The Company has an Environmental Management System (EMS) certified in the International Organization for Standardization Standard- ISO 14.001:2015 in most of its units and maintains a channel open to internal and external public through the Green Line. Among its business units, CSN is ISO Certification 14.001:2015 at:
The other units are in the process of implementing the EMS and have been following a corporate program for its progressive advancement, in accordance with the guidelines of ISO 14.001:2015.
The organization also acts in a preventive manner, since knowing the impacts, controls and risks inherent to each stage of the operation facilitates the fulfillment of market demands, as well as ensuring the legal compliance of the activities and the operational safety of the process.
CSN has been developing a constant stakeholder mapping and since 2012 has been using environmental, social and economic impact mapping criteria according to the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) guidelines for all its operations. The data and indicators obtained in this process allow the performance to be monitored and its exposure to socio-environmental risks and future opportunities to be assessed.
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As a major energy consumer in the country, CSN has a Corporate Management responsible for managing energy stakes, which assesses consumption, identifies opportunities and makes projections of energy consumption and purchase.
Since 1999, the Company has been investing in electricity generation projects, aiming to guarantee a large part of its annual consumption. Its assets in this segment are the Itá Hydroelectric Power Plant (SC), the Igarapava Hydroelectric Power Plant (MG), the Thermoelectric Power Plant, which reuses gases from the steelmaking process, and the Top Recovery Turbine (TRT), which operate together inside of the Presidente Vargas Power Plant – UPV, in Volta Redonda (RJ).
The diversification of the energy matrix was the driver of the project known as TRT, based on the use of the kinetic energy existing in the blast furnace gas 3. This process change has been benefiting the Company since 2014 with the increase of own generation and reduction of environmental impacts, since this kinetic energy operates via gas pressure from the do blast furnace 3.
All CSN’s energy assets are capable of generating something very close to the amount of electricity demanded by all industrial units, representing a very attractive avoided cost, with the non-payment of the demand for the use of the external distribution network, the sector charges and the local distributor’s own energy tariff.
CSN has been prioritizing water management internally, assessing the efficient use of its operations to increase reuse and recirculation. It also participates in various external discussions promoted by trade associations, Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), Basin Committees, such as the Middle Paraíba do Sul Basin Committee, Paraíba do Sul River Basin Integration Committee, State Water Resources Council. of Rio de Janeiro, National Water Resources Council and Participation of Standards Revisions of the Brazilian Association of Technical Standards (ABNT). Strategic management planning aims at:
None of the water sources that are located in a protected area were significantly affected by CSN’s activities, either by abstraction or disposal. The Company maintains a strict water quality measurement system for its return to the environment, so that the quality of the water returned is superior to the water collected. Some highlights of our main operation – Presidente Vargas Plant.
Some of CSN’s units are located in regions that have protected areas, such as legal reserves, permanent preservation areas and private natural heritage reserves. CSN has a proposal for monitoring and defining guiding elements for the production and organization of information and data related to biodiversity, ensuring continuous improvement in knowledge management.
The Territorial Management of the Middle Paraíba do Sul, for example, provides mapping of land use and occupation of thet middle Paraíba do Sul basin – located in Rio de Janeiro, identifying priority areas for environmental recovery and resoration, totaling 6,426 km² with image analysis. satellite channels used for database structuring.
Next to the cement and steel industry in Volta Redonda (RJ) is the Cicuta Forest Ecological Interest Area (ARIE), with 131.28 hectares of Atlantic Forest biome. In addition, CSN Mineração has a Legal Reserve area in Congonhas (MG) and Ouro Branco (MG). The predominant biome of this reserve is the Atlantic Forest. In addition, it has a Private Natural Heritage Reserve in Queluzito (MG). In these areas, species such as yellow-ipe, pink cedar, candeia, copaíba, ingá, jequitibá and canela.
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