Green light for Rio Tinto’s West Angelas expansion in the Pilbara
PERTH (miningweekly.com) – The Western Australian Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) has approved plans by mining major Rio Tinto to expand opencut mining at its West Angelas mine, in the Pilbara.
Rio, and its joint venture partners Mitsui and Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal, in October last year approved a $579-million spend to develop deposits C and D at the existing West Angelas operations, to help sustain the production of Rio’s Pilbara blend.
The expansion would extend the West Angelas operation to within 2 km of the Karijini National Park, with the EPA saying this week that it had recommended the project for approval, subject to conditions including the protection of national park water resources and threatened ghost bats.
The EPA has recommended a condition for managed aquifer recharge to maintain groundwater levels, and to further protect the national park from up to 12 GL/y of proposed surplus water discharge into Turee Creek East, and minimise the impact on riparian vegetation, the EPA recommended conditions including rigorous monitoring under an environmental management plan (EMP).
Further conditions in the EMP, and for rehabilitation under an updated mine closure plan, are recommended to minimise impacts of clearing native vegetation and other disturbances to habitat for conservation-significant fauna.
To offset the significant residual impact of additional clearing, including to the West Angelas cracking clay priority ecological community, riparian vegetation, and disturbance to threatened species including the ghost bat, the EPA recommended contributions to the Pilbara Environmental Offset Fund.
“This assessment work and recommended conditions constitute a comprehensive approach to management of environmental impacts, following a proactive approach by the proponent and extensive consultation with the EPA,” EPA deputy chairperson Robert Harvey said.
The EPA’s report to the Minister for Environment is now open for a two-week public appeal period, closing May 27.
Comments
Press Office
Announcements
What's On
Subscribe to improve your user experience...
Option 1 (equivalent of R125 a month):
Receive a weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine
(print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
Receive daily email newsletters
Access to full search results
Access archive of magazine back copies
Access to Projects in Progress
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format
Option 2 (equivalent of R375 a month):
All benefits from Option 1
PLUS
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports, in PDF format, on various industrial and mining sectors
including Electricity; Water; Energy Transition; Hydrogen; Roads, Rail and Ports; Coal; Gold; Platinum; Battery Metals; etc.
Already a subscriber?
Forgotten your password?
Receive weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine (print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
➕
Recieve daily email newsletters
➕
Access to full search results
➕
Access archive of magazine back copies
➕
Access to Projects in Progress
➕
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format
RESEARCH CHANNEL AFRICA
R4500 (equivalent of R375 a month)
SUBSCRIBEAll benefits from Option 1
➕
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports on various industrial and mining sectors, in PDF format, including on:
Electricity
➕
Water
➕
Energy Transition
➕
Hydrogen
➕
Roads, Rail and Ports
➕
Coal
➕
Gold
➕
Platinum
➕
Battery Metals
➕
etc.
Receive all benefits from Option 1 or Option 2 delivered to numerous people at your company
➕
Multiple User names and Passwords for simultaneous log-ins
➕
Intranet integration access to all in your organisation