Cumnock No. 1 Colliery Pty Limited Environmental Assessment Cumnock Wash Plant Mining and Rehabilitation Project December 2008 Environmental Assessment Cumnock Wash Plant Mining and Rehabilitation Project Prepared by Umwelt (Australia) Pty Limited on behalf of Cumnock No. 1 Colliery Pty Limited Project Director: John Merrell Project Manager: Camille Boxall Report No. 2185/R03/Final Date: December 2008 2/20 The Boulevarde PO Box 838 Toronto NSW 2283 Ph: 02 4950 5322 Fax: 02 4950 5737 Email: [email protected] Website: www.umwelt.com.au Cumnock Wash Plant Mining and Rehabilitation Project EA Executive Summary Executive Summary Cumnock No.1 Colliery Pty Limited (Cumnock) operates open cut and underground coal mines located between Singleton and Muswellbrook in the Hunter Valley of New South Wales (NSW). Cumnock is a wholly owned subsidiary of Xstrata Coal (Xstrata). Mining at Cumnock has been ongoing since the 1950s, with the current operations expected to exhaust economic coal reserves by the end of 2008. Closure and decommissioning of the mining operation will commence in early 2009, with the first stage of closure involving the removal of the Cumnock Coal Handling Preparation Plant (CHPP) and rehabilitation of the CHPP site. A small coal reserve has been identified beneath the CHPP site. Cumnock propose to recover this coal reserve as part of the CHPP site rehabilitation process. The mining of the proposed Wash Plant Pit gives Cumnock a unique opportunity to economically access a coal reserve and remediate and rehabilitate the site during the mining process. The proposed Wash Plant Pit will involve mining operations for an approximate one year period, resulting in production of approximately 1 million tonnes (Mt) of run-of-mine (ROM) coal. The proposed Cumnock Wash Plant Mining and Rehabilitation Project (the Project) will also involve ongoing emplacement of tailings and coarse reject in the existing Cumnock South Open Cut mining voids. Use of these voids for tailings and coarse reject emplacement will provide for an improved final landform at the Cumnock site and through successful rehabilitation achieve a long term sustainable outcome for the site. The key components of the Project will include: • mining of the Wash Plant Pit; • construction and use of temporary mining facilities including a workshop facility, administration facility, stores area, mobile crusher and coal stockpiling; • continuing use of existing Cumnock mining facilities and infrastructure; • coal haulage to the Ravensworth Underground Mine CHPP and Ravensworth Coal Terminal rail facility via existing approved haulage routes; • rehabilitation of the Wash Plant Pit to an interim void to be potentially used initially as water storage and subsequently for tailings and coarse reject emplacement; • continued use of the Greater Ravensworth Water Sharing System; • continuing use of the Cumnock South Open Cut voids for emplacement of tailings and coarse reject, with this material to come from Ravensworth Underground Mine and other surrounding Xstrata mining operations; • continuing use of existing approved road haulage routes to transport coarse reject from Ravensworth Underground Mine to the Cumnock South Open Cut voids; and • rehabilitation of the Cumnock mine site including establishing approximately 135 hectares of native woodland vegetation as part of revegetation works. Approval for the Project is sought via a modification to Cumnock’s existing 2001 development consent (DA 123-05-01) under Section 75W of the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1994 (EP&A Act). The NSW Minister for Planning is responsible for approving the Project. Umwelt (Australia) Pty Limited 2185/R03/Final December 2008 1 Cumnock Wash Plant Mining and Rehabilitation Project EA Executive Summary A detailed environmental and social impact assessment has been completed for the Project, as documented in this Environmental Assessment (EA). Table 1 provides a brief overview of the key outcomes of the environmental and social impact assessment. Table 1 - Overview of Environmental and Social Impacts Environmental/Social Overview of Key Outcomes Issue (After proposed Management and Mitigation) Air Quality • The Project will make minimal contribution to local dust levels and is predicted to comply with all relevant air quality criteria. Noise • The Project will comply with noise criteria at all residential locations. Soil and Water • The Project will make minimal changes to the existing mine water management system. • The Project is not predicted to result in significant impacts on surface water or groundwater. Transport • Existing haulage routes will be used, with all haulage movements to be within the currently approved volume. • The pavement of Liddell Station Road will be upgraded in consultation with Council. Rehabilitation and • The rehabilitation of the site will provide for a significantly improved Closure final landform. • The rehabilitation program will include establishment of approximately 135 hectares of woodland vegetation providing significant vegetation corridor linkages. Ecology • Minimal vegetation clearing required. • The Project will not have a significant impact on listed threatened species, populations and EECs. Aboriginal and Historic • No impact on Aboriginal sites or historical archaeological sites. Heritage Visual • The Project is unlikely to significantly impact on existing visual amenity during mining operations. • The rehabilitation of the site will provide for improved visual amenity in the medium to long-term. Greenhouse Gas and • The Project will make a small contribution to global greenhouse gas Energy emissions. • Opportunities for improving energy efficiency will be pursued during the life of the Project. Socio-economic • The Project will provide employment for approximately 50 people Assessment during the mining of the Wash Plant Pit. • Employment associated with the Project is not predicted to impact on the availability of housing, accommodation, public services or infrastructure. • The Project will provide input into the local, regional and State economies through capital expenditure (estimated at approximately $1.95M), employment and payment of royalties and taxes. Umwelt (Australia) Pty Limited 2185/R03/Final December 2008 2 Cumnock Wash Plant Mining and Rehabilitation Project EA Executive Summary The potential environmental and social impacts of the Project have been kept to a minimum through: • obtaining a detailed understanding of the issues and potential impacts by scientific evaluation; • close consideration of environmental and community factors as part of an iterative design process to avoid or minimise impacts; • development of proactive and appropriate strategies to avoid, minimise and mitigate or manage environmental and social impacts; and • a thorough Statement of Commitments which details the measures that Cumnock will implement as part of the Project to minimise the potential environmental and social impacts of the Project. The mining of the proposed Wash Plant Pit will allow Cumnock to address residual environmental impacts resulting from the CHPP operations and past mining activities at the site extending back to the 1950s. The Project, through ongoing emplacement of tailings and reject in the existing Cumnock South Open Cut voids, will also provide for an improved final landform at the Cumnock site. Through implementation of this Project, Cumnock will achieve effective closure and rehabilitation of the site, providing a long term sustainable outcome post mining. In addition to providing for effective site rehabilitation, the Project will result in the recovery of a small, but valuable coal resource, providing input into the economy of NSW through capital expenditure (estimated at approximately $1.95M), employment and payment of royalties and taxes. The Project will provide for employment of approximately 50 people during the mining of the proposed Wash Plant Pit over an approximate one year period. Cumnock manages its operations in an environmentally responsible manner through the implementation of its EMS. This approach will continue to be implemented for the current Project, with the environmental management controls proposed to be implemented as part of the Project detailed in this EA, including a detailed Statement of Commitments. This EA comprehensively addresses the potential environmental impacts associated with the Project. The EA concludes that the Project can be undertaken without significantly impacting on the environment or community and will also provide improved biodiversity outcomes in the medium to long-term through provision of native vegetation corridors as an outcome of the rehabilitation process. Umwelt (Australia) Pty Limited 2185/R03/Final December 2008 3 Cumnock Wash Plant Mining and Rehabilitation Project EA Table of Contents TABLE OF CONTENTS 1.0 Introduction .............................................................................. 1.1 1.1 Project Background ..........................................................................1.1 1.2 Overview of the Project.....................................................................1.1 1.3 Overview of the Existing Environment ............................................1.1 1.3.1 Project Area and Surrounding Land Use.........................................................1.1 1.3.2 Property Description and Land Ownership......................................................1.1 1.3.3 Overview of Environmental Features ..............................................................1.1