Subterranean Fauna Report
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Cameco Australia Pty Ltd Subterranean Fauna Assessment of the Kintyre Uranium Deposit FFiinnaall RReeppoorrtt Prepared for Cameco Australia Pty Ltd by Bennelongia Pty Ltd June 2012 Report 2012/147 Bennelongia Pty Ltd Subterranean Fauna Assessment of the Kintyre Uranium Deposit Subterranean Fauna Assessment of the Kintyre Uranium Deposit Bennelongia Pty Ltd 5 Bishop Street Jolimont WA 6913 www.bennelongia.com.au ACN 124 110 167 June 2012 Report 2012/147 i Bennelongia Pty Ltd Subterranean Fauna Assessment of the Kintyre Uranium Deposit LIMITATION: This report has been prepared for use by the Client and its agents. Bennelongia accepts no liability or responsibility in respect of any use or reliance on the report by any third party. Bennelongia has not attempted to verify the accuracy and completeness of all information supplied by the Client. COPYRIGHT: The document has been prepared to the requirements of the Client. Copyright and any other Intellectual Property associated with the document belong to Bennelongia and may not be reproduced without written permission of the Client or Bennelongia. Client – Cameco Australia Pty Ltd Report Version Prepared by Checked by Submitted to Client Method Date Draft report Vers. 1 Andrew Trotter Stuart Halse email 30.v.12 Final report Vers. 1 Andrew Trotter Stuart Halse email 13.vi.12 K:\Projects\B_CAM_01\Final Report_BEC_Kintyre_Subfauna_assessment_final_13vi12 ii Bennelongia Pty Ltd Subterranean Fauna Assessment of the Kintyre Uranium Deposit EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Cameco Australia Pty Ltd (Cameco) is planning to develop the Kintyre Uranium Deposit to mine uranium oxide. The Project is located approximately 90 km south of the Telfer Goldmine in the Shire of East Pilbara. Production of 2.7‐3.6 kilotonnes per annum is expected from the Project. The mine life is estimated to be 15 years from ore reserves of 28‐36 kilotonnes. Ore will be transported by road from the mine to export ports in Adelaide, South Australia via the Great Northern Highway, Goldfields Highway and the Eyre Highway. The specific aims of the subterranean fauna survey at the Project were to: 1. Document the subterranean fauna communities of the Project area and their constituent species. 2. Determine the likely impact of the Project on the subterranean fauna community. The collection of 23 troglofauna species of 12 Orders, and 15 stygofauna species of seven higher level groups, represents a moderately rich troglofauna and a relatively sparse stygofauna community for the Pilbara region. The community composition and abundance of troglofauna within the Study Area is unremarkable. Pseudoscorpions, palpigrads, spiders, isopods, centipedes, millipedes, pauropods, symphylans, diplurans, silverfish, cockroaches and hemipterans are all commonly collected in the Pilbara. Notably, schizomids and coleopterans were absent from the Survey Area. Two species of troglofauna, the pauropods Pauropodidae sp. B26 (8 specimens from one bore) and the cockroach Nocticola sp. (a singleton), are currently known only from within the proposed mine pit at Kintyre and mining poses potential conservation risks for these species. However, based on the small size of the proposed mine pit in relation to the likely ranges of both species (inferred from ranges of related species), it is unlikely that this potential risk will be realised. The stygofauna community composition within the Study Area is also unremarkable, with all of the commonly collected higher order groups recorded, with the exception of ostracods. Nine undescribed species were recorded in the Survey Area, but this may be expected in an area not previously sampled. Stygofauna habitat within the Survey Area appears to have a high degree of heterogeneity, although the hydrogeological units are repeated. It is possible that some habitat units defined by water chemistry or aquifer type are poorly connected with similar units. This may apply to calcrete, which is commonly recognised as isolated stygofauna habitat in the Yilgarn. Four of the species recorded within the area of predicted groundwater drawdown are not known to occur elsewhere and mining poses potential conservation risks for these species. The species are the copepods Nitocrella sp. B04 (nr obesa), Nitocrella sp. B05, Parastenocaris sp. B07 and the syncarid Atopobathynella sp. Based on the ranges of related species, it is considered likely that Nitocrella sp. B05, Parastenocaris sp. B07, and Atopobathynella. sp (which were all collected in low abundance) have ranges extending beyond the zone of groundwater drawdown. Thus, the potential threat from mine development will not be realised for these species. iii Bennelongia Pty Ltd Subterranean Fauna Assessment of the Kintyre Uranium Deposit The likely range of the more abundant Nitocrella sp. B04 (nr obesa) is unclear. However, it should be recognised that, depending on the aquifer in which the species occurs, groundwater drawdown will not necessarily adversely impact stygofauna. Information about the aquifers used by different species is not currently available. iv Bennelongia Pty Ltd Subterranean Fauna Assessment of the Kintyre Uranium Deposit CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .......................................................................................................................................... III 1. INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................................................. 1 2. EXISTING INFORMATION ON SUBTERRANEAN FAUNA ....................................................................................... 3 2.1. TROGLOFAUNA .......................................................................................................................................................... 3 2.2. STYGOFAUNA ............................................................................................................................................................ 3 3. HABITAT ASSESSMENT ....................................................................................................................................... 4 3.1. GEOLOGY ................................................................................................................................................................. 4 3.1.1. Cenozoic Sediments ......................................................................................................................................... 4 3.1.2. Permian Sediments .......................................................................................................................................... 4 3.1.3. Proterozoic Formations ................................................................................................................................... 4 3.2. HYDROGEOLOGY ........................................................................................................................................................ 5 3.2.1. Cenozoic Sediments ......................................................................................................................................... 5 3.2.2. Permian Sediments .......................................................................................................................................... 5 3.2.3. Proterozoic Formations ................................................................................................................................... 5 3.3. HABITAT REQUIREMENTS FOR TROGLOFAUNA ................................................................................................................. 6 3.4. SURVEY AREA AS TROGLOFAUNA HABITAT ...................................................................................................................... 6 3.5. HABITAT REQUIREMENTS OF STYGOFAUNA ..................................................................................................................... 6 3.6. SURVEY AREA AS STYGOFAUNA HABITAT ........................................................................................................................ 7 3.7. HABITAT CONTINUITY ................................................................................................................................................. 7 3.7.1. Stygofauna ...................................................................................................................................................... 7 3.7.2. Troglofauna ..................................................................................................................................................... 7 4. METHODS .......................................................................................................................................................... 7 4.1. TROGLOFAUNA SAMPLING ........................................................................................................................................... 7 4.1.1. Sampling Methods .......................................................................................................................................... 8 4.1.2. Timing and Sample Effort ................................................................................................................................ 8 4.1.3. Other Sampling ............................................................................................................................................... 8 4.1.4. Sample Sorting and Species Identification .....................................................................................................