PERTH (miningweekly.com) – The New South Wales Department of Planning and Environment (DPE) has provisionally recommended that diversified miner Anglo American’s Drayton South project be approved.

Anglo American in January submitted a new mine plan for the Drayton mine expansion, reducing the tonnage from the mine from a projected 189-million tonnes to only 75-million tonnes and cutting some A$7-billion of coal revenue.

The new mine plan also reduced the life of the operation from 27 to 15 years.

The new mine plan was necessitated after the New South Wales Planning and Assessment Commission (PAC) twice refused Anglo American’s application to expand the current Drayton operation, stating in its October assessment that the development would negatively affect horse breeding operations.

Drayton South project director Rick Fairhurst said on Tuesday that the DPE’s recommendation validated the detailed scientific assessments and peer-reviewed reports contained in the new mine plan’s environmental-impact assessment.

“The department’s preliminary recommendation agrees with Anglo American’s detailed and peer-reviewed assessments, which found that the project will have no adverse effects on the health of horses on the Coolmore and Woodlands Studs,” he added.

The DPE’s assessment found that the project would be able to comply with the relevant air, noise and blasting criteria and would not result in adverse impacts on horse breeding operations in the region.

“Anglo American and our 500-strong workforce at the existing Drayton operations are pleased with the clear signal the DPE has sent to the PAC; Drayton South should go ahead.” Fairhurst added.

The PAC was expected to conduct a hearing into the expansion on September 10.

“Given the DPE has recommended the project for approval, we trust the PAC will be guided in it assessment and its deliberations,” Fairhurst said.