Rentails Project Notice of Intent
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Rentails Project Notice of Intent Renison Operations September 2017 Revision 1 For EPA Comment Rentails Project, Notice of Intent, Revision 1 Table of Contents 1. Executive Summary ....................................................................................................... 4 2. Introduction .................................................................................................................. 6 2.1 The Proponent ............................................................................................................................... 6 2.2 Proponent Background ................................................................................................................. 6 2.2 Project Name ................................................................................................................................. 7 2.3 Project Location ............................................................................................................................. 7 2.3.1 Land Tenure and Title ................................................................................................................. 7 2.4 Legislative Context ........................................................................................................................ 8 2.4.1 Environmental Management Pollution Control Act 1994 (EMPCA) ........................................... 8 2.4.2 Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBCA) ............................ 8 2.4.3 Land Use Planning and Approvals Act 1993 (LUPAA) ................................................................. 9 2.4.4 State Policy on Water Quality Management 1997 (SPWQM) .................................................... 9 2.4.5 Dam Safety Legislation ............................................................................................................... 9 3. Project Description ...................................................................................................... 11 3.1 Overview...................................................................................................................................... 11 3.2 Process......................................................................................................................................... 13 3.3 Process Inputs ............................................................................................................................. 16 3.4 Process Wastes ............................................................................................................................ 16 3.5 Buildings and Infrastructure ........................................................................................................ 17 4. Existing Environment .................................................................................................. 18 4.1 Context ........................................................................................................................................ 18 4.2 Biodiversity .................................................................................................................................. 19 4.3 Climate and Air Quality ............................................................................................................... 20 4.4 Noise ............................................................................................................................................ 20 4.5 Surface and Ground Water.......................................................................................................... 20 4.6 Heritage ....................................................................................................................................... 21 4.7 Dangerous Goods ........................................................................................................................ 21 4.8 Land Use ...................................................................................................................................... 22 4.9 Visual ........................................................................................................................................... 22 4.10 Socio-Economic ......................................................................................................................... 22 4.11 Infrastructure and Off-site Facilities.......................................................................................... 24 5. Potential Environmental Impacts ................................................................................ 25 2 | P a g e Rentails Project, Notice of Intent, Revision 1 5.1 Sources of Contaminants ............................................................................................................ 25 5.2 Contamination Pathways ............................................................................................................ 25 5.3 Potential Receptors ..................................................................................................................... 26 5.4 Key potential environmental impacts ......................................................................................... 26 6. Key Environmental, Social, Health and Economic Issues and Studies ............................ 30 6.1 Key Issues .................................................................................................................................... 30 6.2 Key Studies .................................................................................................................................. 30 6.2.1 Airborne Emissions Study ......................................................................................................... 30 6.2.2 Flora and Fauna Study .............................................................................................................. 31 6.2.3 Solid and Liquid Waste Study ................................................................................................... 32 6.2.4 Water and Stormwater Study .................................................................................................. 32 6.2.5 Socio-Economic Study .............................................................................................................. 32 6.2.6 Mine Closure Planning Study ................................................................................................... 33 6.2.7 Aboriginal and European Heritage Study ................................................................................. 33 7. Further Information ................................................................................................... 34 7.1 Stakeholder Consultation ............................................................................................................ 34 7.2 Project Schedule .......................................................................................................................... 34 8. References ................................................................................................................. 35 9. Appendix 1 – Plant Location Map ................................................................................ 36 10. Appendix 2 – Overall Site Plan ................................................................................... 38 11. Appendix 3 – Plant Site Detail.................................................................................... 40 3 | P a g e Rentails Project, Notice of Intent, Revision 1 1. Executive Summary The Renison Tin Operation (Renison) is the only major tin project in production in Australia and one of the world’s largest underground tin mines. The operation is located at Renison Bell in Western Tasmania and consists of an underground mine, a mineral processing facility and tailings storage facilities (TSF), named A-B Dam, C Dam and a new D Dam currently under construction. The existing Renison mine and processing plant has been operated for approximately 50 years by several owners. Bluestone Mines Tasmania Pty Ltd (BMT) acquired the mine in 2004 and completed refurbishment works before recommencing operations in 2008. In 2009 BMT sold 50% of its ownership of Renison to Yunnan Tin Parksong Australia Holdings Ltd (YTPAH) and established a 50:50 joint venture between BMT and YTPAH (the JV). The Proponent of this Notice of Intent (NoI), Bluestone Mines Tasmania Joint Venture Pty Ltd (BMTJV), manages Renison on behalf of the Joint Venture partners. Renison currently has an underground Ore Reserve sufficient for 8 years of production at current mining rates and over 20 years of Mineral Resource. The BMTJV strategy is to replenish mining depletion from its resource base to maintain an 8-year Ore Reserve, along with continuing to grow the existing resource base. Based upon the long history of operations, the current resource inventory, exploration upside and strong cash flows, the Proponent is confident that Renison will remain a long-life profitable operation. In 2016 work commenced on the construction of a new TSF, named D Dam, providing approximately 6.5 million cubic meters of additional tailings storage capacity, when constructed to its final height, equivalent to 16 years of storage at current production rates. The Proponent proposes the construction and operation of a new tailings retreatment plant at Renison, known as the Rentails (Renison Tailings Retreatment) Project that will operate in tandem with the existing mine and processing plant. The Rentails Project