Press release: Oyu Tolgoi promotes world-class environmental standards to Mongolia

– Oyu Tolgoi to host the “Mining Rehabilitation Workshop-2012” at its mine site –

Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia – Oyu Tolgoi will promote and share its world class environmental standards at the Mine Rehabilitation Workshop as part of efforts to ensure that Mongolia’s fast developing mining sector develops in an environmentally sustainable way.

The workshop, begun by the State Professional Inspection Agency, in 2006, aims to promote the exchange of best practices and ideas among the nation’s mining firms. Oyu Tolgoi employees have been regular attendees at this important annual event.

This year’s Mine Rehabilitation Workshop will be hosted at Oyu Tolgoi in the South Gobi in the third quarter. It will be jointly organized by Oyu Tolgoi LLC and the State Professional Inspection Agency.

Mark Newby, the Oyu Tolgoi Principal Advisor of Environment said: “Mining in Mongolia is moving forward very quickly and this is a good initiative to create positive solutions that crop up in the industry. We are looking forward to sharing our experiences as well as hearing what other Gobi regions miners’ have to say so we can explore best practice solutions to common issues.”

Oyu Tolgoi aims to work closely with the Mongolian laws on the environmental conservation. Good management of land resources is critical to sustainable mining and keeping degradation of resources to a minimum by restoring surface soils, as well as the general restoration of all areas damaged by operations.

About Oyu Tolgoi LLC (http://en.ot.mn/)

Oyu Tolgoi LLC is Mongolia's largest copper and gold mining company and is a strategic partnership between the Government of Mongolia (34 per cent stake), Ivanhoe Mines (66 per cent) and Rio Tinto. Rio Tinto is the major shareholder in Ivanhoe Mines and the manager of the Oyu Tolgoi project. In addition to dividends from its 34 per cent stake in Oyu Tolgoi, the Government of Mongolia will receive taxes and royalties.

Oyu Tolgoi, located in the Gobi desert in southern Mongolia, will be one of the largest and highest-grade copper and gold mines in the world. It is the largest project ever developed in Mongolia, requiring a capital investment for phase 1 of more than US$6 billion.

Oyu Tolgoi is committed to contributing to a sustainable future for Mongolia. At least 9 out of 10 employees will be Mongolian once the mine is in production and Oyu Tolgoi is investing US$58 million dollars (78 billion MNT) in training and education and an additional US$27 million dollars (36 billion MNT) in the Workforce Employment Project designed to help address the general skills shortage in Mongolia

Oyu Tolgoi's key priorities are the health and safety of employees, best-practice environmental management, contributing to sustainable communities and always doing business with integrity, for the benefit of all the project's shareholders and the people of Mongolia.

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