Pilbara Iron Ore & Infrastructure Project: East-West Railway and Mine Sites (Stage B) Fortescue Metals Group Limited Report and recommendations of the Environmental Protection Authority Environmental Protection Authority Perth, Western Australia Bulletin 1202 October 2005 Environmental Impact Assessment Process Timelines Date Progress stages Time (weeks) 3/5/04 Level of Assessment set (following any appeals upheld) 17/1/05 Proponent Document Released for Public Comment 8 14/3/05 Public Comment Period Closed 30/8/05 Final Proponent response to the issues raised 27/10/05 EPA report to the Minister for the Environment 8 ISBN. 0 7307 6843 0 ISSN. 1030 - 0120 Assessment No. 1520 Summary and recommendations Fortescue Metals Group Limited (FMG) proposes to develop iron ore mines north of the town of Newman at Christmas Creek and Mindy Mindy, a beneficiation plant at Christmas Creek, a borefield, a 111 kilometre east-west railway system to connect the Christmas Creek mine to the north-south railway to Port Hedland (Figure 1) and an accommodation village. This report provides the Environmental Protection Authority’s (EPA’s) advice and recommendations to the Minister for the Environment on the environmental factors relevant to the proposal. Section 44 of the Environmental Protection Act 1986 requires the EPA to report to the Minister for the Environment on the environmental factors relevant to the proposal and on the conditions and procedures to which the proposal should be subject, if implemented. In addition, the EPA may make recommendations as it sees fit. The EPA is also required to have regard for the principles set out in section 4A of the Environmental Protection Act 1986. Relevant environmental factors and principles The EPA decided that the following environmental factors relevant to the proposal required detailed evaluation in the report: a) Flora and fauna; b) Groundwater and subterranean fauna; c) Surface water and mine discharges; d) Aboriginal culture and heritage; e) Rail/road transport and associated environmental factors; f) Dust, noise, light overspill and vibration; and g) Landforms, mine closure planning and rehabilitation. There were a number of other factors which were relevant to the proposal, but the EPA is of the view that the information set out in Appendix 3 provides sufficient evaluation. The following principles were considered by the EPA in relation to the proposal: (a) the precautionary principle; (b) the principle of intergenerational equity; (c) the principle of the conservation of biological diversity and ecological integrity; and (d) the principle of waste minimisation. The EPA received fifteen submissions on this proposal, from State and local governments, organisations and individuals. The main issues revolved around direct and potential impacts to high value Mulga groves and to the Fortescue Marsh. Aspects of the proposal which were considered to influence these values were the setting of the mine itself (ie the clearing, loss of vegetation and habitat), the proposed route of the railway linking it to Port Hedland and changes to surface and groundwater regimes, i with their potential effect on vegetation and stygofauna. Other submissions mentioned the scope of the assessment, fauna survey methodology, the broader cumulative impacts of groundwater abstraction and pit dewatering, the spread of weeds, dust, rehabilitation and mine closure. Conclusion The EPA has considered the proposal by FMG to develop the Mindy Mindy and Christmas Creek iron ore mines between 70km and 100km generally north of the town of Newman, a beneficiation plant at Christmas Creek, a borefield, a connecting 111 kilometre east-west railway system and an accommodation village. Since release of the PER, FMG has made several major modifications to the proposal which originally included mines at Mt Lewin and Mt Nicholas. The connecting infrastructure to those minesites is not now needed, leading to a change in the length of the railway from 160km to 111km. An alternative rail line crossing of the Chichester Ranges further to the east is proposed (option 3) versus the originally preferred option 2 route and overall disturbance has reduced from 17107ha to 12175ha, with a reduction in the amount of Mulga that will need to be cleared. The EPA notes that the Christmas Creek minesite and the rail access corridor are located in or near to high conservation value features such as Mulga woodlands and the Fortescue Marsh and that these features are at some risk from project activities. In order to mitigate these risks and impacts FMG proposes to prepare and implement several management plans as well as an offset package directed to assist the Department of Conservation and Land Management in related research fields. The EPA considers that these measures are appropriate and has prepared a complementary set of recommended conditions. The EPA has concluded that it is unlikely that the EPA’s objectives would be compromised provided there is satisfactory implementation by the proponent of their commitments and the recommended conditions set out in Appendix 5 and summarised in Section 4.2. Recommendations The EPA submits the following recommendations to the Minister for the Environment: 1. That the Minister notes that the proposal being assessed is for two iron ore mines, a beneficiation plant, a borefield and a connecting east-west railway system (to connect to the proponent’s previously assessed Stage A north-south railway); 2. That the Minister considers the report on the relevant environmental factors and principles as set out in Section 3; 3. That the Minister notes that the EPA has concluded that it is unlikely that the EPA’s objectives would be compromised, provided there is satisfactory implementation by the proponent of the recommended conditions set out in Appendix 5, and summarised in Section 4.2, including the proponent’s commitments. ii 4. That the Minister imposes the conditions and procedures recommended in Appendix 5 of this report. Conditions Having considered the proponent’s commitments and information provided in this report, the EPA has developed a set of conditions that the EPA recommends be imposed if the proposal by FMG to develop iron ore mines and processing facilities at Christmas Creek and Mindy Mindy, together with a beneficiation plant, a borefield and an east- west railway to Christmas Creek is approved for implementation. These conditions are presented in Appendix 5. Matters addressed in the conditions include the following: (a) that the proponent shall fulfill the commitments in the Consolidated Commitments statement set out as an attachment to the recommended conditions in Appendix 5; (b) significant flora and communities; (c) fauna management; (d) Fortescue Marsh management; (e) borefield management; (f) subterranean fauna; (g) surface water management; (h) rail route; and (i) decommissioning and final rehabilitation. iii Contents Page Summary and recommendations ................................................................................... i 1. Introduction and background ............................................................................... 1 2. The proposal............................................................................................................ 3 3. Relevant environmental factors and principles................................................... 4 3.1 Flora and fauna ............................................................................................. 5 3.2 Groundwater and subterranean fauna......................................................... 11 3.3 Surface water.............................................................................................. 16 3.4 Rail/road transport and associated environmental impacts ........................ 19 3.5 Dust, noise, light overspill and vibration.................................................... 30 3.6 Aboriginal culture and heritage .................................................................. 32 3.7 Landforms, mine closure planning and rehabilitation................................ 33 3.8 Greenhouse gas emissions.......................................................................... 36 3.9 Other issues raised in submissions ............................................................. 38 3.10 Relevant environmental principles............................................................. 39 4. Conditions and Commitments .................................................................... 39 4.1 Proponent’s commitments .......................................................................... 40 4.2 Recommended conditions.......................................................................... 40 5. Other Advice ......................................................................................................... 41 6. Conclusions ........................................................................................................... 43 7. Recommendations................................................................................................. 44 Notes....................................................................................................................... 11 Offsets ............................................................................................................................ 2 Mulga Vegetation Communities............................................................................... 2 Threatened Fauna Species .......................................................................................