Mining Area C Life of Project Environmental Management Plan Revision 6 Part A – Site Environmental Management Plan Part B – Environmental Impact Assessment Summary October 2015 Mining Area C Life of Project EMP Table of Contents EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .......................................................................................................................... 1 PART A – SITE ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT PLAN ................................................................. 2 1 INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................................... 3 1.1 PURPOSE OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT PLAN ............................................. 3 1.2 OTHER RELEVANT ENVIRONMENTAL APPROVALS .......................................................... 3 1.3 PROJECT DESCRIPTION ........................................................................................................ 4 1.3.1 Mining Method ........................................................................................................... 4 1.3.2 Ore Processing, Loading and Transport .................................................................... 4 1.3.3 Overburden Management .......................................................................................... 4 1.3.4 Mine Dewatering and Disposal of Surplus Water ...................................................... 4 1.3.5 Infrastructure .............................................................................................................. 4 1.4 EXPLORATION ......................................................................................................................... 5 1.5 COMMUNITY ............................................................................................................................ 5 2 ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT FRAMEWORK .............................................................. 8 2.1 ENVIRONMENTAL RISK MANAGEMENT PROCESS ............................................................ 8 2.2 PROJECT ENVIRONMENTAL AND ABORIGINAL HERITAGE REVIEW ............................... 9 3 ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT MEASURES .................................................................. 9 4 REVIEWING AND REPORTING ............................................................................................18 4.1 REVIEW OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT PLAN ..............................................18 4.1.1 Government Reporting Requirements .....................................................................18 4.1.2 Event reporting ........................................................................................................19 5 REFERENCES ........................................................................................................................20 LIST OF TABLES Table 1.1 EMP Compliance to Relevant MS491 Conditions and Commitments ................................. 3 Table 3.1 Environmental Factors Summary.......................................................................................10 Table 3.2 Environmental Management Components ........................................................................14 Table 4.1 Ministerial Statement 491 Reporting Requirements ..........................................................18 LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1.1 Project Location ................................................................................................................... 6 Figure 1.2 Mining Area C Indicative General Arrangement .................................................................. 7 Figure 2.1 BHP Billiton Iron Ore’s Environmental Management Framework ........................................ 8 Page i Mining Area C Life of Project EMP PART B – ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT ........................................................................ 1 1 INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................................... 2 1.1 BACKGROUND ........................................................................................................................ 2 1.2 ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT PLAN HISTORY AND STATUS ..................................... 2 1.3 PURPOSE OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT PLAN ............................................. 2 2 PROJECT DESCRIPTION........................................................................................................ 7 2.1 OVERVIEW ............................................................................................................................... 7 2.1.1 Mining Method ........................................................................................................... 7 2.1.2 Ore Processing, Loading and Transport .................................................................... 7 2.1.3 Overburden Management .......................................................................................... 7 2.1.4 Mine Dewatering and Disposal of Surplus Water ...................................................... 7 2.1.5 Infrastructure .............................................................................................................. 7 2.2 PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT ................................................................................................. 7 2.3 EXISTING AND PROPOSED PROJECT DISTURBANCE ...................................................... 8 2.4 PLANNING PROCESS ............................................................................................................. 9 2.5 EXPLORATION ......................................................................................................................... 9 3 STAKEHOLDER CONSULTATION .......................................................................................10 3.1 CONSULTATION OBJECTIVES ............................................................................................10 3.2 CONSULTATION PROGRAMME SUMMARY .......................................................................10 4 ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES AND SURVEY EFFORT ........................................................14 5 ASSESSMENT OF KEY ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS ......................................................24 5.1 FLORA AND VEGETATION ...................................................................................................24 5.1.1 Existing Environment ...............................................................................................24 5.1.2 Potential Impacts .....................................................................................................26 5.1.3 Mitigation Actions .....................................................................................................27 5.1.4 Regulatory Mechanism ............................................................................................28 5.1.5 Outcome ..................................................................................................................28 5.2 LANDFORMS ..........................................................................................................................32 5.2.1 Existing Environment ...............................................................................................32 5.2.2 Potential Impacts .....................................................................................................32 5.2.3 Mitigation Actions .....................................................................................................33 5.2.4 Regulatory Mechanism ............................................................................................33 5.2.5 Outcome ..................................................................................................................33 5.3 SUBTERRANEAN FAUNA .....................................................................................................33 5.3.1 Existing Environment ...............................................................................................33 5.3.2 Potential Impacts .....................................................................................................34 5.3.3 Mitigation Actions .....................................................................................................35 5.3.4 Regulatory Mechanism ............................................................................................36 5.3.5 Outcome ..................................................................................................................36 Page ii Mining Area C Life of Project EMP 5.4 TERRESTRIAL FAUNA ..........................................................................................................38 5.4.1 Existing Environment ...............................................................................................38 5.4.2 Potential Impacts .....................................................................................................38 5.4.3 Mitigation Actions .....................................................................................................40 5.4.4 Regulatory Mechanism ............................................................................................40 5.4.5 Outcome ..................................................................................................................40 5.5 HYDROLOGICAL PROCESSES ............................................................................................43 5.5.1 Existing Environment ...............................................................................................43