PERTH (miningweekly.com) – Metals developer TNG has released the mine environmental impact statement (EIS) of its proposed Mount Peake vanadium/titanium/iron project, in the Northern Territory, for public comment.
The Mt Peake project comprises a mine and processing facility some 235 km north-northwest of Alice Springs.
The proposed mine site and processing facility would include an opencut mining operation, waste rock dump, ore processing plant, tailings storage facility, water dams, gas-fired power station, accommodation village and road and rail facilities.
The project was expected to have average production of 17 560 t/y of vanadium oxide, 236 000 t/y titanium dioxide and a further 637 000 t/y pig iron.
The mine and refinery were referred separately to the Northern Territory Environment Protection Authority, which determined that both would require assessment.
The mine and refinery were also separately referred to the Commonwealth Department of the Environment, and both were determined to be controlled actions.
TNG said on Thursday that the EIS for the refinery was currently being prepared and would likely be completed by late 2016, allowing for the overall environmental approval to be secured by early 2017.
TNG MD Paul Burton told shareholders that the release of the mine EIS for public comment marked another important milestone in the overall permitting process, and another step towards development of the Mt Peake project.
“The EIS has been prepared to a very high standard and addresses the full range of economic and social issues associated with the proposed development of a mine and processing facility at Mt Peake.”