PERTH (miningweekly.com) – The Western Australian Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has vetoed the proposed development of the Jackson 5 and Bungalbin East iron-ore project by Polaris Metals, a subsidiary of ASX-listed Mineral Resources (MinRes).

The Jackson 5 and Bungalbin East projects formed part of MinRes’ greater Yilgarn iron-ore project.

EPA chairperson Paul Vogel has recommended that the project, about 50 km north of Koolyanobbing in the Shire of Yilgarn, should not be implemented because mining the ancient banded iron formation (BIF) landforms of the Helena-Aurora range in the Mount Manning area would have irreversible environmental consequences.

The proposal would disturb about 720 ha of land to develop two opencut pits, waste rock dumps and supporting mine infrastructure.

Vogel noted that the BIF ranges were isolated ancient ranges, set in a predominantly flat landscape, that provide specialised habitats for plants, animals and ecological communities.

“The Helena-Aurora range has been identified as one of the few remaining intact BIF ranges with the highest biodiversity values in the Yilgarn craton,” Vogel said.

“The proposal would result in the permanent loss of a significant portion of the Helena-Aurora range, thereby compromising the integrity of the range at a regional level. Mining of these BIF landforms would directly impact significant flora species, as well as result in the loss of critical habitat for these species.”

Vogel said the EPA had made a decision that the proposal was environmentally unacceptable based on the proponent’s referral information, specialist advice sought by the EPA and the EPA’s own knowledge and experience.

Vogel said the proposal failed to meet the EPA’s objective for landforms and flora and vegetation.

“If allowed to be implemented, this proposal would remove the physical structure of significant landforms, which host endemic, rare and geographically restricted flora species and vegetation communities,” Vogel said.

“There is no way these landforms could be restored if mining was allowed. The damage would be irreversible. The proponent did not identify any proposal modification or mitigation measures which would reduce the impacts identified, therefore the EPA has recommended to the Minister for Environment that the Jackson 5 and Bungalbin East iron-ore project is environmentally unacceptable and should not be implemented.”

The EPA’s report to the Minister for Environment is now open for a two-week public appeal period, closing January 27.