PERTH (miningweekly.com) – The Western Australian Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) on Monday recommended that mining giant BHP Billiton be allowed to develop and operate a new openpit mine some 10 km from Newman.

The project, currently dubbed Orebody 32 Above Water Table, would include conventional openpit operations above the water table and infrastructure, including storage areas and a haul road.

Mined iron-ore would be transported to existing processing facilities at the proponent’s adjacent and already-approved Orebody 24 and 25 mines.

EPA chairperson Paul Vogel said the proposal was able to meet the EPA’s environmental objectives.

“In assessing this project, the EPA took into account the proponent’s efforts to avoid, minimise and rehabilitate environmental impacts associated with the project,” he said.

“This has included using existing stockpiles and infrastructure at its adjacent mines, rehabilitating disturbed areas when they are no longer needed and providing a buffer of 50 m along the Homestead Creek to avoid impacts to fringing vegetation.”

Vogel said the EPA had recommended seven conditions, including measures to address rehabilitation and decommissioning of the mine.

Meanwhile, the EPA on Monday also recommended revised conditions for diversified miner Rio Tinto’s Marandoo project.

Vogel said the proposed revisions would better define development envelopes within the project area, provide for the clearing of an extra 400 ha of native vegetation within the mine and plant area, and consolidate existing Ministerial statements which outlined project conditions – from three statements into one.

“The existing Marandoo iron-ore project involves openpit mining of iron-ore deposits above and below the groundwater table,” Vogel said.

“Various conditions were outlined across three separate Ministerial statements and a lot of work has been undertaken to examine these, eliminating duplication and consolidating conditions into a single Ministerial statement. The proposed revisions were also investigated fully to maintain adequate protection of the environment, with particular attention to the loss of 383 ha of native vegetation in ‘good to excellent’ condition, and also to weed control measures.”

Both the approvals would now be open for a public appeal, after which they would be handed to the Minister of Environment for a final approval.