Evolution Mining Limited (Evolution) is in the early planning stage of developing a proposed continuation of the Cowal Gold Operations (CGO), known as the Open Pit Continuation (OPC) Project.
The existing conventional open pit gold mine at Lake Cowal, is approximately 38 kilometres north-east of West Wyalong. It includes associated surface infrastructure, such as an ore processing plant, waste rock emplacements and an integrated waste landform, for tailings disposal.
The company held a Community Information session in Condobolin on Monday, 21 March at the RSL Club, as stakeholder and community engagement are important components of the OPC planning and assessment process.
Local communities will have a number of opportunities to have a say throughout the environment assessment process.
The OPC Project will extend the current approved mining operations by two years (from 2040 until 2042) and enable the retention of the open pit mining workforce, allowing CGO to continue to contribute to the local and national economies, through local employment, community advancement and environmental protection.
“In September 2021, development approval was received for new underground gold mining operations at the CGO site. This extended the mining operations to 2040. The OPC Project does not involve any changes to the previously approved, annual CGO ore processing rate,” the March 2022 Cowal Update Newsletter explained.
“The key components of the OPC include: developing up to three new open-pit satellite pits to the north and south of the existing open pit; extending the existing open-pit to the east and south via a ‘cutback’; extending the integrated waste landform to accommodate tailings from the new open-pits; extending the lake protection bund system to provide separation and mutual protection between Lake Cowal and the mine; extending existing waste placement areas to accommodate additional waste; developing new topsoil and subsoil stockpiles, with materials to be temporarily stored for later use in rehabilitation activities; adjusting access and haul routes within the operations; adjusting the surface water drainage system to optimise on-site water management and conservation; and minor modifications to other existing infrastructure, including surface water drainage infrastructure, haul roads, access roads, pipelines and other ancillary infrastructure.
According to www.emm.mysocialpinpoint.com.cgo_opc, “with staged continuation of the project, additional site bunding mounds will be created to reduce visual impact for adjacent landholders and continuing operations will not place added pressure on local water resources.”
“The project design will align with Evolution’s commitments to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 30 per cent by 2030 and achieving net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 (or earlier),” www.emm.mysocialpinpoint.com.cgo_opc said.
In the March 2022 Cowal Update Newsletter it said “the OPC is classified as state significant development and will require approval under the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979. This means an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) will be prepared and the Minister for Planning and Public Spaces, or the Independent Planning Commission, will determine the development application.
“The OPC has commenced a Scoping Phase, involving early planning of the specialist environmental, social and economic studies to be undertaken, including a SIA, as part of preparing an EIS. A Scoping Report will be prepared and submitted to the Department of Planning and Environment, requesting the Secretary’s Environmental Assessment Requirements (SEARs) for the project.
“The SEARs will identify the type and detail of technical and environmental assessments, and the level of consultation required to be undertaken.
“The OPC will also require an approval under the Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act). The project will be referred to the Commonwealth Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment (DAWE). DAWE will issue guidance on the scope of the assessment, which will be detailed in the EIS produced for state approval under a bilateral agreement.
“EMM Consulting Pty Ltd (EMM Consulting), a leading Australian planning and environmental consultancy, has been engaged to prepare the Scoping Report, the EIS and the EPBC Act assessment for the project,” the Newsletter concluded.