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Earl Grey Lithium Project, Life of Mine Proposal

Project
Proponent: 
Covalent Lithium Pty
Proposal description: 

Covalent Lithium Pty Ltd proposes the expansion of existing operations for the mining, processing and transportation of lithium ore. The proposal is located approximately 100 kilometres (km) south-southeast of the townsite of Southern Cross in the Goldfields region of Western Australia.

The proposal will involve clearing of 1,443 hectares (ha) of native vegetation (in addition to the 442 ha currently authorised under Ministerial Statement 1199) within a revised development envelope of 4,009 ha. The proposal requires additional infrastructure including, but not limited to:

  • Duplication of the processing plant to provide for additional processing/throughput capacity of up to 4.4 million tonnes per annum (Mtpa).
  • Additional waste rock landforms and tailings storage facility for the disposal of mining and processing wastes.
  • Expansion of various supporting infrastructure including the accommodation village (mine camp), ore stockpiles, rehabilitation stockpiles, materials laydown, mine roads, power and communications infrastructure, drainage infrastructure, and addition of conveyors between the mine pit and processing plant.
  • Addition of an evaporation pond and changes to water disposal locations.
Proposal Content Document: 
PDF icon Proposal Content Document - October 2025.pdf
Assessment Number: 
2387
Region: 
Goldfields Esperance
Referred under EP Act: 
s38
Industry sector: 
Lithium
Last updated: 
October 5, 2025
Current Status: 
Assessment on Proponent Information – Request for More Information published
Assessment on Proponent Information – Request for More Information published
1. Referral
Comment on this referral: 
Earl Grey Lithium Project, Life of Mine Proposal
Comment period: 
Friday, 8 December, 2023 to Thursday, 14 December, 2023
Referral documentation: 
PDF icon Covalent_Referral_of_a_proposal_under_s38_1_Expansion_and_LOM.docx.pdf
PDF icon Covalent Lithium ERD R0 Nov 23.pdf
PDF icon Covalent Lithium LoM PCD consolidated 51223.pdf
PDF icon Covalent Lithium LoM PCD Comparison 051223.pdf
PDF icon Appendix 1 - Covalent Lithium Environmental Policy (Revised) (Covalent 2023).pdf
PDF icon Appendix 2 - Flora and Vegetation EMP (Revised) (Covalent Lithium 2023b).pdf
PDF icon Appendix 3 - Terrestrial Fauna EMP (Revised) (Covalent 2023c).pdf
PDF icon Appendix 4 - LOM EMP (Covalent Lithium 2023d).pdf
PDF icon Appendix 5 - Stakeholders Engagement Register (Covalent 2023).pdf
PDF icon Appendix 6 - Vegetation Mapping Report 2 (Mattiske 2023b).pdf
PDF icon Appendix 7 - Short Range Endemics (SRE) (Bennelongia 2023a).pdf
PDF icon Appendix 7 - Subterranean Fauna (Bennelongia 2023b).pdf
PDF icon Appendix 7 - Terrestrial Vertebrate Fauna Survey (Ecoscape 2023).pdf
PDF icon Appendix 8 - Baseline Soil Assessment Landloch (2023).pdf
PDF icon Appendix 9 - Hydrology (Surface Water Solutions 2023).pdf
PDF icon Appendix 10 - Hydrogeology (GRM 2023).pdf
PDF icon Appendix 11 - Waste Characterisation (MBS 2023).pdf
PDF icon Appendix 12 - Greenhouse Gas Emissions Estimate Greenbase 2023).pdf
2. Decision on whether to assess this proposal
Chair's Determination: 
Assess - Additional Assessment Information
Extract of determination: 
PDF icon Earl Grey Lithium Project, Life of Mine
Preliminary Environmental Factors: 
Social Surroundings
Flora and Vegetation
Terrestrial Environmental Quality
Terrestrial Fauna
Inland Waters
Date published: 
Friday, 22 December, 2023
3. Assessment
Request for further information
Date: 
Friday, 2 February, 2024
File upload: 
PDF icon Request for further information - 020224.pdf
Change to proposal during assessment under s. 43A
s. 43A notice: 
PDF icon s. 43A Notice - 051025.pdf
Date of approval s. 43A: 
Sun, 05/10/2025

Source URL:https://www.epa.wa.gov.au/proposals/earl-grey-lithium-project-life-mine-proposal