Environment
For the sake of improving its production processes, committed to the conscious use of natural resources, in addition to monitoring and minimizing the impacts caused by the company’s production activities, Usiminas makes constant investments. Actions are developed to increase energy efficiency in operations, optimize process control, generate its own energy through the reuse of gases from the company’s activities, and monitor climate change.
3 thousand
hectares of preserved areas in the Steel Valley Region
400
hectares of preserved native and mixed forest in the green belt area
• 20 thousand plant seedlings
produced per year from an overall of nearly 3 million
Air Quality
Air quality in the regions where Usiminas primary areas are located is constantly checked by the Environmental Monitoring Center, which monitors atmospheric emissions from the company”s production processes. Additionally, we count on initiatives to decrease emissions of sedimentable particles, also known as black dust.
Monitoring
Usiminas has water treatment systems and stations to monitor water effluents according to the requirements established by law. Aiming to preserve this input, so vital to our production processes.Green Areas
An historical commitment of Usiminas has been the promotion of integrated development between economic needs and environmental preservation. Bearing this in mind, we currently keep almost 3 thousand hectares of preserved areas in Steel Valley Region, where one of our units is located. Among our initiatives we include actions for urban forestation and city visual and thermal comfort.
Green Belt
The Green Belt started to be implemented in the first years of Usiminas operations, with the purpose of forming natural barriers toreduce the impact of production activities and increase the size of green areas in the city. Around Ipatinga Plant, there are almost 400 hectares of green area that extend throughout 11 neighborhoods in the city.Riparian Forest
Riparian forests are intended to protect spring areas and are extremely important for the species that live there. They also protect rivers that suffer from silting up. In partnership with the “Relictos Foundation”, a local NGO, and the State Forestry Institute (IEF), more than 20 km of riparian forest have already been recovered.covering more than 240 hectares of reforested area, equivalent to 230 soccer pitches
Natural Heritage Private Reserve
Usiminas has planted and preserves a real private forest in Ipatinga, on the outskirts of Usipa Sports and Recreation Association. Covering 204 hectares, this area was reforested by the company in the 1980s and is now a Natural Heritage Private Reserve (RPPN). It is also home to Usiminas Seedling Nursery, where more than 3 million seedlings have already been produced.Plant a Life
This program, which has been held since 2007 at Cubatão Plant, promotes the planting of native trees from the Atlantic Forest to celebrate the birth or adoption of children of employees at the facility. This initiative has integrated about 2,000 new tree seedlings to the green area of Cubatão Plant, covering more than 1 million square meters, divided between natural areas, such as “Casqueirinho” and “Tapera” hills, and woodlands and gardens. In Steel Valley, this program was implemented at Ipatinga Plant in 2018. Currently, more than 400 employees from the “Usiminas”, “Unigal” and “Usiminas Mecânica” have already taken part in this project.
Seedling Nursery
One of Usiminas main commitments is to preserve the environment around our production activities. The Seedling Nursery is one of the sustainability strategies developed to contribute to preservation and environmental education in a community-friendly manner. Every year, nearly 20,000 seedlings are grown in this space.Water Recirculation
Water is an essential and strategic commodity for Usiminas. The company is committed to reducing consumption and reusing it, either through improvements in its production process or through reuse techniques. Most of the water used is directed to recirculation centers installed, enabling its reuse. A small part is returned to rivers after being treated. Usiminas collects water from rivers nearby its plants and from deep tube wells, duly licensed by the competent environmental agencies. The average rate of fresh water recirculation in steel plants is close to 95%, as a result of the work developed internally to maximize the recycling of waste water and its rational use.
