20974 29Metals AR23 WEB V1 - Flipbook - Page 54
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29Metals 2023 Annual Report
Responsible environmental stewardship continued
Waste management
Table 6 TSFs at 29Metals operating sites
29Metals is committed to the effective management
of waste, including the responsible management
of tailings.
TSF
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Tailings Management Plans (‘TMP’);
Waste Rock Management Plans (‘WRMP’); and
Non-Mineral Waste Management Plans (‘NWMP’).
Tailings
Tailings are the residual material from the processing of mined ore.
Tailings includes the waste rock and the water le昀琀 behind from
mining opera琀椀ons and extrac琀椀on of the metal. Tailings typically
have the consistency of 昀椀ne sand and contain waste processing
chemicals and residual metals and minerals.
TSFs are engineered structures speci昀椀cally designed and
constructed to safely store tailings. TSFs have a 昀椀nite storage
capacity, with capacity increased through progressive extensions
of the facility wall height (referred to as ‘li昀琀s’).
In some cases, other facili琀椀es may be used to store tailings,
such as decommissioned open pit mining areas such as the
Esperanza Pit (‘EPit’) at Capricorn Copper. Tailings may also
be u琀椀lised as back昀椀ll in the form of paste (employed at both
Capricorn Copper and Golden Grove) or cemented hydraulic 昀椀ll
(employed at Golden Grove). Informa琀椀on regarding 29Metals’
TSFs is included in Table 6.
Capricorn Copper
Site
Golden Grove
Wastes at 29Metals are generally managed in accordance with
established management plans including:
Status
Esperanza Engineered TSF, In use. Li昀琀 applica琀椀on underway
TSF (‘ETSF’) upstream li昀琀s
to increase capacity
At 29Metals, waste is handled in accordance with our waste
management plans. Our waste management plans describe
controls to manage mineral and non-mineral waste to meet
regulatory commitments and Group standards. The primary
objec琀椀ve of these plans is to ensure that our waste management
prac琀椀ces do not adversely impact environmental values or the
health, welfare and amenity of people.
At our opera琀椀ons, waste streams are categorised as tailings
generated from processing, waste rock generated from mining and
non-mineral industrial (general and hazardous) waste generated
from all other mining adjacent ac琀椀vi琀椀es.
Construc琀椀on
method
Esperanza
Pit (‘EPit’)
NA, previously
mined open
cut pit
At capacity, tailings deposi琀椀on
ceased in January 2022
Applica琀椀on underway to
resume tailings deposi琀椀on in
this facility for an interim period
pending applica琀椀on, approval
and construc琀椀on of a proposed
new TSF (TSF3)
Mammoth
Engineered TSF, Decommissioned in the 1980s
upstream li昀琀s
TSF 1
Engineered TSF, At capacity, no longer in use
upstream li昀琀s
TSF2
Engineered TSF, Exis琀椀ng tailings being
reclaimed for use in paste
upstream li昀琀s
back昀椀ll underground
TSF3
Engineered TSF, In use. Addi琀椀onal li昀琀 approved
upstream li昀琀s
in Q1 2023
TSFs are regulated structures and are subject to comprehensive
regulatory requirements, including periodic inspec琀椀ons and
management system audits.
At Capricorn Copper, the ETSF is monitored using a TSF Tilt
Sensor, which provides instantaneous live monitoring of the TSF,
including seismic ac琀椀vity. This monitoring is managed by the
Processing team, while the Environment team performs monthly
inspec琀椀ons of the TSF and works through ac琀椀ons with the
Process department. Annual audits and surveys of the structures
by quali昀椀ed engineers are also required by relevant permit
condi琀椀ons which are implemented in partnership between the
relevant departments.
Effectively managing and
reusing our mine wastes
Waste rock is extracted during the mining process to access
the mineral bearing ore. When exposed to surface condi琀椀ons
some of this waste rock is suscep琀椀ble to oxida琀椀on processes
that can poten琀椀ally lead to Acid and Metalliferous Drainage
(‘AMD’). 29Metals implements monitoring and management
programs to prevent adverse impact to the receiving
environment.
Reviews and updates to 29Metals’ monitoring and
management programs were undertaken during the
Repor琀椀ng Period.
