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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: 
May 7, 2026
Current Status: 
EPA Report and Recommendations released - appeals open
EPA Report and Recommendations released - appeals open
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: 
Wednesday, 22 April, 2026
File upload: 
PDF icon Request for further information - 020224.pdf
PDF icon 01. RFI Covalent response table_October 2025.pdf
PDF icon 02. Att 1 Flora and Veg Assessment Booster Station 3_Western Botanical 2025.pdf
PDF icon 03. Att 2 Flora and Vegetation EMP_Oct 2025.pdf
PDF icon 04. Att 3 Revised Impact Assessment Conservation Significant Flora and Offset Strategy_Oct 2025.pdf
PDF icon 05. Att 4 Updates to supporting information_Oct 2025.pdf
PDF icon 06. Att 5 Mt Holland Earl Grey TSF Groundwater Model_EMM July 2025.pdf
PDF icon 07. Att 6a Lab Phase 3 22S4296_R0.pdf
PDF icon 08. Att 6b Lab Phase 3 282_0_2308409.pdf
PDF icon 09. Att 6c Lab EP2308255_0_COA.pdf
PDF icon 10. Att 6d Lab EP2308380_0_COA.pdf
PDF icon 11. Att 7 EGLP LoM Heritage Combined Report_Terra Rosa March 2025.pdf
PDF icon 12. Att 8 Stakeholder Engagement Register_30.09.25 redacted.pdf
PDF icon 13. Att 9 GHG Assessment Technical Report_Greenbase 2025.pdf
PDF icon 14. RFI Covalent response table_January 2026.pdf
PDF icon 15. Attachment 1 - Cumulative Impacts on Significant Flora to July 2025.pdf
PDF icon 16. Attachment 2a - 2024-2025 Malleefowl Monitoring_Ecoscape.pdf
PDF icon 17. Attachment 2b - 2024 Chuditch Monitoring_Ecoscape.pdf
PDF icon 18. Attachment 2c - 2024-2025 Predator Monitoring_Ecoscape.pdf
PDF icon 19. Attachment 3a - Bat Call analysis 2021.pdf
PDF icon 20. Attachment 3b - Bat call analysis 2022.pdf
PDF icon 21. Attachment 4a - Chuditch Monitoring Figure.pdf
PDF icon 22. Attachment 4b - Malleefowl Monitoring Figure.pdf
PDF icon 23. Attachment 4c - Predator Monitoring Figure.pdf
PDF icon 24. Attachment 5 - Summary of Fauna Monitoring Results.pdf
PDF icon 25. Attachment 6 - RISM Table_18.12.25.pdf
PDF icon 26. Attachment 7 - Review of Microcorys elatoides P1_Sept2025.pdf
PDF icon 27. Attachment 8 - Microcorys elatoides Pilot Demographic Study_Dec2025.pdf
PDF icon 28. Attachment 9_Approved Project MS1199 Threatened Fauna Offset Strategy Rev5V2_Jan26.pdf
PDF icon 29. Additional information threatened fauna offset strategy_Feb 2026.pdf
PDF icon 30. Covalent Memo - Review of Alternate Fauna Offset Strategies_06.03.2026.pdf
PDF icon 31. EGLP Life of Mine Threatened Fauna Offset Strategy and Management Plan Rev4V1_09.03.2026.pdf
PDF icon 32. Summary Paper_Life of Mine Alternate Threatened Fauna Offset Strategy_21.04.2026.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
4. EPA Report on assessment
EPA Report Number: 
1809
EPA Report: 
PDF icon EPA Report 1809 Earl Grey Lithium Project.pdf
Key Environmental Factors: 
Flora and Vegetation
Terrestrial Fauna
Date published: 
Thursday, 7 May, 2026
Appeals close: 
Thursday, 28 May, 2026

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