MAC – Yandi Rail Spur Inert Landfill Licence Application Supporting Documentation (Including Information relating to Attachments 1 to 10) September 2018 Jimblebar L5415/1988/9 Licence Amendment Supporting Documentation (Including Information relating to Attachments 1 to 10) October 2017 MAC – Yandi Rail Spur Inert Landfill Licence Application Supporting Document Contents 1. Introduction ................................................................................................................................................................ 2 2. Project Description .................................................................................................................................................... 3 3. Existing Environment ................................................................................................................................................. 4 4. Environmental Management ...................................................................................................................................... 6 5. Environmental Impact Assessment and Associated Management Strategies ........................................................... 7 6. Heritage ................................................................................................................................................................... 11 7. Community Consultation ......................................................................................................................................... 11 8. Conclusion ............................................................................................................................................................... 11 9. References .............................................................................................................................................................. 12 List of Tables Table 1: Estimated Annual Waste Volumes ..................................................................................................................... 3 Table 2: Environmental Impact Assessment and Associated Management Strategies .................................................... 8 Table 3: Licence Fee Calculation ....................................................................................................................................... 26 List of Figures Figure 1: Rail Operations MAC Yandi Spur Line Proposed Inert Landfill (STRAIL_003LA_001_RevA_0) (Attachment 2B) List of Plates Plate 1: View of the southern end of the borrow pit facing south Plate 2: View of the northern end of the borrow pit facing north Attachments Attachment 1A: Proof of occupier status Attachment 1B: ASIC company extracts Attachment 2A: Premises, Facilities and Location Map 1 (Figure 1: Rail Operations MAC-Yandi Spur Line Proposed Inert Landfill STRAIL_003LA_001_RevA_0) Attachment 2B: Prescribed Premises Map Coordinates Attachment 3A: Proposed Activities Attachment 3B: Map of Area Proposed to be cleared Attachment 3C: Additional information for clearing assessment Attachment 4: Biodiversity Surveys Attachment 5A: Other Approvals: Native Vegetation Clearing Permit CPS 7009/1 Attachment 6A: Emissions and discharges Attachment 6B: Waste acceptance Attachment 7: Siting and location Attachment 8: Supporting Document Attachment 9: Fees Attachment 10: Submission of application i MAC – Yandi Rail Spur Inert Landfill Licence Application Supporting Document 1. Introduction 1.1. Background BHP Billiton Iron Ore Pty Ltd (BHP) currently operates a number of Iron Ore mines and associated rail and port infrastructure within the Pilbara region of Western Australia (WA). Current mining operations include the: Newman Joint Venture (NJV) hub (consisting of Orebodies 29, 30, 35 and Mount Whaleback) located approximately two kilometres (km) west of Newman Township; Jimblebar Mine (consisting of Orebodies 17, 18, 31 and Wheelarra Hill) located approximately 35 km east of Newman Township; Eastern Ridge Mine (consisting of Orebodies 23, 24, 25, 25 West and 32) located approximately five km east of Newman Township; Mining Area C (MAC) located approximately 90 km north west of Newman Township; and Yandi Mine located approximately 100 km north west of Newman Township. Ore from the above mining operations is transported to Port Hedland via the BHP Newman to Port Hedland Mainline (and associated spur lines). Ore is then shipped out through Port Hedland at the BHP facilities at Nelson Point and Finucane Island. 1.2. Purpose of this Document BHP regularly undertakes rail maintenance programs involving the replacement of concrete rail sleepers and rail ballast. BHP is proposing to dispose of inert rail waste from maintenance programs along the MAC – Yandi Rail Spur within an old borrow pit (the Project Area) located adjacent to the existing rail (Attachment 2A). This supporting document has been prepared to provide supplementary information to the “Application form: Works Approval / Licence / Renewal Amendment / Registration” for the proposed Project as required under Section 53 of the Environmental Protection Act, 1986 (EP Act). 1.3. Premises 1.3.1. Location The Project Area is located approximately 80 km north west of Newman in the Pilbara Region of Western Australia (Attachment 2A). 1.3.2. Tenement Details The Project Area is currently situated within Miscellaneous Licence L47/95. 1.3.3. Local Government The Project is located within the Shire of East Pilbara. 1.4. Proponent This licence application has been submitted by BHP as the manager for the Mount Goldsworthy Mining Associates Joint Venture. The split between the partners of the Joint Venture is as follows: BHP Billiton Minerals Pty Ltd 85% Itochu Minerals and Energy Australia Pty Ltd 8% Mitsui Iron Ore Corporation Pty Ltd 7% The key contact for this proposal is: Chris Hopkins Principal Environment A&I BHP Billiton Iron Ore Phone: 0429 157 241 Email: [email protected] Level 36, 125 St Georges Terrace Perth WA 6000 Australia PO Box 7642 Cloisters Square Perth WA 6850 Australia Page | 2 MAC – Yandi Rail Spur Inert Landfill Licence Application Supporting Document 2. Project Description The Project involves the utilisation of an existing borrow pit along the MAC – Yandi Spur Line for the disposal of inert waste from ongoing rail maintenance. The waste will comprise of old concrete sleeper and inert waste ballast. BHP will also be disposing of clean fill sourced from upgrades to cuttings along the MAC – Yandi Rail Spur. The facility has a capacity of approximately 32,500 m3. Once filled to ground level the facility will be capped and rehabilitated. The maximum annual volume disposed of to the facility is estimated to be 31,827 m3 / 81,430 tonnes of inert waste per year (Table 1) and the facility is estimated to be in use for approximately 2.5 years or until filled to capacity. Once filled to ground level the facility will be capped and rehabilitated. Table 1: Estimated Annual Waste Volumes Estimated Estimated Waste Volume (m3) Tonnage (tonnes) Ballast 18,480 48,000 Sleepers 1827 4,630 Clean Fill 11,520 28,800 Total 31,827 81,430 3 MAC – Yandi Rail Spur Inert Landfill Licence Application Supporting Document 3. Existing Environment 3.1. Climate Newman Aero meteorological site (007176) is the closest Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) station to the Project Area. Average annual rainfall at Newman Aero is 332.6 mm (BOM, 2018a). This is mainly derived from tropical storms and cyclones during summer, producing sporadic, heavy rains over the area. Mean monthly rainfall varies from 3.9 mm in September to 71.7 mm in February (BoM, 2018a). Daily rainfall is highly variable; the highest maximum daily rainfall ranges from 34.8 mm in October, to 305.6 mm in February (BoM, 2018a). The mean maximum temperature in summer months (October to March) is 35.2°C to 39.0°C, and mean maximum temperature in winter (April to September) is between 22.9°C and 31.8°C (BoM, 2018a). Wittenoom meteorological site (005026) is the closest station to the Project Area that records daily evaporation. Wittenoom is located approximately 100 km north west of the Project Area. Mean daily evaporation at Wittenoom throughout the year is 8.6 mm/day (BoM, 2018b), which equates to 3.1 metres per year. Evaporation greatly exceeds rainfall in the region throughout the year and on a month-by-month basis (BoM, 2018b). 3.2. Nearby Land Uses and Sensitive Receptors The Project Area is situated in a remote location, approximately 90 km north west of Newman. The land use of the surrounding area is mining operations and exploration activities. The closest sensitive receptor to the Project Area are BHP’s Mulla Mulla and Packsaddle Villages which are located more than 20 km from the Project Area. The closest potentially sensitive non BHP owned receptors in the vicinity of the Project is the Rio Tinto owned Hope Downs 4 Accommodation Camp which lies more than 20 km to the south south west. 3.3. Soils and Landform The Project Area is located within the Robe Land system as mapped by van Vreeswyk et al. (2004). The Robe Land system is described as: “Conspicuous chains of limonite mesas and buttes with steep breakaway faces, source of iron ore as pisolitic limonite, relief up to 50 m.” Soils of the Pilbara region have been defined and mapped at a scale of 1:2,000,000 by Bettenay et al. (1967). One soil unit occurs within the Project Area: Fa13, which is described as: “Ranges of banded jaspilite and chert along with shales, dolomites, and iron ore formations; some areas of