❓ A WA parliamentary question addresses the Koolan Island mine flooding incident, seeking details on the timeline, environmental mitigation, equipment in the pit, and the possibility of an inquiry. The Minister provides a timeline of the department's response, actions taken to assess and mitigate environmental impact, and confirms the existence of a bond and the mining rehabilitation fund.
AnsweredQoN 1384Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
KOOLAN ISLAND MINE — FLOODING
1384. Hon ROBIN CHAPPLE to the
minister representing the Minister for Mines and Petroleum:
My question is
numbered C1474. I refer to the flooding of the Koolan Island mine caused by the
seawall slump on Tuesday, 25 November 2014.
(1) Will the minister provide a time line from
Mount Gibson Iron and the Department of Mines and Petroleum for all aspects of
the incident, including response and management plans?
(2) What is being done to mitigate the flow
of suspended material and the deposition of pollutants on nearby reefs?
(3) What machinery and fuel or oil storage
was in the pit at the time of the collapse?
(4) Will there be an
independent inquiry into the collapse?
(5) If no to (4),
why not?
(6) Is a bond still
held for this mine, and what is it?
1384. Hon ROBIN CHAPPLE to the
minister representing the Minister for Mines and Petroleum:
My question is
numbered C1474. I refer to the flooding of the Koolan Island mine caused by the
seawall slump on Tuesday, 25 November 2014.
(1) Will the minister provide a time line from
Mount Gibson Iron and the Department of Mines and Petroleum for all aspects of
the incident, including response and management plans?
(2) What is being done to mitigate the flow
of suspended material and the deposition of pollutants on nearby reefs?
(3) What machinery and fuel or oil storage
was in the pit at the time of the collapse?
(4) Will there be an
independent inquiry into the collapse?
(5) If no to (4),
why not?
(6) Is a bond still
held for this mine, and what is it?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the honourable member for some notice of the
question. On behalf of the Minister for Mines and Petroleum, the answer is as
follows —
(1) In
accordance with the Department of Mines and Petroleum's mandate as a
robust environmental regulator, the department responded quickly and
professionally to the incident on Koolan Island. The principal aspects of the
time line relating to the incident are: on 25 November DMP was advised by Mount
Gibson Iron Ltd of uncontrolled ingress of seawater into the main pit at Koolan
Island; on 26 November DMP was advised by Mount Gibson Iron that the pit had
flooded and was connected to the marine environment; on 26 November a
teleconference of representatives of DMP, the Department of Transport, the
Department of Environment Regulation and the Office of the Environmental
Protection Authority was held to coordinate the government agency responses to
the incident; on 27 November senior officers from DMP and Mount Gibson Iron met
and discussed the incident, and the company's response to the incident;
and on 28 November an environmental inspector and safety inspector from DMP
attended the site with senior officers from Mount Gibson Iron.
(2) The
inspection undertaken by DMP on 28 November identified that there was no
observable sediment plume escaping from the pit into the marine environment;
however, DMP considers that there is a risk of sediment being exported to the
marine environment during tidal movements. The company has engaged third party
experts to undertake water quality assessments of the surrounding marine
environment to determine whether there has been any impact on the external
environment. The outcome of this assessment will inform any action required by
the company to control sediment dispersion.
(3) Initial
assessment by DMP has identified that two diesel-powered pumps with fuel tanks
were within the pit at the time of the flooding. All other mobile mining
equipment had previously been removed from the pit by the company.
(4) No.
(5) DMP is
coordinating with other state regulators on the response to the incident and
the investigation into the cause of the incident.
(6) Since the
commencement of the mining rehabilitation fund last year, the Western
Australian government now has a perpetual fund available to undertake
rehabilitation on mine sites if the company is unable to do so. There is more
than $32 million in the mining rehabilitation fund. The company has responded
promptly to the incident in undertaking spill response and monitoring of the
marine environment, and is cooperating with DMP and the other state regulators.
There is a $2.7 million unconditional performance bond held for the tenement
that contains the pit.
question. On behalf of the Minister for Mines and Petroleum, the answer is as
follows —
(1) In
accordance with the Department of Mines and Petroleum's mandate as a
robust environmental regulator, the department responded quickly and
professionally to the incident on Koolan Island. The principal aspects of the
time line relating to the incident are: on 25 November DMP was advised by Mount
Gibson Iron Ltd of uncontrolled ingress of seawater into the main pit at Koolan
Island; on 26 November DMP was advised by Mount Gibson Iron that the pit had
flooded and was connected to the marine environment; on 26 November a
teleconference of representatives of DMP, the Department of Transport, the
Department of Environment Regulation and the Office of the Environmental
Protection Authority was held to coordinate the government agency responses to
the incident; on 27 November senior officers from DMP and Mount Gibson Iron met
and discussed the incident, and the company's response to the incident;
and on 28 November an environmental inspector and safety inspector from DMP
attended the site with senior officers from Mount Gibson Iron.
(2) The
inspection undertaken by DMP on 28 November identified that there was no
observable sediment plume escaping from the pit into the marine environment;
however, DMP considers that there is a risk of sediment being exported to the
marine environment during tidal movements. The company has engaged third party
experts to undertake water quality assessments of the surrounding marine
environment to determine whether there has been any impact on the external
environment. The outcome of this assessment will inform any action required by
the company to control sediment dispersion.
(3) Initial
assessment by DMP has identified that two diesel-powered pumps with fuel tanks
were within the pit at the time of the flooding. All other mobile mining
equipment had previously been removed from the pit by the company.
(4) No.
(5) DMP is
coordinating with other state regulators on the response to the incident and
the investigation into the cause of the incident.
(6) Since the
commencement of the mining rehabilitation fund last year, the Western
Australian government now has a perpetual fund available to undertake
rehabilitation on mine sites if the company is unable to do so. There is more
than $32 million in the mining rehabilitation fund. The company has responded
promptly to the incident in undertaking spill response and monitoring of the
marine environment, and is cooperating with DMP and the other state regulators.
There is a $2.7 million unconditional performance bond held for the tenement
that contains the pit.
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