A5 2 Paraburdoo Closure Plan (Rio Tinto 2019D)
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Hamersley Iron Pty. Limited ABN: 49 004 558 276 Paraburdoo Closure Plan 2019 Mineral Field 47 – West Pilbara FDMS No RTIO-HSE-0071355 Version 2.0 Contact details: Tammy Savage Rio Tinto Level 12, Central Park 152 – 158 St Georges Terrace, Perth, WA 6837 T: 0432 840 201 E: [email protected] W: http://www.riotinto.com Executive Summary Overview The Paraburdoo mine is located in the Pilbara region of Western Australia, approximately 5 km south- west of the Paraburdoo town in the Shire of Ashburton. The mine is located within the traditional lands of the Yinhawangka People. The Paraburdoo mine, in combination with Eastern Range mine and the Western Range deposits, are known as the Greater Paraburdoo Iron Ore Hub. The Paraburdoo mine is operated by Rio Tinto and is 100% owned by Hamersley Iron Pty Limited. Paraburdoo uses traditional open cut, conventional drill-and-blast and load-and-haul mining methods to mine iron ore deposits positioned above and below the groundwater table. Ore is processed on-site before being transported via rail to either Dampier or Cape Lambert ports for shipping. Completion of mining at Paraburdoo is currently scheduled for 2039, although additional deposits may be proposed in the future, and subject to relevant approvals, may extend mining post this date. Purpose This closure plan has been developed to support the Greater Paraburdoo Iron Ore Hub Proposal (The Proposal) referred to the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) under the Section 38 (s38) of the Environmental Protection Act 1986 (EP Act) and the Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment (DAWE) (Cwth) under the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Act 1999 (EPBC Act). Within the Paraburdoo mine, pits and deposits included in The Proposal comprise 27 West, 20 West, 14 West -16 West and 4 East Extension (4EE); the deposition of tailings into the 4 West pit is also included. The remainder of the operating areas at the Paraburdoo mine are excluded from The Proposal. The development of the Western Range and 4 East Extension deposits is presently under pre-feasibility study (PFS) by Rio Tinto. Existing and project baseline information have been used to develop closure strategies, and these will be refined as further information becomes available. The purpose of this closure plan is to also address closure of the existing Paraburdoo operations. This closure plan has been developed to meet the requirements of the joint Department of Mines and Petroleum and Environmental Protection Authority Guidelines for Preparing Mine Closure Plans (2015). Scope This document, titled ‘Paraburdoo Closure Plan September 2019’, represents the updated closure plan for the Paraburdoo operations and supersedes the previous 2018 Paraburdoo Closure Plan. It is applicable to existing operations and addresses the proposed development of Paraburdoo deposits and associated infrastructure. This closure plan does not include the nearby Channar and Eastern Range mine sites or development of the proposed Western Range deposits. The Paraburdoo town is outside the scope of this closure plan. Post-mining land use Post-mining land use options in the Pilbara are generally limited due to the remote location. As a result of the nature of the mining activity undertaken, the final landform will include large voids and waste dumps, and will therefore be unlikely to support pastoral activities in the immediate disturbed areas. However, it is recognised that surrounding areas are likely to return to pastoral activity. The proposed post-mining land use assumes that the site will be rehabilitated to create a safe, stable and non-polluting landscape vegetated with native vegetation of local provenance, to maximise environmental and cultural heritage outcomes and ensure the site minimises adverse impacts on the current surrounding land use. The post-mining land use will be confirmed prior to closure, during final planning phases and in consultation with relevant stakeholders. Closure objectives The following closure objectives have been developed for Paraburdoo: • cultural heritage values have been preserved where possible; • public health and safety hazards have been appropriately managed; • contamination risks have been appropriately managed; • the final landform is stable and considers hydrological factors; ii • vegetation on rehabilitated land is self-sustaining and compatible with the post-mining land use; • surface water flows of the Seven Mile and Pirraburdu Creeks have been maintained; • pit lakes do not result in a significant ecological impact, and • infrastructure has been appropriately managed. Indicative completion criteria have been proposed for each of these objectives; ongoing consultation is planned with stakeholders to ensure these criteria remain suitable. Anticipated closure outcome The Seven Mile and Pirraburdu Creek lines will continue to flow through the area. One pit lake is predicted to form as groundwater levels recover; preliminary modelling suggests the pit lake will act as a groundwater sink, remain circum-neutral with increasing Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) over time. Groundwater is not predicted to recover to pre-mining levels in all areas. Potentially acid forming (PAF) mineral waste within waste landforms will be encapsulated. Waste landforms will be reshaped to be stable based on their material characteristics. It is assumed that all infrastructure will be removed, but this will be subject to negotiation with the Western Australian State Government as per State Agreement Act obligations. All accessible disturbed areas outside of the pit voids will be rehabilitated. Rehabilitation practices include application of topsoil or an alternative growth medium where available, and spreading native seed of local provenance with the aim of creating self- sustaining ecosystems. The area around pit voids may be unstable as pit walls are expected to collapse over time, and inadvertent public access will be restricted by the use of physical barriers (e.g. abandonment bunds). Strategies for managing safety risks will be developed as the site approaches closure, but will need to consider the potential for ongoing public access resulting from a portion of the mining area being underlain by pastoral stations and the access requirements of the local Traditional Owner groups. iii Closure Plan Checklist The following table provides cross reference to the requirements of the Department of Mines and Petroleum / Environmental Protection Authority Guidelines for Preparing Mine Closure Plans (2015). Change from Mine closure plan (MCP) Y/N/ Page Page Comments previous Comments checklist NA No. No. version (Y/N) 1 Has the Checklist been Y viii endorsed by a senior representative within the operating company? Public Availability 2 Are you aware that from 2015 Y NA all MCPs will be made publically available? 3 Is there any information in N NA this MCP that should not be publicly available? 4 If “Yes” to Q3, has NA Appendix confidential information been C submitted in a separate document / section? Cover page, table of contents 5 Does the MCP cover page Y include: Project Title, Company Name, Contact Details (including telephone numbers and email address) Document ID and version number, Date of submission (needs to match the date of this checklist) Scope and purpose 6 State why the MCP is Y 1 To support the Y Inclusion of submitted (e.g. as part of a GPdo Hub 4EE pit, 4W Mining Proposal, a reviewed environmental TSF and MCP or to fulfil other legal approval general requirement) updates Project overview 7 Does the project summary Y 5-69 Y Inclusion of include land ownership 4EE pit, 4W details, location of the project, TSF and comprehensive site plans and general background information on updates the history and status of the project? iv Change from Mine closure plan (MCP) Y/N/ Page Page Comments previous Comments checklist NA No. No. version (Y/N) Legal obligations and commitments 8 Does the MCP include a Y Appendix N No new consolidated summary or A obligations register of closure obligations and commitments been included? Stakeholder engagement 9 Have all stakeholders Y 14 N No new involved in closure been stakeholders identified? 10 Does the MCP included a Y Appendix Y New entries summary or register of B historic stakeholder engagement been provided, with details on who has been consulted and the outcomes? 11 Does the MCP include a Y 14 N No change to stakeholder consultation strategy or strategy to be implemented in process the future? Post mining land use(s) and closure objectives 12 Does the MCP include Y 16, 17; Y Updated mine agreed post-mining land use, 96; plan, new closure objectives and Appendix objective (pit conceptual landform design F lakes) diagram? 13 Does the MCP identify all Y 63 N No new potential (or pre-existing) contaminated environmental legacies which sites may restrict the post mining land use (including contaminated sites)? 14 Has any soil or groundwater Y 63 N No new contamination that occurred, contaminated or is suspected to have sites occurred, during the operation of the mine, been reported to DER as required under the Contaminated Sites Act 2003? Development of completion criteria 15 Does the MCP include an Y 18 Y New objective appropriate set of specific (pit lakes) completion criteria and closure performance indicators? v Change from Mine closure plan (MCP) Y/N/ Page Page Comments previous Comments checklist NA No. No. version (Y/N) Collection and analysis of closure data 16 Does the MCP include Y 22 - 74 Y Inclusion of baseline