PERTH (miningweekly.com) – The Western Australian Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has conditionally approved iron-ore giant Fortescue Metal’s North Star magnetite project.

The large opencut mine, which is to be located 110 km south-southeast of Port Hedland, would generate up to 15-million tonnes of magnetite each year. The project would have an estimated mine-life of 45 years.

The proposal also includes the construction of associated infrastructure, as well as the transport of magnetite ore to Port Hedland for export via a slurry pipeline.

EPA chairperson Dr Paul Vogel said the proposal had been examined at a Public Environmental Review, with the EPA assessing the proposal against several key environmental factors.

Vogel said the extensive assessment had found the proposal could be managed to meet the EPA’s objectives for each of these factors subject to a suite of strict conditions.

“This is a large mine with a long life expectancy so the EPA has recommended 17 rigorous conditions to minimise and mitigate any potential environmental impacts,” Vogel said.

Besides ensuring that the North Star mine avoided rare flora, the EPA has also recommended that Fortescue’s project did not affect the viability of the Pilbara Leaf-nosed bat by implementing a mine exclusion zone around a regionally significant roost cave.

Mine construction and operational activities would also need to ensure that impacts to the Northern quoll would be minimised.

With the proposal requiring abstraction of up to 14 gigalitres a year of groundwater sourced from the Canning basin, other conditions include the preparation of a water quality and quantity monitoring plan, in consultation with the Department of Water, to ensure the proposal does not have a detrimental impact on a nearby water pool.

Vogel said the proposal would result in the clearing of 5 141 ha of native vegetation. For this reason, the EPA had also recommended the proponent contribute funds to a government-established conservation offset fund to mitigate for significant residual impacts on vegetation deemed to be in ‘good to excellent’ condition, estimated to cover more than 4 700 ha.

The EPA’s report was now open for a two-week public appeal, which would close on July 7.