Earlier, not – Geïdentified Environment and Cultural Factors have led to Alcoa re -rating the proposed migratory roads on its sweet range in a changed, lower disruption mine plan.
Alcoa’s bauxite mining activities investigated in the southwest are subject to rolling five -year -old mining management plans, requires as part of the state agreement.
According to a government exemption in 2023, Alcoa may continue to operate on a limited basis, while the Darling Range MINE plans for the periods 2022-2026 and 2023-2027 are assessed by the Environmental Protection Authority.
The mining plan of 2023-2027 was conditionally approved in December 2023, days before the EPA was committed to investigating the activities of Alcoa in the area.
It is now consolidated with the Mine Management Plan 2022-2026 and amended.
One of the changes is a significant reduction in the disruption footprint of Alcoa’s bauxite mining activities, within the same mining footprint.
The changes will reduce the proposed Huntly Mining disruption area with 933 hectares to 13,788ha and the Willowdale disturbance area with 330 ha to 846ha.
The proposed developmental investment will remain the same for both mines.
Alcoa has also introduced 411ha of disruption for a new migration roads to be carried out along a new route to prevent vegetation and heritage areas.
A spokesperson for Alcoa told Business news The roads were adjusted as a result of new information that had come to light after the Mijnplan of 2023-2027 had been submitted to the EPA.
“The main reason for the recurrence of migration roads is to avoid areas of cultural and environmental earth that were identified in surveys carried out after the 2023-2027 is delivered [mine management plan]”They said.
The spokesperson noted the significant reduction in the total disruption footprint in the mining zone.
“The changes between the two MMPs, while staying within the same proposed developmental impact, include a net reduction in the total disruption of 1,323 ha over the envelopes of Huntly and Willowdale,” they said.
By agreeing with the amendment, EPA chairman Darren Walsh noted that the general proposed disruption footprint of Alcoa’s activities would be reduced.
“The overall reduction of the disruption is likely to reduce the effects on flora and vegetation, terrestrial fauna, inland waterways, terrestrial environmental quality and greenhouse gas emissions,” he wrote.
“There may be additional consequences for flora and vegetation values and terrestrial fauna values related to the addition of the migration roads.
“However, the effects are expected to be substantially the same character as the existing referred proposal.”
The nature of the heritage values that have been identified at the Darling Range operations is not known.
The changes to the MijnManagement Plan are coming after Alcoa has requested permission to release approximately 1,800 hectares of land in the O’Neil region at the end of last year.
O’Neil was mined until 2014 and was gradually rehabilitated until 2021, but Alcoa hopes to be visited again within the boundaries of the development tax.
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