❓ A parliamentary question addresses the Department of Water regarding the potential cumulative impacts of proposed uranium mines near Wiluna on groundwater resources, existing users, and potential contamination from dewatering and reinjection activities. The Minister's response outlines the assessment process under the RIWI Act and associated policies, emphasizing that detailed assessments and studies will be conducted as part of the ERMP and licensing process.
AnsweredQoN 3271Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
I refer to Environmental Review Management Plans, expected to come to the Department of Water for advice during 2011, for three proposed uranium mines for the northern Goldfields near Wiluna, including BHP Billiton’s proposed Yeelirrie uranium mine, Toro Energy’s proposed Wiluna uranium mine and Mega Uranium’s proposed Lake Maitland uranium mine, and ask the following -
(1) Given, according to each mines Environmental Scoping Document, the three proposed uranium mines will together require a total of more than six gigalitres of good quality groundwater to be taken each year from the Wiluna area, and given there are already several other already operating mines drawing groundwater from the area, what action does the Department of Water intend to take to assess the potential cumulative impacts of the proposed uranium mines on the region’s groundwater resources?
(2) Who are the other existing users of groundwater in the groundwater areas where these three mines are proposed to be located, and what is their annual take, by company and user type?
(3) What is the total allowable take from the groundwater area(s) in which the three uranium mines are proposed to be located?
(4) Are there any plans to develop a water allocation plan for the Goldfields region?
(5) If no to (4), why not?
(6) Given the Environmental Scoping Documents for all three uranium mine proposals include plans for dewatering, including BHP Billitton’s proposal to dewater up to 10 megalitres of water a day, what research is the Government relying on that would enable it to assess the potential impacts of these three mines dewatering programs, including regarding research about, -
(a) the region’s hydrogeology, including recharge rates and the confined or unconfined nature of local aquifers; and
(b) the extent that local flora and fauna is dependent on groundwater?
(7) What independent research is the Government intending to undertake to ensure a thorough understanding of potential impacts on local groundwater levels from these proposed three mines’ dewatering programs?
(8) Given BHP Billitton, Toro Energy and Mega Uranium all suggest in their Environmental Scoping Documents that they would reinject the water resulting from their dewatering activities back into local aquifers, what research has the Government conducted, or does it intend to conduct, to specifically assess the potential impacts of dewatering and water reinjection activities spreading or increasing the level of radionuclides and other contamination in local groundwater sources?
(1) Given, according to each mines Environmental Scoping Document, the three proposed uranium mines will together require a total of more than six gigalitres of good quality groundwater to be taken each year from the Wiluna area, and given there are already several other already operating mines drawing groundwater from the area, what action does the Department of Water intend to take to assess the potential cumulative impacts of the proposed uranium mines on the region’s groundwater resources?
(2) Who are the other existing users of groundwater in the groundwater areas where these three mines are proposed to be located, and what is their annual take, by company and user type?
(3) What is the total allowable take from the groundwater area(s) in which the three uranium mines are proposed to be located?
(4) Are there any plans to develop a water allocation plan for the Goldfields region?
(5) If no to (4), why not?
(6) Given the Environmental Scoping Documents for all three uranium mine proposals include plans for dewatering, including BHP Billitton’s proposal to dewater up to 10 megalitres of water a day, what research is the Government relying on that would enable it to assess the potential impacts of these three mines dewatering programs, including regarding research about, -
(a) the region’s hydrogeology, including recharge rates and the confined or unconfined nature of local aquifers; and
(b) the extent that local flora and fauna is dependent on groundwater?
(7) What independent research is the Government intending to undertake to ensure a thorough understanding of potential impacts on local groundwater levels from these proposed three mines’ dewatering programs?
(8) Given BHP Billitton, Toro Energy and Mega Uranium all suggest in their Environmental Scoping Documents that they would reinject the water resulting from their dewatering activities back into local aquifers, what research has the Government conducted, or does it intend to conduct, to specifically assess the potential impacts of dewatering and water reinjection activities spreading or increasing the level of radionuclides and other contamination in local groundwater sources?
AnswerView source ↗
Answered
21 March 2011
Responded by
Minister for Mental Health representing the Minister for Water
Response time
34 days
The Minister for water has provided the following response:
(1) The Department of Water (DoW) is yet to receive a groundwater application for the take of water from any of the proposed mines. Any applications received will be assessed under the
Rights in Water and Irrigation Act 1914 (RIWI Act
) and in line with current policies in place for the assessment of groundwater licences.
If a licence application for the take of water is received, following approval for each project, the DoW will assess the application under the RIWI Act and associated policies to ensure that there are no significant impacts (including cumulative impacts) on groundwater resources, other users or the environment. Technical assessment will be undertaken by technical staff of the DoW. The DoW is able to put conditions on the licence under the
RIWI Act
. Conditions can include requirements for operating strategies, monitoring and for reporting.
(2) In this area existing groundwater use is predominately for mining with some town water supplies, local government use and unlicensed stock and domestic needs. Details of individual licences can be obtained from the online Water Register at
www.water.wa.gov.au
. The details of individual licensee water use are not available through the Register as this information is not in the public domain.
(3) The proposed mines are located within the Meekatharra sub-area of the East Murchison Groundwater Area and the Lake Carey sub-area of the Goldfield's Groundwater Area that have an allocation limit of 185 Gigalitres (GL) per annum and 208 GL per annum respectively.
(4) No, however, the DoW is working on a mining guideline to assist in the licence assessment and approvals process.
(5) Groundwater in the Goldfields is located in fractured rock and palaeochannel aquifers. Management of fractured rock and palaeochannel aquifers is more reliable on a case by case basis through the
RIWI Act
licensing process. As noted at (4) above, the DoW is developing a mining guideline to guide licence assessments.
(6) The DoW has extensive history and experience in the investigation, assessment and review of the groundwater resources of WA. The DoW uses both internal and external published reports.
As part of the Environmental Impact Assessment process, studies have been recommended and are being undertaken. These studies are expected to provide credible evidence as to the impacts of dewatering on the hydrogeology of the area within the influence of the potential mines. The impacts on groundwater dependant ecosystems will also be part of the studies under the Environmental Review and Management Plan (ERMP). All relevant studies will be independently reviewed by the DoW.
(7) As the proposals are still to be approved under State and Commonwealth legislation and no licensing application has been received, the DoW has not proposed at this stage to undertake any specific independent studies.
(8) Consistent with the answer to (7) above, as the proposals are still to be approved under State and Commonwealth legislation and no licensing application has been received, the DoW has not proposed at this stage to undertake any specific research studies.
Potential impacts will be assessed as part of the ERMP and as part of information required during a licensing process. The risk of potential impacts of dewatering and water reinjection activities spreading or increasing the level of radionuclides and other contamination in local groundwater sources will be assessed as part of any licensing process.
If a licence is issued by the DoW for the take of water for dewatering purposes it is likely that the operator will be required to monitor and report on the impacts of dewatering on groundwater resources, other users and the environment. The DoW will need to be satisfied that radionuclides will not contaminate any identified local groundwater sources or impact on other users or the environment before a licence is issued.
Notice: This document is created or edited using unregistered or evaluation copy of rtLib valid for testing or development purposes only. To use it for productive or any other purposes please register it. You may purchase the license on
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(1) The Department of Water (DoW) is yet to receive a groundwater application for the take of water from any of the proposed mines. Any applications received will be assessed under the
Rights in Water and Irrigation Act 1914 (RIWI Act
) and in line with current policies in place for the assessment of groundwater licences.
If a licence application for the take of water is received, following approval for each project, the DoW will assess the application under the RIWI Act and associated policies to ensure that there are no significant impacts (including cumulative impacts) on groundwater resources, other users or the environment. Technical assessment will be undertaken by technical staff of the DoW. The DoW is able to put conditions on the licence under the
RIWI Act
. Conditions can include requirements for operating strategies, monitoring and for reporting.
(2) In this area existing groundwater use is predominately for mining with some town water supplies, local government use and unlicensed stock and domestic needs. Details of individual licences can be obtained from the online Water Register at
www.water.wa.gov.au
. The details of individual licensee water use are not available through the Register as this information is not in the public domain.
(3) The proposed mines are located within the Meekatharra sub-area of the East Murchison Groundwater Area and the Lake Carey sub-area of the Goldfield's Groundwater Area that have an allocation limit of 185 Gigalitres (GL) per annum and 208 GL per annum respectively.
(4) No, however, the DoW is working on a mining guideline to assist in the licence assessment and approvals process.
(5) Groundwater in the Goldfields is located in fractured rock and palaeochannel aquifers. Management of fractured rock and palaeochannel aquifers is more reliable on a case by case basis through the
RIWI Act
licensing process. As noted at (4) above, the DoW is developing a mining guideline to guide licence assessments.
(6) The DoW has extensive history and experience in the investigation, assessment and review of the groundwater resources of WA. The DoW uses both internal and external published reports.
As part of the Environmental Impact Assessment process, studies have been recommended and are being undertaken. These studies are expected to provide credible evidence as to the impacts of dewatering on the hydrogeology of the area within the influence of the potential mines. The impacts on groundwater dependant ecosystems will also be part of the studies under the Environmental Review and Management Plan (ERMP). All relevant studies will be independently reviewed by the DoW.
(7) As the proposals are still to be approved under State and Commonwealth legislation and no licensing application has been received, the DoW has not proposed at this stage to undertake any specific independent studies.
(8) Consistent with the answer to (7) above, as the proposals are still to be approved under State and Commonwealth legislation and no licensing application has been received, the DoW has not proposed at this stage to undertake any specific research studies.
Potential impacts will be assessed as part of the ERMP and as part of information required during a licensing process. The risk of potential impacts of dewatering and water reinjection activities spreading or increasing the level of radionuclides and other contamination in local groundwater sources will be assessed as part of any licensing process.
If a licence is issued by the DoW for the take of water for dewatering purposes it is likely that the operator will be required to monitor and report on the impacts of dewatering on groundwater resources, other users and the environment. The DoW will need to be satisfied that radionuclides will not contaminate any identified local groundwater sources or impact on other users or the environment before a licence is issued.
Notice: This document is created or edited using unregistered or evaluation copy of rtLib valid for testing or development purposes only. To use it for productive or any other purposes please register it. You may purchase the license on
http://www.rtlib.com
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