Environmental Assessment of Planned Economic Activities
KMG implements a comprehensive approach to environmental impact assessment of economic activities, ensuring identification, analysis, and mitigation of potential environmental risks. Within this framework, environmental reviews are conducted for all new projects, with mandatory public input and an assessment of possible impacts on ecosystems.
Environmental Assessment Procedure and Public Participation
The environmental assessment includes an analysis of the potential environmental impacts of planned projects and enables early identification and prevention of negative effects. Public participation is an essential part of this process and is carried out through:
- Informal meetings and discussions with stakeholders;
- Collection of written and verbal proposals from the public;
- Open meetings and public hearings.
All significant projects are submitted for public hearings involving non-governmental organizations, government agencies, members of the public, and other stakeholders. Hearings are conducted in an open format, and the outcomes are documented and made publicly available.
In 2024, KMG held 18 meetings with community representatives and conducted 100 public hearings.
Case Examples
- On October 23, 2024, Embamunaigas JSC organized a site visit to the production facilities of the Dossormunaigas Oil and Gas Production Department at the request of community representatives. During the visit, participants received answers to questions concerning environmental protection and other aspects of the company’s operations.
- On August 8, 2024, a meeting of the Public Environmental Council was held at the Atyrau Oil Refinery. Participants were presented with the plant’s plans to minimize environmental impact, including a project for the construction of a comprehensive wastewater treatment and feedwater preparation facility. The implementation of this project will:
- Reduce water intake from the Ural River by up to 50 %;
- Enable the reuse of wastewater, reducing discharge volume by 70 %.
During the Q&A session, key environmental issues were discussed, including the permit for discharging wastewater into the Atyrau city wastewater treatment facilities and the expansion of the plant’s sanitary protection zone.
- On the same day, an open house was held at the Atyrau Refinery to mark the 125th anniversary of Kazakhstan’s oil industry. The event was attended by eco-activists, government officials, members of the public, and the media. Participants were introduced to the refinery’s environmental initiatives, including the launch of an automated emissions monitoring system (AEMS) on the reforming unit’s stack, and toured the mechanical treatment facilities (MTF) following their reconstruction.
Update of Corporate Standards in 2024
In 2024, KMG updated its Corporate Environmental Assessment Standard, which establishes unified corporate principles for assessing the environmental impact of economic activities.
The standard regulates:
- the activities of employees and contractors of the KMG Group of companies,
- the work of design organizations involved in preparing technical documentation and environmental impact assessment (EIA) materials,
- the organization of public consultations and consideration of public opinion,
- the process of obtaining environmental permits.
The update of this standard is aimed at enhancing the environmental safety of all KMG projects and strengthening corporate oversight of compliance with environmental regulations.