Nyrstar Port Pirie Smelter Transformation Proposal Public
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Nyrstar Port Pirie Smelter Transformation Proposal Public Environmental Report August 2013 Public Environmental Report Nyrstar Port Pirie Smelter Transformation Proposal Nyrstar Port Pirie Smelter Transformation Nyrstar Port Pirie Smelter Transformation Proposal Public Environmental Report Prepared for: Nyrstar Port Pirie PO Box 219, Port Pirie, SA 5440 +61 8 8638 1500, www.nyrstar.com Prepared by: COOE Pty Ltd (and Associates) PO Box 591, Littlehampton, SA 5250 +61 8 8398 5090, www.cooe.com.au Acknowledgement to Associates: Air Assessments (IJH Holdings Pty Ltd) Arup Pty Ltd BlueSphere Environmental Pty Ltd BMT WBM Pty Ltd CSIRO Marine & Atmospheric Research - Centre for Australian Weather & Climate Research SEA - Social & Ecological Assessment Pty Ltd Michael R Moore URPS Document Control Document code: REPT_PER_Nyrstar_20130730 Date Version Reason for change Author(s) Editor(s) 8 July 2013 1.0 Submission to client COOE Pty Ltd Nyrstar Pty Ltd 2 August 2013 2.0 Submission to Minister COOE Pty Ltd Nyrstar Pty Ltd This document and the information contained within were produced by COOE solely for the use of the client identified on the cover sheet for the purpose for which it has been prepared. COOE undertakes no duty to or accepts any responsibility to any third party who may rely upon this document. PUBLIC ENVIRONMENTAL REPORT | PAGE I PREFACE Nyrstar Port Pirie Pty Ltd has published this Public Environmental Report (PER) to seek approvals from the Australian and South Australian Governments to undertake a major development of the smelter in Port Pirie, South Australia. Community views are a very important consideration for Nyrstar and government in planning and assessing the proposed Port Pirie Smelter Transformation. Our future plans for the smelter are based on delivering an innovative and sustainable solution that significantly improves our environmental performance and reduces the sites environmental footprint. Our policy is to provide the foundation for a sustainable business by operating in an environmentally responsible way while focussing on preventing harm to the environment and the community. We recognise the environmental impact from 124 years of continuous operation of the smelter and will focus on addressing legacy issues by applying leading practice, innovation and sound science. We will apply this policy to our approach to the Port Pirie Smelter Transformation. We thank all those who have contributed to this point and now we welcome any comments you may wish to make about this PER. Glenn Poynter General Manager, Port Pirie Smelter Director, Nyrstar Port Pirie Pty Ltd P R E FAC E NYRSTAR PORT PIRIE SMELTER TRANSFORMATION PROPOSAL EXECUTIVE SUMMARY This executive summary, prepared Port PIRIE SMelter TRANSFORMATION to accompany the Port Pirie Smelter The primary objective of the Port Pirie Smelter Transformation Public Environmental Transformation is to facilitate that step change by Report (PER), provides an overview upgrading the smelter’s primary lead production of the project, technical studies facilities. The Transformation will replace the out- completed and the management dated sinter plant with modern enclosed bath measures proposed by Nyrstar Port smelting technology, install a modern sulphuric acid Pirie Pty Ltd (Nyrstar) to minimise facility, and update ancillary equipment. The modern potential negative impacts arising from facilities will run more efficiently and have significantly the Port Pirie Smelter Transformation. reduced lead and sulphur dioxide emissions. The PER has been prepared by COOE Pty Ltd on behalf of Nyrstar. The Transformation will secure the facility’s long term future in Port Pirie, meet stringent environmental Introduction standards, improve environmental conditions and Nyrstar proposes to redevelop their public health, and support the continuing reduction primary lead smelting process located at of blood lead levels in Port Pirie children. the Nyrstar Port Pirie, approximately 225 PUBLIC ENVIRONMENTAL Report km north of Adelaide in South Australia. The proposed Transformation has been declared a The smelter has been in continuous Major Development requiring approval under Section operation for 124 years, and is 46C of the Development Act 1993. Hence, a PER has an integral part of the Port Pirie been developed in accordance with the Guidelines for community, creating approximately the preparation of a Public Environmental Report: Port 3,250 jobs, and sustaining the ongoing Pirie Smelter Transformation (Mid North) (Guidelines) operation of multipurpose, multiuser issued by the South Australian Development infrastructure, such as the port facilities. Assessment Commission in May 2013. The Guidelines set out the matters requiring investigation and As a member of the community, Nyrstar evaluation with regard to the Transformation. has taken an active role in improving social outcomes in Port Pirie, providing The PER provides a framework for the government, support through a wide range of programs industry and community to make informed and initiatives. It has been an ongoing decisions about the environmental, social and priority for Nyrstar to reduce blood economic effects of the proposed Transformation. lead levels in children in the Port Pirie community. Programs and upgrades PROPONENT implemented to date have reduced Nyrstar Port Pirie Pty Ltd (Nyrstar) is a subsidiary of a emissions from the facility and community globally integrated mining and metals business (Nyrstar exposure to contemporary and legacy NV), which has mining, smelting, and other operations lead. Reduction of blood lead levels located in Europe, the Americas and Australia. has plateaued, and a step change in ongoing emissions from the smelter is PER APPROVALS process required to facilitate the next phase of This PER and its associated technical studies have been emission and blood lead reductions. reviewed for compliance with the Guidelines. The PER addresses the Guidelines, and has been endorsed for exhibition by the South Australian Minister for Planning. The completed PER will be on public exhibition for a period of 30 business days during August and September 2013 to seek public comment on the proposed development. A public meeting will be held to provide information on the development, to explain the PER, and to assist interested persons to make submissions regarding the development. PUBLIC ENVIRONMENTAL REPORT | PAGE III Nyrstar will then prepare and submit a written response Stakeholder and community to submissions to the Minister. The Minister will then prepare an Assessment Report, taking into account engagement any submissions and Nyrstar’s response to them. As an integral component of Port Pirie, a significant employer, and a contributor to the local economy, The Governor of South Australia will decide whether the Port Pirie community is strongly supportive the development receives approval to proceed. of the smelter’s continued operation. Project need, benefits Nyrstar has been actively and openly engaging and alternatives and communicating with the community and key stakeholders, including implementation of high Nyrstar Port Pirie operates sections of the smelter profile community initiatives such as the initial with out-dated equipment, some nearly obsolete. tenby10 project (the Port Pirie community blood lead This means that emissions from the existing sinter reduction program), launched in 2006. Since then plant cannot sustain continued efforts to reduce two further community blood lead engagement and blood lead levels in the community. Replacement awareness campaigns have been run: tenforthem of this aged equipment is crucial to a viable smelter and the thumbs up for low levels campaigns. and continued blood lead level reductions. For a significant period leading up to and The Transformation will deliver a step change reduction during the preparation of this PER, stakeholders in air lead emissions, contribute to the reduction of blood including Nyrstar personnel, government lead levels in the community, improve environmental staff and the Port Pirie community have been performance and reduce the smelter’s environmental engaged in the Transformation process. footprint. It will increase overall carbon emissions; however due to greater efficiency, modern technology, To provide the community with the opportunity and increased production of sulphuric acid , carbon to gain a good understanding and to comment emissions generated per tonne of production will be on the Transformation, Nyrstar will continue to lower than the smelter’s current carbon intensity. engage with the community and stakeholders during the public consultation period. The Transformation will continue Nyrstar’s contribution to the economic development of Port As part of the pre-Transformation process, and Pirie and South Australia. Nyrstar will continue continuing post-commissioning, Nyrstar will participate to support community health and environmental in the development and implementation of a new initiatives. These efforts align with the Premier’s program to complement the change in contemporary strategic priority to improve health outcomes for lead emissions. The Targeted Lead Abatement Program children, particularly in the first five years of life. (TLAP) will identify current and potential future community lead exposure reduction strategies and Alternatives to the Transformation include continuation assess which are likely to have the greatest impact of current operations and resulting social and in reducing children’s