Alcoa’s bauxite mining plans may quickly be underneath the microscope after the Environmental Protection Authority on Monday gave some validity to a referral from environmental foyer group WA Forest Alliance over issues about its proximity to Perth’s consuming water provide.
WAFA referred each the US mining group’s current mining administration plan 2022-2026 and its but to be accepted plan for 2023-2027 to the EPA in February over potential “catastrophic environmental impacts”.
The proposals embody actions at Alcoa’s Huntly and Willowdale mines, corresponding to native vegetation clearing, exploration actions and operations for mining, crushing and screening bauxite ore.
It means the EPA will now open the choice as much as the general public, asking for suggestions on whether or not the physique ought to assess Alcoa’s proposals and “what level of assessment is considered appropriate”.
It additionally leaves the way forward for Alcoa’s bauxite operations in limbo, with the 2023-2027 but unapproved.
The aluminium big mines bauxite in Jarrahdale inside 300m of the Serpentine Dam, which provides almost 20 per cent of Perth’s consuming water.
The proximity to such a big water provide has reportedly raised issues inside authorities ranks, notably after the miner altered its strategies about 5 years in the past which elevated the chance of chemical pollutant-laden sediment getting into the waterway.
Contamination may compromise the 72 billion litres of water presently within the dam and set off a pricey compelled shutdown.
WAFA shared the suggestions web page by way of its social media, encouraging folks to name for the very best degree of evaluation: a public environmental evaluation.
A WAFA spokesperson instructed the Mandurah Times Monday’s choice was “certainly a good start”.
“It’s the first time in 60 years that the mining company is facing a full and transparent assessment of its Mining and Management Plans by the EPA,” the spokesperson mentioned.
“Up until now, Alcoa has enjoyed a secretive approvals process where the documents aren’t available to the public, even through Freedom of Information laws, and a special liaison group has approved the company’s mining plans without them going before the EPA.
“That process has stalled over the past year or so though because of the serious concerns being raised by government entities about the risks Alcoa’s clearing poses.”
The alliance mentioned “very serious issues” had been raised, “including by government entities, about the risk that mining poses to Perth’s drinking water”.
WAFA is now urging the EPA to conduct a full evaluation of Alcoa’s processes, with the outcomes to be launched publicly.
“It has become increasingly clear that a full and transparent review, and then processes for protecting public health and environmental values, is long overdue,” the spokesperson mentioned.
In response to the EPA choice, Alcoa mentioned in an announcement it was reaffirming its “commitment to modernise the approvals framework for its bauxite mining” in WA.
Alcoa Australia president Matt Reed mentioned the general public remark interval was an vital step ahead within the EPA course of and gaining readability on the corporate’s WA bauxite mining.
“Our utmost focus remains on securing certainty for our current and future bauxite mining operations,” Mr Reed mentioned.
“We firmly believe we can continue to operate safely and responsibly under both our existing robust statutory approvals framework set under our WA State agreements and the more contemporary EPA approvals framework we are committed to transitioning to over a reasonable timeframe.”
It comes after the miner reported a doubling in compliance breaches for 2022 — 15 breaches up from seven in 2021 — considerably tainting its environmental file within the South West.
The reported breaches included a half-dozen leaks or spillages of slurry, mud, alkaline course of liquor or different materials at its Kwinana and Pinjarra alumina refineries in January, March, July and December 2022.
Alcoa additionally confronted heavy scrutiny earlier within the yr after pumping PFAS-contaminated water from its Willowdale mine over the Samson Brook consuming water dam close to Waroona in a pipeline it had constructed with out approval from the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation.
The miner has since re-applied to the DWER for the license to move the “forever chemical”: poisonous artificial chemical compounds from previous use of firefighting foams which might persist within the setting for extended durations of time.
But Mr Reed maintained Alcoa was dedicated to modernising its approvals framework and rehabilitation efforts.
“We are increasing controls to protect drinking water, stepping up mine site rehabilitation and enhancing the management of social impacts, including recently announced no mining zones around the towns of Dwellingup and Jarrahdale,” Mr Reed mentioned.
The remark interval is open till August 15. It is known there isn’t a deadline on the EPA’s dedication.
Source: www.perthnow.com.au
