union (all 27 countries)

Presently, the Commission is working on the development of a proposal for the revision of the European Waste list that aims at determining whether a waste is listed as hazardous or not. It also intends to align the hazardous property criteria with the EU Classification Labelling and Packaging Regulation.

Over the past months the European Chemical Agency (ECHA) has published several Registration Evaluation and Authorisation of Chemicals (REACH) guidance documents. Of interest to the Mn industry is the NEW guidance on Safety Data Sheets (SDS) published on the 8^th September 2011.

The EU Scientific Committee on Occupational Exposure Limits (SCOEL) published a recommendation for occupational exposure limits for manganese and its inorganic compounds (0.2mg/m3 inhalable and 0.05mg/m3 respirable) in the second half of the year. As next steps, the SCOEL recommendation has to be discussed and agreed within the EU Commission Tripartite Committee before it can become part of a new Directive. 

Other Europe (Turkey, Switzerland)

In Turkey the Inventory and Control of Chemicals (CICR) came into force on 1st January 2009. This scheme requires the notification of all new and existing substances >1 tpa. The deadline for registration was extended to 2010 and then to 31st March 2011. There has been no further update to this regulation.

Swiss regulators have not updated their chemical regulation since the middle of the year. They have mainly focussed on the food safety and public health legislation which does not include any manganese-based substances. 

Africa (South Africa, Nigeria…)

Due to the fragmented environmental legislation in many African countries, there have been difficulties implementing the legislation(s). Currently, efforts are being made to strengthen environmental legislation in southern African countries, including South Africa. The project ‘Management of Chemicals in English-speaking African Countries’ was recently initiated, aiming to improve the implementation of international environmental agreements. This 2-year project concerns English-speaking African countries served by the Africa Institute (AI) and is funded by the Swedish Chemical Agency (KemI). The project aims to strengthen control and management of the movement of chemicals across these countries. It is hoped that the project will reduce the hazards posed by chemicals in domestic, agricultural and industrial situations and enhance the implementation of the UN Globally Harmonized System (GHS) of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals.

Efforts are also being made by industry groups to improve chemical safety in South Africa, and other African countries. The focus is on a harmonised system of classification and labelling.

Australia

Metal and metal-containing compounds are considered differently than the individual substances present on the National Pollutant Inventory (NPI) reporting list. Manganese and its compounds are present in the NPI list, which requires that data on sources and source locations, volumes and emissions to air, land and water must be reported annually. The data from the reporting is stored and can be accessed by the public and used by academics, researchers, the media and others.

A recent Australian Government publication (Australian Government 2011) released guidance on how emissions should be reported. 

For more info contact: ohes@manganese.org

IMnI’s new Monthly Market Research Report and Online Database are now available on our website. These new tools are the result of 1 ½ years of dedication and hard work by the Statistics Committee, under the leadership of Branislav Klocok of Vale, and by Market Analyst, Mark Camaj. They deserve thanks and congratulations.

So what has changed?

• Frequency – the report will now be monthly, rather than quarterly.
• Groupings – have been changed to match those of the World Steel Association.
• Online platform – tables in the report are grouped regionally to make the report more compact. Each table has a link to the country data from the database (where data can easily be extracted in CSV, XLS, XLSX).
• New data – IMnI has included Metal Bulletin Research steel capacity data, MySteel China steel inventory data, CRU Mn prices and UBS steel prices to give more depth to the report.
• Personal Queries – you can query multiples data types from the database. A shortcut link is included if you want to save them to run the query again in future.
• Online graph – you generate a graph to better visualize the data, comparing up to 4 countries.

Here are the links to the tools:

• Monthly Report
• Online Database

As part of the IMnI’s ongoing campaign to raise the bar on health and safety in our industry, we are proud to announce our 3^rd Safety Workshop. The Workshop will take place in Johannesburg, February 28 – March 2, 2012. Jointly hosted by Ore & Metal Company and Samancor Mn, it will largely focus on health issues.

To download the draft program and registration form, please click here

A database listing 113 Occupational Exposure Limits (OELs), enforced in 20 countries, for Mn & Mn compounds is now available to IMnI members on our website (www.manganese.org).   A review of the available regulatory limits highlights the different types of OELs (inhalable, respirable, total, etc.) that exist and the extrem  variation in limits (0.1 – 5mg/m3) across the globe.

To access the database click here

IMnI will be participating in the Indian’s Ferroalloy Producers Association (IFAPA) Conference, which will take place in Goa on September 18-20, 2011. Secretary General Anne Tremblay will be presenting a paper on IMnI’s ambitious Occupational, Health and Safety (OHES) 5-Yr Plan and its importance to the sustainability of the Mn industry. In addition, IMnI’s India Representative Shweta Dharia will be giving a presentation titled, “Global Manganese 2011”. The two will also take the opportunity to meet with as many India members as possible, all of whom will be on hand. IMnI is pleased to be part of this important event.

Please visit the conference website for further details: www.fai2011.com

JANUARY – JULY 2011

ASIA (China, Japan, S. Korea & India)

On the 19th Jan 2010, the State Environmental Protection Administration (SEPA) of China published a new REACH-like regulation called “Measures on Environmental Administration of New Chemical Substances".  It came into force on 15 Oct 2010 and focused exclusively on new chemicals, meaning chemicals not yet on the Inventory of existing chemical substances produced or imported into China.  Manganese and Manganese-based substances are not considered “new”. However, since 2010, China has been actively reviewing its existing chemical regulations and on the 11th of March 2011, the State Council of China published a revised version of its “Regulations on Safe Management of Hazardous Chemicals”. In the revised regulations, there is the possibility that existing chemicals might also be subject to registration if they are considered hazardous.

North America (Mexico, Canada, USA)

There has been no news on the regulatory front from Health Canada or the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) since the beginning of the year. However, EPA is currently carrying out collaborative research on manganese air levels and its health effects.

On  June 4, 2011, Mexico became the first North American country to adopt legislation that allows companies to use the UN Globally Harmonized System (GHS) of classification and labelling, on a voluntary basis. By implementing the GHS companies will not only be complying with the existing mandatory legislation for C&L and safety data sheets in the workplace, but also meeting the GHS requirements of countries in Europe, Asia, and South America. The new legislation was introduced at the request of the National Association for the Chemical Industry in Mexico. 

European Union (All 27 countries)

In the first quarter of 2011, the European Chemical Agency (ECHA) published information from the submitted registration dossiers on the internet via what they call a dissemination portal.  Several guidance documents also have been published. Of interest to the Mn industry is the guidance on Safety Data Sheets (SDS) for alloys/special preparations. The legal text governing REACH is currently under review; ECHA has invited registrants and potential registrants to send in proposed amendments.

The EU GHS (Global Harmonized System of Classification & Labelling) called the Classification Labelling and Packaging (CLP) Regulation is currently being reviewed by member states and stakeholders. The review is focused on the inorganic/metal environmental classification aspect of this regulation.

Other Europe (Turkey, Switzerland)

Turkey’s Ministry of Environment and Forestry implemented a REACH-like regulation called the “Regulation on Inventory and Control of Chemicals”, which came into force in December 2009 and was amended on the 23rd of May 2010. With a scope similar to EU REACH and with data requirements following a tiered approach, the first deadline of 31^st March, 2011 (deadline for the substances that are manufactured or imported prior to January 1, 2010) although extended, met many manufacturers and importers unprepared.

Switzerland, on February 1, 2009 moved toward REACH implementation with the partial revision of the Swiss Chemicals Ordinance (ChemO, RS 813.11), but only for new substances placed on the Swiss market in quantities over 1m tonnes/year. No changes to this regulation this year.

Africa (South Africa, Nigeria….)

In March 2011 Enhesa, a regulatory consultancy firm in Belgium, organised a webinar on the explosion of EHS regulations throughout Africa. It revealed that countries such as Botswana and Kenya lack regulations and enforcement, while Ghana and Morocco have regulations but little enforcement. South Africa has the strongest regulation and enforcement capabilities amongst African countries; Algeria and Nigeria are not far behind. 

The webinar also highlighted the major trends in the environmental, health and safety and products areas and concluded that countries in Africa will continue to take the first steps to implement GHS. Economic growth will continue throughout Africa providing opportunities for companies to expand and move operations into Africa. A company can expect African countries to strengthen EHS regulatory frameworks, which will differ from the typical U.S. and European approach.

Australia

All manufacturers and importers of chemicals for commercial purposes must register with the National Industrial Chemicals Notification Assessment Scheme (NICNAS) regardless of the tonnage. In Australia there is also a system of notification of industrial chemicals. However, for a substance to be eligible for registration or notification, it should not be listed in the Australian Inventory Chemical Substances (AICS).  Mn and Mn-based substances are not listed in the inventory mainly because they are not yet considered as chemicals in Australia. However, In January 2011 this regulation was adjusted to incorporate nanomaterials which could include Mn and Mn-based substances if they meet the definition of nanoparticles.

In May 2011, ECHA met with NICNAS and signed a memorandum of a shared commitment to improve chemical safety. The aim is to strengthen the scientific dialogue between the European Union and Australia and to increase co-operation on technical matters and other issues of common interest, including the hazards and emerging risks of chemical substances, risk management tools, scientific collaboration and information exchange. 

An Executive Summary of the Best Practices Shared

Background

In 2009 the IMnI’s OHES Committee, with the support of the IMnI Board, agreed to launch a series of best practice-safety workshops with the aim of raising the bar on industry workers’ safety. The first workshop took place in the fall of 2010 at BHP Billiton’s TEMCO plant in Tasmania, Australia. The 2^nd, sponsored by Eramet and held on May 2-3 at Eramet’s plant in Kvinesdal, Norway was a resounding success. Over 20 delegates representing 9 different countries participated in the workshop. The theme: Liquid Metal Hazards and Water Risk in Engineering Processes.

The Workshop

Day 1: Tour of Eramet’s Kvinesdal alloy plant. Here, details on how the plant maximises safety, were showcased with 3 unique take home messages:

a) A clean and organised working environment improves workers’ safety

b) Energy used can be reused effectively – a financial and environmental benefit

c) Water used should be recycled when and where possible

Day 2: Eight presentations highlighting engineering and occupational health procedures sure to improve on safety

The workshop closed with a discussion session on the above mentioned theme with a focus on engineering process and occupational health. It is clear that the information shared and the topics discussed are crucial to the safety of the industry’s workers and certainly, participants gained new and invaluable knowledge on liquid metal, its characteristics and the hazards it poses from the standpoint of occupational health, safety and engineering. 

Major Points Raised during Discussion:

• There should be a change of direction on safety: move from reliance on BBS (Behaviour Based Safety) to MTO (Man, Technology and Organisation). The interactions between these MTO activities are vital as man can cause accidents, but can also prevent errors.
• The key is to prevent accidents and, if they occur, to minimise consequences. Hence barriers, physical, operational and, organisational should be put in place.
• Understand the basic physico-chemical characteristics of water and molten metal - a perfect combination for explosions.
• Risks in electric feed, raw materials, water cooling and poisonous gases should be understood.
• Increase the number of safety barriers, such as furnace containment pits, water leakage detection system, BURKER-type optical device that measures changes to water flow in the circuit (hence a possible leak), the use of Nitrogen gas regulatory system to detect cooling water levels, inspection by shift operators, relining of the furnace, H2 analysis…
• How to react and respond to an incident: process changes, training, PPE improvements, limit the number of people in high risk areas of the plant...
• Video type training was encouraged as it became clear that many workers could not read &so did not understand their safety instructions.
• Safety statistics showed that workers who get hurt will likely get hurt again, and hence should be target subjects for training or if diagnosed to be clumsy should be re-allocated to other tasks.
• An industry safety index was proposed to allow benchmarking between member companies and industry.

IMnI hosted its 37^th Annual Conference on Jeju Island, South Korea from 24-26 May. The event did not disappoint. With 160 delegates in attendance and an excellent line-up of speakers it lived up to its standing as the premier Mn-dedicated global event.

All 16 presentations are now available on IMnI’s website. You can download them in both English and Chinese by following this link: Presentations - 37th Annual Conference Jeju

If you have any questions regarding past of future events, please contact us at: events@manganese.org

Methods for measuring occupational exposure vary across the globe for several reasons including regulatory compliance. The IMnI, with the help of the Institute of Occupational Medicine (IOM), Edinburgh, UK, have developed a harmonized reference method for measuring Mn exposure in the workplace. This method can be used in those countries without a regulatory requirement and in those countries that have a regulatory requirement, it can be used alongside the mandatory method. The universal use of this proposed method will provide greater confidence and security for comparing workers’ Mn exposure between sites, companies and countries. It will also help to identify best practices in operational procedures and risk management.

For your free copy please click here.

IMnI’s Annual China Banquet Dinner took place during Metal Bulletin’s 12th Asian Ferro-Alloys Conference on Monday, March 28.

It was hosted by IMnI ore-producing members: BHP Billiton, Consolidated Minerals, Minera Autlan, OM Holdings, Ore and Metal (Assmang), United Manganese of Kalahari (UMK) and Vale, who were all present.

On this occasion, IMnI renewed its yearly tradition of bringing together ore producing members with Chinese members, so they can get to know each other better in an informal setting. It was a successful and enjoyable evening, with over 60 attendees.

The IMnI 2nd Safety Workshop at Eramet’s Norway plant in Kvinesdal will take place on Monday, May 2nd and Tuesday, May 3rd.

Workshop sessions:

Monday, May 2: Site Tour of the Kvinesdal plant with specific attention to practical safety issues

Tuesday, May 3: Presentations on safety aspects focusing on molten metal and Water risks

The 37^th Annual Conference will open on Tuesday, May 24 with a technical visit to Posco’s steel plant in Gwanyang and close on Thursday, May 26 with a Banquet Dinner at the Spirited Garden. Jeju Island is the location and the Shilla Hotel, the venue.

 Conference Sessions’ Themes:

Wednesday, May 25

Session 1: “World Economy: Cultural Drivers of Regional Development”

Session 2: “New Asian Demand”

Thursday, May 26

Session 3: “New Mn Projects – IMnI Best Presentation Award”

Session 4: “Manganese Alloy Industry: A Shifting Landscape”

For Registration kit and Program please visit here: AC Jeju 2011

The regulation on Classification, Labeling and Packaging (CLP) of substances and mixtures, which implements the Global Harmonisation System (GHS) in the European Union (EU), entered into force on January 20, 2009. While December 1, 2010 is the deadline for the (re)classification of substances to CLP, January 3, 2011 is the deadline for the notification to the classification and labeling inventory of substances.

To assist in the harmonization of this (these) notification(s), IMnI has prepared proposed classifications in accordance with the CLP regulation No. 1272/2008 for Manganese and some inorganic manganese-based substances. The proposal is a result of an extensive literature review, read-across and/or testing. See proposed list below:

1. Manganese_CLP Notification

2. Manganese carbonate_CLP Notification

3. Manganese sulphate_CLP Notifcation

4. Manganese oxide_ CLP Notifcation

5. Manganese dioxide_CLP Notifcation

6. Sinter Ore_CLP Notification

7. Manganese sulphide_CLP Notification

8. Slag, silicomanganese-Manuf’g_CLP Notifcation

9. Slags, ferromanganese-Manuf’g_CLP Notifcation

10. Trimanganese tetraoxide_CLP Notifcation

11. Manganese nitrate_CLP Notification

These files can be found on our website here: http://manganese.org/health_safety_and_environment/studies

Minerais US LLC has applied for Affiliate Membership. A trading house, Minerais has appointed Chairman Thomas Mayrides as its representative at the IMnI.

Simbol Materials has applied for Affiliate Membership. Based in Pleasanton, California, the privately owned company established in 2007 plans to produce Mn sulphate and EMD. President and CEO Luka Erceg will be representing Simbol at the IMnI.

Luxembourg-based trading house Luxalloys S.A. has applied for Affiliate Membership. The company, established in 2001 and part of the Fesil Group, has appointed Business Development Manager Mr. Parham Ghazi Saeedi as its representative to the IMnI.

The REACH Mn Consortium Secretariat, along with the nominated lead registrants, has successfully submitted 10 full registration dossiers to the ECHA.

The next steps are:

• Issue LoA and security token to consortium Members/Only Representatives (from end July)
• Provide, for a fee, access to the dossier (LoA) to all other SIEF participants (from August)

Some points to note for companies intending to register a substance(s):

• You, or your Only Rep, will need a letter of access (LoA) from the consortium for each legal entity registrant and for each substance.
• The IUCLID security token has a validity of 30 days. If you do not use it during this period another token can be easily generated.
• You have until 30 November 2010 to complete your REACH registration; however, we would recommend you do so before the end of September.
• For ferroalloys, you will need to obtain the LoA from the Fe and Si consortia if you have not already joined the respective consortium.
• Remember, your registration will be rejected by the ECHA if you do not pay its invoice on time.

IMnI will be releasing its first ever Members Directory. All members will be contacted shortly and asked to provide company information to be included in the directory. Once prepared, the directory will be available to all members through the IMnI website. We ask that all members reply to information requests as timely as possible so that we can post the directory soon.

The IMnI is polling delegates of its 36^th annual conference, which took place in Paris last month. Many of you may have already received an email directing you to the brief questionnaire on the Survey Monkey platform. We thank those of you who have taken the time to fill it out. If you attended the conference but have not yet filled out the questionnaire, we would greatly encourage you to do so. Your feedback is highly appreciated and will help ensure that future conferences live up to your expectations.

If you attended the conference and would like to take the 1-2 minute survey, please follow this link: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/7JPMJ8H

It was befitting that IMnI celebrated its 35^th Anniversary in Paris with its largest turnout of delegates ever. There were 185 delegates in attendance for IMnI’s 36^th Annual Conference, which took place from June 11 through 13. There were many key features that made the conference such a success.

Top-flight speakers…

Kirby Adams, CEO of Corus, Jim Lennon of Macquarie and Robert Ward of the Economist Intelligence Unit were only a few of the excellent speakers to give presentations. Robert Ward introduced the delegation to ‘CIVETS’, his list of countries to watch for future growth outside of the ‘BRIC’ countries. Jim Lennon gave an all-encompassing paper on Mn and Kirby Adams enlightened us on the future landscape of the steel industry. Among the other notable speakers were José Carlos Martins of Vale, Charles-Edouard Bouée of Roland Berger Strategy Consultants and Xin Yaoyuan of SMM Information & Technology Co. Ltd. A wide range of topics were covered including energy, shipping, health and safety and the Chinese domestic ore market. To see all presentations, please visit:

http://manganese.org/events/past_imni_events/2010_imni_36th_annual_conference_-_paris

Changes in Leadership… 

After three fruitful years, Alastair Stalker stepped down as IMnI Chairman; he remains on the Board. The General Assembly approved Peter Toth, of OM Holdings, as his successor. Showing ambition right from the start, Peter has asked all IMnI committees to launch individual 5-Yr Plans to build on previous achievements and ensure the Institute continues to identify and meet the needs of its members. Paul Doetsch of BHP Billiton fills Alastair’s seat on the Executive Committee, joining Arnaud Tissidre of Eramet and the new Chairman Peter Toth.

New Committee Members…

• EPD Division: Thomas Gluck, Baja Mining Corp.
• OHES Committee: G.P. Kundargi, MOIL
• Statistics Committee: Denny Sabah, Ronly Holdings Ltd.

Technical Tour…

Vale welcomed visitors to its HC FeMn plant in Dunkirk on Monday, June 14. Two presentations were given: one on the characteristics of the plant and the other on the freeze-lining technology recently installed. These were followed by a tour of the plant.  The day ended with a Vale hosted lunch. Both presentations can be found though the link given above.

Finally, IMnI extends its thanks to our sponsors and exhibitors…

IMnI would also like to thank its members companies that supported the event by sponsoring part of the social program. Thanks to Ronly Holdings for sponsoring our Welcome Cocktail, Minera Autlan for sponsoring Lunch on the first day, FerroAtlantica for sponsoring Lunch on the second day and to Eramet and Vale for sponsoring the Banquet Dinner at the Abbaye de Royaumont.

The IMnI would like to thank the two companies that took out exhibition stands at the event. They were Harlan Laboratories and Euroports / CTB Magemon. To learn more about what these exhibitors have to offer your company, please visit our industry partners and suppliers page by following this link:

 http://manganese.org/events/mn_industry_suppliers_and_partners 

A model for predicting Mn toxicity to aquatic organisms was presented at the recent Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry meeting in Seville, Spain. The SETAC Europe annual meeting is Europe's biggest meeting on environmental toxicology and chemistry.

Co-author, the IMnI’s Dr Keven Harlow, explains that Biotic Ligand Models (BLMs), which are able to predict toxicity to organisms as a function of water chemistry, have been developed for several metals in recent years, and have been adopted for regulatory applications in some cases. These models are typically developed from laboratory tests and are validated against tests performed on natural water samples. This BLM can closely predict the observed Mn toxicity in natural waters.

To see poster of findings, click here 

Italian Trading House, Sineco Spa has applied for IMnI Affiliate Membership. A family-owned company based in Follo, Sineco has appointed Director Andrea Ghezzi to represent it at the IMnI.

Chinese SiMn producer Ningxia Tongji International Trade Co., Ltd. has applied for Ordinary Membership. Founded in 2004, this private company operates a plant in Inner Mongolia and has grown to be a major Mn alloy producer in the region with two new 31MVA furnaces built early this year. The company attended the Annual Conference in Dubai last year. Board Chairman Mr. Chen Tao has been appointed to represent Ningxia Tongji at the IMnI.

With roughly three weeks to go, 165 delegates have already registered for our upcoming conference in Paris next month. This will be our biggest annual conference to date. Member companies that have already pledged to sponsor events are Eramet Comilog Manganese, VALE, Ronly Alloy Ltd, Ferroatlantica, S.L. and Compania Minera Autlan S.A.B de C.V.. Exhibitor stands have been booked by Euroports and Harlan, suppliers to the Mn industry.

To see the updated delegate list, program and other conference information, please visit our upcoming IMnI events page by clicking here: 36th Annual Conference 

IMnI’s EPD partner Huacheng has created a webpage with full details of our 7^th EPD Conference in Nanning, including summaries of each presentation. The Conference, which took place on March 23, was the best to date, with over 200 delegates in attendance and outstanding presentations.

To visit the webpage, please visit: http://www.hme01.com/hy/mnhyeng.html 

This year’s annual conference is only 5 weeks away and the delegation already stands at 131, much higher in comparison to our last two conferences at the same point in time. If the trend of registrations continues, we can expect over 180 in attendance.

Will you be joining us?

Find all conference information, including an updated list of delegates by clicking the link below:

IMnI’s 36^th Annual Conference 2010 - Westin, Paris 

Dr Keven Harlow, Mn REACH Consortium Manager, presented to the ferroalloy industry at the Metal Bulletin 25th International Ferroalloy conference in Monaco. Current progress with REACH and key steps for potential registrants were reviewed – the main message being that REACH is here and here to stay; you can’t ignore your obligations. To open presentation, please click here.

IMnI's latest Annual Review highlighting our industry in 2009 is now available at: http://www.manganese.org/about_imni/annual_reviews

The IMnI took part in four major events in the past couple of weeks.

On March 18, IMnI held its 2^nd Indian Workshop in Raipur with its Indian members. Marketing & Communications Committee Chairman Brett Suann and Secretary General Anne Tremblay took part and Marketing & Communications Committee member Manish Sarda graciously hosted the event. Seven Indian member companies were represented. Full details of the proceedings will be in the next issue of Mn Matters.

On March 23, IMnI hosted its 7^th EPD China Conference in Nanning in conjunction with its 4 China partners. With a delegation of over 210, it was the most successful EPD event to date and is now rightfully considered to be the premier global event for EPD. After an excellent line-up of presentations, the conference wrapped up with an interactive forum. All presentations will be available on our website soon, in both English and Chinese, at: EPD Presentations

On March 25, IMnI participated in Metal Bulletin’s 11^th Asian Ferroalloy Conference. IMnI Secretary General chaired the manganese session. Manish Sarda, of Sarda Energy & Minerals, as well as Market Analyst Mark Camaj both gave presentations. They will be available soon at: MB Conference Presentations

On March 31, IMnI held a Safety Workshop at BHPB’s TEMCO Plant in Tasmania. The workshop focused on employee safety through the prevention of furnace explosions. Papers on the furnace leak detection technology developed by Siemens and used at TEMCO were presented and attendees were given a plant tour. There were 25 participants from IMnI member and potential member companies. Presentations will be available on our website by Tuesday April 6, at: TEMCO Presentations

The International Manganese Institute (IMnI) plans to raise the bar on safety (notably that related to human health) and on environmental protection. To achieve this goal, the IMnI will be organizing safety workshops for its members and the manganese industry at large on a regular basis.

To launch the new series, IMnI is organizing a 2-day workshop at BHP Billiton’s TEMCO plant in Tasmania (Australia), this coming 30 and 31 March. The workshop will showcase TEMCO’s water-leak detection technology as well as other safety-driven technologies.

Statistically, furnaces accidents almost inevitably result in fatalities. Being able to view and understand first-hand the unique overall water leak strategy and Siemens water-leakage detection system installed in TEMCO’s Mn alloy furnaces are crucial for the industry.

Take advantage of this rare offer to learn, share knowledge and improve on safety in your plants. We invite you to register by contacting us at ohes@manganese.org.

For more information on the workshop, please contact IMnI’s OHES Manager Doreen McGough at ohes@manganese.org.

IMnI's 2010 Annual Conference will be held in Paris at the Westin from Friday, June 11 to Sunday June 13, 2010. Sign up today!

For program and registration, please follow this link: AC 2010 

The 36^th Annual Conference will open on Friday, June 11^th with the Welcome Cocktail and close on Sunday, June 13^th with a Banquet Dinner at Royamont Abbey.  Paris is the host city and the Westin Hotel, the venue.

As in the past few years, the IMnI Annual Conference (Paris, June 11-13) will be planned around two full mornings, each hosting two sessions. This is a popular schedule as it allows attendees to attend the sessions, while giving them plenty of time in the afternoons to plan their business meetings.

Conference Theme: “Where Are We in the History of Industrial Development?”

Session Themes:

Saturday, June 12

Session 1: “Where Are the Great Civilisations Today in the History of Industrial Development?”

Session 2: “Great Civilisations and Their Steel Industries”

Sunday: June 13

Session 3: “The Steel & Manganese Industries: Global Overviews”

Session 4: “Major Global Drivers of the Manganese Business”

Speakers Already Lined Up Include:

Kirby Adams, CEO of Corus

Roger Agnelli, CEO of Vale

Jim Lennon, Executive Director, Macquarie Research

Helen O’Malley, Senior Consultant, CRU Analysis

And more...

For program, please follow this link: Draft Program or visit IMnI's Upcoming Events page to see all conferences and related files.

Sign up today!

IMnI’s 36^th Annual Conference will be held in Paris, from Friday, June 11 through Sunday, June 13, 2010.  Optional technical tours are scheduled for Monday, June 14.

Registration information is now available on our website, please click here: IMnI's 36th Annual Conference

A summary of the minutes will be available on IMnI’s website by the end of the month.