Environment
Northparkes aims to conduct its operations in an
environmentally responsible manner that meets the expectations of
shareholders, government and the community. We recognise that our
environmental responsibilities go beyond legislative requirements
and include social obligations, leadership in sustainable
development and minimising environmental impacts.
We operate and manage our environmental impacts under an ISO 14001
certified environmental management system to encourage rigour and
consistency in environmental management across site. ISO 14001
provides a framework that ensures we manage the environmental
impact of our activities in a manner that is planned, controlled,
monitored, recorded and audited, using a system that drives
continual improvement.
Our key environmental management programmes include:
- Energy conservation and climate change;
- Water conservation;
- Land management; and
- Waste.
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Mining and the environment (PDF 1.98MB)
Energy and climate change
At Northparkes reducing energy
consumption is a challenge. The milling process is energy intensive
and is the main contributor to our greenhouse gas emissions
profile.
Our energy management approach is designed to address, understand,
prioritise and reduce our energy use per tonne of ore milled. A
site wide Energy team is actively progressing investigation of
energy efficiency opportunities that will assist the operations in
achieving a reduction in energy consumption.
In alignment with Rio Tinto's position on climate change, we
recognise that a proactive, pragmatic and open approach to climate
change is necessary to achieve emissions reductions. Northparkes
continues implementation of our three-year Climate Change Work
Programme covering the three key themes of reducing emissions from
operations, understanding and developing low emissions product
pathways and engaging with government and other stakeholders.
Water
Effective water management is important
to minimise the potential for impacts on natural water flows and
biotic systems. Water is critical to the operations for use
primarily in processing the ore into copper concentrate.
We have a strong focus on water management across the
operations to:
- Ensure a long-term reliable water supply to site;
- Maximise water efficiency to reduce reliance on freshwater
usage; and
- Protect clean water systems from contamination.
Water is segregated onsite into
different qualities to enable greater water recycling and minimise
the contamination of water. Runoff from undisturbed catchments is
diverted around mining areas and back into natural watercourses
wherever practicable. Water captured on the mine site is recycled
and used in preference to freshwater wherever practicable.
The water management system aims to efficiently and economically
collect and store on site water to minimise external water supply
inputs and supplement supply during periods of high
consumption.
Water management activities and strategic actions are coordinated,
managed and documented through an onsite water team.
Land management
Northparkes owns and manages approximately 6,100 hectares of land.
This area supports a range of land uses including mining,
exploration, crop production and habitat re-establishment.
We have developed an integrated and
strategic approach to land management across our entire
landholdings that includes:
- Reducing our footprint and impacts;
- Land preservation and rehabilitation;
- Conservation and improvement of biodiversity;
- Land conservation through sustainable agricultural
management;
- Establishment of environmental offsets on Northparkes
properties; and
- Interaction with adjoining landholders and communities to
address cross border and regional land use issues.
Progressive rehabilitation of mined
areas is conducted wherever possible. Rehabilitation involves the
reshaping and revegetation of land that has been mined with a
selection of plant species that restore the value of the land for
future use.
Northparkes has, wherever possible, been able to maintain large
sections of remnant vegetation within its landholding. Our
rehabilitation strategy includes the implementation of revegetation
plans that link significant areas of remnant vegetation across the
agricultural properties with wildlife corridors. The aim is to
produce long-term sustainable native ecosystems that complement the
agricultural landscape.
Wildlife corridors are established or improved along fence lines,
road verges, creeks and drainage lines through an annual
revegetation program. This program involves the planting of
approximately 10,000 trees per annum, if conditions are suitable.
In excess of 150,000 trees have been planted to date within the
landholding.
Closure planning at Northparkes has a multidisciplinary approach
and is an integral part of our business planning. This process
ensures a legacy remains which makes a positive contribution to
sustainable development.
We plan for closure from the earliest stages of project
development to decommissioning activities and are guided by the Rio
Tinto Closure Standard and our development consent conditions.
These activities allow us to influence the design, development,
operation and closure of the operations to ensure post-closure
outcomes that meet stakeholder expectations.
Waste
Our operational activities produce both
mineral and non-mineral waste forms.
Non-mineral waste consists primarily of auxiliary materials that
support our mining and mineral processing activities such as tyres,
oils, batteries, steel and general rubbish. This type of waste is
produced in small volumes and is reduced or eliminated by recycling
or reusing it wherever possible.
We have implemented a site wide recycling and waste
management program, managed by waste management specialists, that
includes the following:
- Provision of suitable receptacles and laydown areas for
segregation;
- Collection and disposal of materials at approved licensed
offsite facilities;
- Monthly waste tracking and reporting;
- Awareness training; and
- Identification of improvement opportunities.
Northparkes has procedures in place to
responsibly manage and dispose of all mineral waste such as mined
rock and tailings. Tailings are alternatively deposited into three
tailings storage facilities: Tailings Storage Facility 1, Tailings
Storage Facility 2 and E27 in-pit. The TSFs have been designed to
provide:
- Safe and permanent containment of all tailings solids;
- The recovery of free water for reuse within the processing
plant;
- Containment of all water under extreme rainfall
conditions;
- Maximised structural strength through the deposited tailings;
and
- Containment of all chemical residues.
Our control measures for the safe
management of tailings during construction and operation are
applied through a comprehensive Tailings Operators Manual. Regular
surveillance audits are also conducted by an external TSF
engineer.
Throughout the life of the operation, geochemical testing of waste
rock has been conducted to determine the nature of the material
prior to excavation for disposal onto a surface dump or stockpile.
All disposal of waste material occurs onsite in accordance with our
mining plans.