Region: Western Australia (Pilbara)
Resource: Lead and Zinc
MBS Environmental has been associated with the Lennard Shelf lead and zinc underground mining and processing operations for over 17 years. This has involved provision of a full range of environmental consulting services including:
- Ecological baseline surveys and studies.
- Environmental control aspects of project.
- Environmental and mining approval documentation.
- Environmental management plans
- Ongoing support to site environmental personnel.
- Annual environmental reports.
- Closure and rehabilitation plans.
- Facilitating bond relinquishment.
Approvals were obtained for the satellite orebodies at Goongewa and Kapok which provided ore to the existing Cadjebut processing plant, for the Pillara underground mine, processing plant and tailings storage facility and for the Derby export facility, which replaced the less economic and less efficient arrangement of trucking and export of concentrate out of Wyndham.
MBS Environmental has overseen all environmental aspects of the suspension of the operations during the administration and receivership of Western Metals Limited and subsequent transfer of ownership to Lennard Shelf Pty Ltd.
During the ensuing three year care and maintenance period MBS Environmental developed and obtained approval for the rehabilitation and closure of the decommissioned Goongewa, Kapok and Cadjebut operations and subsequently prepared and supervised the earthworks contracts for the rehabilitation of the minesites, processing plant and tailings storage facility. The success of this rehabilitation after a period of less than four years resulted in a recommendation by the Department of Mines and Petroleum to the Minister for the full relinquishment of all environmental bonds for the mining leases associated with Goongewa and Kapok and the reduction in bonds for Cadjebut.
MBS Environmental facilitated all environmental aspects of the re-opening of the Pillara operations and Derby export facility, environmental management during operation and subsequently the suspension and decommissioning of the operations. Rehabilitation and closure plans for the Pillara minesite and tailings storage facility and for the Derby export facility were prepared by MBS Environmental and submitted to regulatory authorities.
In 2008 MBS Environmental assisted with the preparation and submission of a Golden Gecko nomination for rehabilitation of the Cadjebut tailings storage facility. The project was placed on the shortlist of nominations for the award, largely due to the innovative cover design and success of vegetation establishment.
MBS Environmental is currently assisting new owners of some of the tenements with annual environmental reports and MRF submissions.