❓ A WA parliamentary question regarding environmental management practices at the Kundana Gold Mine, specifically concerning saline water management and fauna protection. The Minister confirms the letter's content and justifies the environmental protection measures.
AnsweredQoN 1370Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
I refer to a letter which I understand is dated February 14 2002 signed by Eugene Bouwhuis, Environmental and Rehabilitation Officer, from the Department of Minerals and Energy addressed to Registered Manager, Goldfields Limited, Kundana Gold Mine -
(1) Is it correct that part of the letter dated February 14 2002 under the heading of ‘Saline Water Management’ states ‘I recommend that all saline water pipelines and pumping facilities, be appropriately bunded (or buried where applicable) to prevent uncontrolled discharge of saline water to the neighbouring environment. Topsoil stockpiled beside saline water pipeline bunds should be protected from impact by saline water in the event of system or component failure with the pipeline. Please ensure that this office is notified of all saline water spills, which occur outside bunds/containment structures. A recent spill was noted along White Flag discharge pipeline. Please provide details of that spill including location (Tenement), Plan depicting the size of the spill, Cause of spill, Impact of spill on the environment, corrective action taken and rehabilitation details. The pad associated with the stand pipe located adjacent to the three transfer dams must slope back towards the nearest dam and be appropriately bunded such that saline water does not flow uncontrolled to the environment as is currently the case. I recommend that water carts (spraying saline water for dust suppression purposes) use only dribble bars when watering roads/hardstand areas, fringed by or in the vicinity of natural vegetation/rehabilitated surfaces. Salt accumulation was observed in spoon drains located along the Kundana site access road and along haul roads. Appropriate egress matting must be installed in all steep sided and lined dams to allow fauna egress. Please provide a management/closure plan for the lake located on M15/669 and M16/260 to which dewatering of the Kurrawang pit was pumped.’?
(2) If no to (1), will the Minister table a copy of this letter?
(3) Can the Minister state why the owner/operator must incur the cost of constructing bunding around saline water pipelines and pumping facilities to prevent uncontrolled discharge of saline water to the neighbouring environment given that it is my understanding that the areas involved are quite distant from a major/minor population/town, is in general salt lake terrain with sparse small vegetation, with the underlying groundwater being hypersaline and can be claimed to be of no beneficial use?
(4) If no to (3), why not?
(5) Can the Minister state the rationale and justification as to why the owner/operator must incur the cost of ‘appropriate egress matting’ in which the departmental officer stated ‘must be installed in all steep sided and lined dams to allow fauna egress’?
(6) If no to (5), why not?
(1) Is it correct that part of the letter dated February 14 2002 under the heading of ‘Saline Water Management’ states ‘I recommend that all saline water pipelines and pumping facilities, be appropriately bunded (or buried where applicable) to prevent uncontrolled discharge of saline water to the neighbouring environment. Topsoil stockpiled beside saline water pipeline bunds should be protected from impact by saline water in the event of system or component failure with the pipeline. Please ensure that this office is notified of all saline water spills, which occur outside bunds/containment structures. A recent spill was noted along White Flag discharge pipeline. Please provide details of that spill including location (Tenement), Plan depicting the size of the spill, Cause of spill, Impact of spill on the environment, corrective action taken and rehabilitation details. The pad associated with the stand pipe located adjacent to the three transfer dams must slope back towards the nearest dam and be appropriately bunded such that saline water does not flow uncontrolled to the environment as is currently the case. I recommend that water carts (spraying saline water for dust suppression purposes) use only dribble bars when watering roads/hardstand areas, fringed by or in the vicinity of natural vegetation/rehabilitated surfaces. Salt accumulation was observed in spoon drains located along the Kundana site access road and along haul roads. Appropriate egress matting must be installed in all steep sided and lined dams to allow fauna egress. Please provide a management/closure plan for the lake located on M15/669 and M16/260 to which dewatering of the Kurrawang pit was pumped.’?
(2) If no to (1), will the Minister table a copy of this letter?
(3) Can the Minister state why the owner/operator must incur the cost of constructing bunding around saline water pipelines and pumping facilities to prevent uncontrolled discharge of saline water to the neighbouring environment given that it is my understanding that the areas involved are quite distant from a major/minor population/town, is in general salt lake terrain with sparse small vegetation, with the underlying groundwater being hypersaline and can be claimed to be of no beneficial use?
(4) If no to (3), why not?
(5) Can the Minister state the rationale and justification as to why the owner/operator must incur the cost of ‘appropriate egress matting’ in which the departmental officer stated ‘must be installed in all steep sided and lined dams to allow fauna egress’?
(6) If no to (5), why not?
AnswerView source ↗
Answered
2 December 2003
Responded by
Parliamentary Secretary representing the Minister for State Development
Response time
39 days
1. Yes. 2. Not applicable. 3. To minimise impacts to adjacent vegetation should the pipeline or pipeline system or component fail. 4. Not applicable. 5. To minimise the potential for unnecessary native fauna deaths. 6. Not applicable.
1. Yes. 2. Not applicable. 3. To minimise impacts to adjacent vegetation should the pipeline or pipeline system or component fail. 4. Not applicable. 5. To minimise the potential for unnecessary native fauna deaths. 6. Not applicable.
2. Not applicable. 3. To minimise impacts to adjacent vegetation should the pipeline or pipeline system or component fail. 4. Not applicable. 5. To minimise the potential for unnecessary native fauna deaths. 6. Not applicable.
2. Not applicable. 3. To minimise impacts to adjacent vegetation should the pipeline or pipeline system or component fail. 4. Not applicable. 5. To minimise the potential for unnecessary native fauna deaths. 6. Not applicable.
3. To minimise impacts to adjacent vegetation should the pipeline or pipeline system or component fail. 4. Not applicable. 5. To minimise the potential for unnecessary native fauna deaths. 6. Not applicable.
3. To minimise impacts to adjacent vegetation should the pipeline or pipeline system or component fail. 4. Not applicable. 5. To minimise the potential for unnecessary native fauna deaths. 6. Not applicable.
4. Not applicable. 5. To minimise the potential for unnecessary native fauna deaths. 6. Not applicable.
4. Not applicable. 5. To minimise the potential for unnecessary native fauna deaths. 6. Not applicable.
5. To minimise the potential for unnecessary native fauna deaths. 6. Not applicable.
5. To minimise the potential for unnecessary native fauna deaths. 6. Not applicable.
6. Not applicable.
6. Not applicable.
1. Yes. 2. Not applicable. 3. To minimise impacts to adjacent vegetation should the pipeline or pipeline system or component fail. 4. Not applicable. 5. To minimise the potential for unnecessary native fauna deaths. 6. Not applicable.
2. Not applicable. 3. To minimise impacts to adjacent vegetation should the pipeline or pipeline system or component fail. 4. Not applicable. 5. To minimise the potential for unnecessary native fauna deaths. 6. Not applicable.
2. Not applicable. 3. To minimise impacts to adjacent vegetation should the pipeline or pipeline system or component fail. 4. Not applicable. 5. To minimise the potential for unnecessary native fauna deaths. 6. Not applicable.
3. To minimise impacts to adjacent vegetation should the pipeline or pipeline system or component fail. 4. Not applicable. 5. To minimise the potential for unnecessary native fauna deaths. 6. Not applicable.
3. To minimise impacts to adjacent vegetation should the pipeline or pipeline system or component fail. 4. Not applicable. 5. To minimise the potential for unnecessary native fauna deaths. 6. Not applicable.
4. Not applicable. 5. To minimise the potential for unnecessary native fauna deaths. 6. Not applicable.
4. Not applicable. 5. To minimise the potential for unnecessary native fauna deaths. 6. Not applicable.
5. To minimise the potential for unnecessary native fauna deaths. 6. Not applicable.
5. To minimise the potential for unnecessary native fauna deaths. 6. Not applicable.
6. Not applicable.
6. Not applicable.
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