A revision of the Pilbara Iron Ore Project allowing limited expansion and the construction of new infrastructure including roads, an airstrip and an accommodation camp has been recommended for conditional approval by the Environmental Protection Authority.
Flinders Mines Ltd proposes to revise its existing Pilbara Iron Ore Project, located 70km north-west of Tom Price in the central Pilbara.
EPA Chairman Dr Paul Vogel said the currently authorised Pilbara Iron Ore Project comprised six deposits within the Blacksmith tenement known as Ajax, Badger, Blackjack, Champion, Delta, and Eagle, and associated infrastructure including roads and groundwater extraction bores.
“The existing Pilbara Iron Ore Project will link with the approved Balla Balla Export Facilities on the coast, midway between Port Hedland and Karratha, using a rail and conveyor project which was last month recommended for approval by the EPA,” Dr Vogel said.
Revisions to the project, which was assessed as an Assessment on Proponent Information, category A, include additional land clearing of up to 300 hectares to develop the ore deposit as well accommodate associated waste rock dumps, tailings storage facility and associated infrastructure, an airstrip, haul roads and accommodation.
The project will also increase the dewatering limit from 4 gigalitres per annum (GL/a) to 6 GL/a.
Dr Vogel said that the EPA, after careful consideration of the proposal, had recommended approval subject to a set of conditions.
Specifically, the proponent will be required to:
- Conduct additional flora and vegetation surveys and develop a management plan to further avoid and minimise impacts to Declared Rare Flora, Priority 1 Listed Flora species, Threatened Ecological Communities and other significant vegetation and flora; and
- Contribute to a government-established offset fund to counterbalance the significant residual impact of the additional clearing of 300 ha of ‘good to excellent’ condition vegetation.
Dr Vogel said the proponent also intended to refer the revised proposal to the Commonwealth for a decision on whether it constituted a controlled action under the Commonwealth’s Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999.
The EPA’s report to the Minister for Environment is now open for a two-week public appeal period, closing June 2, 2015. Appeals are administered independently by the Appeals Convenor and can be made at www.appealsconvenor.wa.gov.au The Minister for Environment will make the final decision.
EPA Report 1548 is available at www.epa.wa.gov.au
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