CSIRO and Evolution partner to identify alternatives in mine water treatment using algae
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We recognise our responsibility to manage and mitigate environmental risks and impacts across our value chain, particularly those relating to nature, water and biodiversity, to help safeguard ecosystem health, support a healthy workforce and sustain communities where we operate.
Environmental stewardship is essential to maintaining our regulatory and social licence to operate. We strive for safe and sustainable consumption of resources and responsible production to support long-term environmental outcomes.
We incorporate proactive risk-based environmental management, focused on protecting cultural and environmental values including the rights and interests of local communities, and are committed to continuous feedback and improvement. We consult with stakeholders including local communities, First Nations partners and regulatory authorities to identify priority and sensitive areas and monitor potential impacts throughout mine planning, operations, closure planning and rehabilitation.
Jurisdictional regulations, approval conditions and permit and licence provisions include stringent requirements to support the health and safety of local communities and the environment. All sites undertake regular monitoring, reporting and assurance activity to demonstrate compliance with these obligations.
For more detail about how we manage our operational environmental impacts, our related targets and performance each year see our Sustainability Report and ESG performance data in our Document Centre.
We are committed to ensuring dust or other airborne particulates related to our operations do not have an adverse effect on human health or the environment.
Our operations comply with strict air emissions limits set by regulations. We manage air emissions in accordance with these and other jurisdictional regulations and licences.
Air quality can be impacted by dust generated from our activities including vehicle movements and construction, as well as weather. We use various methods to minimise dust generation from our sites. These include using dust suppressants on haul roads, maintaining vegetation growth and minimising disturbance areas.
We use specialised equipment to monitor air quality and validate the performance and efficiency of operational management systems. Third-party accredited laboratories analyse our air quality monitoring data and data is externally reported as required by environmental licences. Data from our New South Wales sites is available in our Document Centre.
We review and assure air quality management at our operations in response to material incidents and emerging risks within our industry and seek to continuously improve air quality management across all our operations.
Waste products and other effluents generated from mining and processing activities are handled, stored and disposed of responsibly to protect our people, communities and environment. We aim to adopt circular economy practices to minimise waste and seek to recycle and reuse waste where possible.
All waste is managed in accordance with our licence conditions and comprehensive site-specific Waste Management Plans. These plans detail how different types of waste produced are to be managed, and identify opportunities for waste minimisation, recycling and reuse.
Operational waste streams are generally classified as mineral and non-mineral. Mineral waste is the largest waste stream we generate and includes excess material removed from a mine void to reach the ore body and remaining materials once minerals are extracted from ore during processing (i.e., waste rock and tailings). Non-mineral waste is waste generated from our activities other than the mineral by-products of extractive and processing activities.
Where feasible, non-hazardous non-mineral waste such as scrap steel, mill balls, liners, copper wire, electrical cables, timber, cardboard, glass and plastic are diverted from landfill and recycled. We also aim to recycle hazardous waste such as waste oil, oil filters, oily rags, grease, hydraulic hoses, batteries and e-waste where possible.
Our ambition is that our operations result in no net loss in biodiversity and ecosystem values. We work towards this ambition by both minimising our environmental footprint and impacts to biodiversity, and enhancing ecosystem values. This includes establishing biodiversity stewardship agreements and maintaining biodiversity offset areas.
We undertake biodiversity assessments to identify the risk of impact to biodiversity and mitigation opportunities. These assessments inform our operational Biodiversity Management Plans that align with local regulations. All activities, including any disturbances, are conducted and monitored in accordance with jurisdictional obligations.
We strive to apply the mitigation hierarchy of avoidance, reduction, restoration to transformation across the life of our operations. Sensitive flora and fauna are only impacted where the internal and external risk management and permitting process have been met, and no other suitable alternative is available.
Recognising the value of local knowledge, we work with local communities including conservation groups to identify, monitor and mitigate impacts to sensitive areas, pursue shared environmental outcomes, and incorporate stakeholder feedback into our approach. We also require our suppliers and business partners to demonstrate their biodiversity stewardship in our tendering process.
For examples of how we are enhancing biodiversity in partnership with local communities, see our case studies.
We aim to ensure the environment in which we operate is restored or transformed to a long-term sustainable state, either similar to what existed prior to mining or suitable for another use.
Closure plans and post-mining land uses are developed in consultation with external stakeholders including communities local to our sites. Closure plans provide a defined pathway for rehabilitation, outline site-specific objectives and completion criteria, and are approved by relevant authorities.
Key to our approach is progressive rehabilitation: we rehabilitate land that has already been mined and monitor the effectiveness of revegetation and other activities as mining operations progress into new areas.
Where possible, we aim to transform former mine sites from an environmental and/or economic standpoint. We are particularly proud of the Mt Rawdon Pumped Hydro Project, which aims to convert our former Mt Rawdon Operations into a power station and energy storage facility. The Project is progressing through feasibility studies and related approval processes involving the Queensland and Australian Governments, with construction expected to begin in the late 2020s (conditions permitting).
We make operational and financial provisions during the life of our mines to ensure closure plans, rehabilitation and remediation activities can be completed. We report progress on implementation and compliance with commitments to regulatory authorities as required and to third-party auditors annually.
See our case studies for examples of our rehabilitation and closure work.
We operate Tailings Storage Facilities (TSFs), also known as tailings dams, at all of our operations. We are committed to responsible tailings management, aligned with global best practice for safety of our people, the environment and communities during all phases of the TSF life cycle.
We currently have ten active regulated TSFs to securely and safely store waste products of mining.
Primary components of our approach to safely managing tailings include:
Aligned with our broader approach to waste minimisation, we reuse tailings materials to stabilise some of our underground operations, and water is recovered from TSFs for reuse in relevant processing applications.
A full list of TSFs, as well as current volume, date and findings of recent risk assessments and consequence classifications, is available in our Church of England Disclosure in our Document Centre.
Access to safe, clean water and sanitation is a basic human right, supporting healthy ecosystems, food production and livelihoods. Our approach to managing water aims to secure sustainable availability of clean water for all, while protecting human health, the environment, and the long-term resilience of our operations in a variable water security environment.
Recognising that water is a critical shared resource, how we manage water is informed by robust engagement with stakeholders including communities, policymakers, non-government organisations and investors.
Water-related activities are regulated in each jurisdiction and are subject to set quality and quantity thresholds. Each operation maintains a Water Management Plan and site-wide water balance to enable responsible water use in the context of the local catchment.
Our focus is on water security and climate resilience. We aim to minimise operational water consumption, use water efficiently (including by maximising reuse of water) and ensure any effluents are treated to meet required water quality standards. This approach aims to both minimise the potential for operational impacts on water quality and reduce competition for external raw water demand with agricultural and other industries and communities.
To improve water security and efficiency, we have a target to reduce freshwater use intensity. See details and our progress in our Sustainability Report and ESG performance data in our Document Centre.
