The EPA has given Glencore subsidiary Minara Resources the green light to conduct an exploration program in the southern portion of its Irwin Hills Project in the north-eastern Goldfields.
The Environmental Protection Authority has given Perth-based nickel miner Minara Resources the green light to conduct an exploration program in the southern portion of its Irwin Hills Project in the north-eastern Goldfields.
Last month, Glencore’s Minara lodged a proposal with the EPA to investigate the development potential of the Irwin Hills mining area, a 4,400 hectare mining tenement it inherited when it was operating as Anaconda Nickel.
In its referral to the EPA, the company had sought permission to clear 312 hectares of vegetation in its 935 hectare development envelope to construct waste dumps, a haul road, temporary accommodation, exploration drill areas and borefields to facilitate its drilling program.
Minara had planned to mine ore using conventional open cut techniques before transporting it by road train to its processing plant at the Murrin Murrin Nickel Cobalt Project.
There had been two requests for a Public Environmental Review, the highest level of review undertaken by the EPA, over concerns that the clearing and drilling activities could impact flora, vegetation and the social surroundings.
But in a determination released yesterday, the EPA confirmed it had chosen not to assess the proposal - a decision that is not appealable.
Following preliminary investigations, EPA chairperson Matthew Tonts said the likely environmental effects of the plans were not significant enough to warrant formal assessment.
He said it was unlikely there would be any material threat to ecological communities or environmentally sensitive areas and that any impacts associated with the clearing could be managed through the company’s mitigation measures.
Further, he added that the closest sensitive receptors were 9.5 kilometres away from the proposed site and that the life of the proposal was relatively short at 3.5 years.
The EPA also noted that the clearing proposed would still be subject to other statutory processes, including the acquisition of a permit under the Environmental Protection Act 1986.
Minara has indicated that while the life of the proposal would be about 3.5 years, it should be able to determine whether it would proceed within one year of drilling.
Through subsidiary Murrin Murrin Holdings, Minara has held the two mining tenements comprising Irwin Hills about 85 km south-east of Laverton since 1994 - when it was still operating as Anaconda Nickel.
Anaconda Nickel, which was spearheaded by Andrew Forrest before he went on to establish Fortescue Metals Group, had conducted drilling and preliminary engineering work which identified the site’s potential.
Following a feasibility study, Anaconda obtained the necessary approvals and the Murrin Murrin project was commissioned in the late 1990s.
But issues with the construction and operation of Murrin Murrin’s processing plant plagued the project and the delays proved costly.
By 2002, Anaconda Nickel had been restructured as Minara Resources before becoming a 100 per cent subsidiary of Glencore in 2011.
Now, Minara Resources is one of Australia's top nickel producers, employing about 1,000 staff and contractors at Murrin Murrin.
