Savannah Resources PLC (AIM:SAV, ETR:SAV, OTC:SAVNF) has highlighted its progress towards the completion of a social impact assessment for its Barroso lithium project in Northern Portugal.
The company, in a statement, noted the findings from a programme of interviews with local residents which took place in October.
Resident insights included requests of more information about the project to be shared with stakeholders, along with some concern for any potential impacts to the local environment including biodiversity, water resources and the local agricultural economy.
It noted other concerns amongst residents such as potential negative impacts on the local standard of living arising from dust, noise and increased traffic in the area.
On the other side, they saw positives such as the potential for job creation along with associated development of infrastructure in the area, and the potential for the project to be a catalyst for wider economic development in the region. It could, for example, help reverse a long trend of declining population, which the community members saw as positive.
Savannah intends to submit its final report for its first phase of the social impact assessment to the APA, the Portuguese environmental regulator, during the current quarter.
"I express my thanks to all community members who agreed to take part in this initial survey conducted by community Insights, we look forward to hearing and engaging with many more local people as the process continues,” Savannah chief executive Dale Ferguson said.
“We value the feedback greatly and will continue to be in 'listening mode' for the community with feedback to date being hugely valuable. This feedback has helped inform our approach as we seek to complete the work on revising aspects of the project design, in collaboration with APA.
“These physical aspects include infrastructure, management of local water resources, landscape impacts and ecological systems. Once these revised designs are finalised and submitted to APA later this quarter, we look forward to being able to share much more detail on them, and the project as a whole, with all stakeholders.”
Ferguson added: “APA has also requested that we look further at the socio-economic aspects of the project, such as its impact on other local businesses.
“We are in the process of doing this too as we look to deepen the links between the project and all stakeholders in the local area.
“Savannah places great importance on its relationship with community members and hopes to become a valued and useful presence in local society.
“In order to do that we must not only design and operate the project responsibly and to the standards required by the conditions placed upon it through the licencing process, but also by respecting and supporting the people, traditions, and culture of the area, which are so important to its identity.”