Posts Tagged ‘columbite’

Video Introduction to Conflict Minerals tool SICMAP℠ Released

As previously announced, The Elm Consulting Group International LLC today released its Self-Implemented Conflict Minerals Audit Preparation© (SICMAP℠) for commercial availability. As part of the product release, a short introductory video provides an overview of the tool, its features and functionality. We are in the process of uploading a true HD version of the video on our website. Until that is completed, the version posted here has limited resolution even when viewed in HD mode (the “HD” icon in the upper right hand corner of the viewer window below.) If you have access to YouTube, the video can be viewed in better quality here.

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Elm Launches Groundbreaking Low Cost Conflict Minerals Audit Preparation Tool

Updated March 2012:  See our most recent announcement. The Elm Consulting Group International LLC today announces a groundbreaking cost effective tool to support companies preparing for conflict minerals traceability audits or customer inquiries. The delay in SEC’s final rule triggered many questions from companies about planning and pre-audit preparation.  This led us to a solution that is valuable in almost any foreseeable final regulation scope/content and companies planning responses to customer inquiries – yet significantly reduces costs during this period of uncertainty. Elm’s Self-Implemented Conflict Minerals Audit Preparation© (SICMAP℠) is conceptually similar to a self-audit checklist.  SICMAP℠ is a spreadsheet tool that maximizes the use of internal company staff for cost reduction and implementation flexibility to develop and review conflict minerals programs in advance of third party auditing. SICMAP℠ focuses on basic program elements equally relevant to companies responding to customer inquiries/procurement requirements and those working to comply with the upcoming SEC regulations on conflict minerals.   Successive and more complex tasks – for both program development and audit preparation – are identified based on initial SICMAP℠ findings, lessons learned from working through the SICMAP℠ process, and the final regulatory requirements once they are known.  The final rule, when published, will

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Elm to Make Major Conflict Minerals Service Announcement May 31

On Tuesday May 31, The Elm Consulting Group International LLC will formally announce a major development in our conflict minerals traceability services. Lawrence Heim, Elm Director and leader of the firm’s conflict minerals services: SEC’s delay in promulgating their final conflict minerals rule has resulted in a significant amount of uncertainty within affected companies.  Many of these companies are challenged by cost constraints as they seek information, guidance and solutions to yet-unknown compliance standards.  Our announcement next week provides a highly cost-effective solution in balancing these challenges. If you would like to receive the announcement and related information directly, send an email to Lheim@elmgroup.com.

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Wikipedia on “Conflict Minerals” Updated, Expanded

The wikipedia entry on conflict minerals has been substantially edited to reflect recent events, add definitions and provide details on the substantive provisions of the auditing and disclosure requirements of the law.

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Leading Edge Information Technology to Support Elm’s Conflict Minerals Traceability Services

The Elm Consulting Group International LLC (Elm) earlier this week launched our Conflict Minerals Traceability Service in response to recent US legal and international economic policy developments concerning “Conflict Minerals”.  Conflict Minerals are defined by the United States’ Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the international Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) as tin, tantalum, tungsten, gold and the ores from which these materials originate. Today, Elm announces an enhancement to the Conflict Minerals Traceability Service.  We will be leveraging cutting-edge information technology through our relationship with Sentiment360, a leading Internet data monitoring and analytics company.  Using Sentiment360, Elm’s unparalleled depth of information review – far beyond standard data reviews – may yield critical insight into conflict mineral provenance. Lawrence Heim, Director at Elm: “As audit activities get closer to the mining and exportation of the ore, concern increases over the veracity of the information.  These concerns have been expressed by the SEC, OECD and by trade associations developing conflict minerals traceability programs.  The public and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) also have similar apprehensions.” “In discussions with Sentiment360 soon after Elm broadcast information about our Conflict Minerals Traceability Service, we concluded there is an excellent fit for Sentiment360 in these

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Now Available – Summary Review/Comparison of Conflict Mineral Supply Chain Traceability Audit Programs

Elm has developed a short summary review of conflict minerals audit programs based on our industry-leading first-hand experience conducting these audits, and leveraging our extensive international senior-level health, safety and environmental (HSE) auditing expertise. If you are interested in receiving our summary document, please send us an email (lheim@elmgroup.com) or feel free to call us.  We look forward to hearing from you soon.  

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Conflict Mineral Law Signed as Part of Wall Street Reform Legislation

In case you missed it, the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act signed into law yesterday by President Obama also included new auditing and disclosure requirements for companies who use certain ores/minerals in their products. The requirements apply to certain materials that originate from the Democratic Republic of the Congo – called “conflict minerals”.  These are defined as columbite-tantalite (coltan), cassiterite, gold, wolframite, or their derivatives; or any other mineral or its derivatives determined by the Secretary of State to be financing conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo or an adjoining country. The text of the new legislation that was included in the Dodd-Frank bill signed into law is below. SEC. 1502. CONFLICT MINERALS. (a) SENSE OF CONGRESS ON EXPLOITATION AND TRADE OF CONFLICT MINERALS ORIGINATING IN THE DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO. It is the sense of Congress that the exploitation and trade of conflict minerals originating in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is helping to finance conflict characterized by extreme levels of violence in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, particularly sexual- and gender-based violence, and contributing to an emergency humanitarian situation therein, warranting the provisions of section 13(p) of the Securities

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