Independent Monitors’ report into McArthur River Mines environmental performance during the past year has divided opinion. While the general manager of the mining firm and the government lauded findings that showed the river in good health and that there were no risks, the Environment Centre NT branded the report a farce and found serious flaws in the risk assessment process.
The report also discussed NT EPA’s recommendations for developing a plan to assess the risk of a devastating failure of a mine-levee wall. However this was not required by government at this stage or enforced by the EPA.
The 269-page report, which was released in its entirety on Tuesday, March 15, is prepared by Advisian consultants for the NT Industry Department. It covers the period May 2020 through April 2021 and is based on Glencore testing.
The operation, one of the world’s largest zinc and lead mines, sits about 700km southeast of Darwin. The NT Government began to examine it in 2006 when the underground mine was redeveloped and made an open pit. There were concerns that the waste rock facility was polluting our environment.
Environmental issues have arisen over the past 10 years.
Adam Hatfield, general manager of the mine, said that the Independent Monitor had confirmed the river was healthy and that fish were safe to consume. The monitor also showed continual improvement in environmental management at the mine.
“The Independent Monitors positive findings about the mines environmental performance and continued good health of the McArthur River are testament to the on-going progress the mine has made in recent years and a reflection of the mines ongoing commitment to operating responsibly,” he said.
The IM found that MRM continues to minimize or avoid potential environmental risks by proactive management and monitoring across a wide variety of site activities.
Independent Monitor determined that the mine performed well in environmental aspects, with no significant environmental problems that required immediate investigation.
Opportunity for improvement – plan for risk of catastrophic failure of levee wall
Near the end of this report, the NT EPA guidelines compliance workbook states that there was an opportunity to improve the department’s ability to require that the independent panel examine the risk of catastrophic fail of the mine wall and McArthur River diversion channel. This is in view of future closure goals.
The report says there is no reference in the NT Governments authorisation to the mine.
The workbook’s recommendation section suggested that the risk of the levee wall failing be reviewed. The plan could include a care and maintenance plan. However, it was not a requirement of the NT EPA or any government mandate.
It was noted that the department stated it would be a requirement under the terms of reference for yet to be established independent mine closure panel.
In the most recent report, the risk of the Levee breaking down does not appear to have been assessed. The latest report did not contain any reports for 2019 or 2020. However, the Erias Group, the previous Independent Monitor, stated in its 2018 report that it had identified an additional catastrophic risk that McArthur river would reconnect with its old channel. This would lead to the mine wall failing and contaminated water flowing into the river.
It stated that if this happens, the impact on the mine wall will likely be in the medium term.
In a statement to ABC in June 2013, the department stated that the mine had addressed concerns previously raised about the levee wall.
“Reports regarding the implementation of control measures and subsequent results of monitoring have been provided to the department and also to the [Independent Monitor] during the performance audit,” it said.
“The findings of the reports indicate that the control measures are effective in reducing the avulsion risk from catastrophic breaches.”
Questions regarding the environmental risk assessment registers
The report assessed the performance of both the miner as well the department and also evaluated the implementation of the NT EPA’s recommendations.
Based on the examination of 1,055 conditions, requirements, and individual elements within the authorisation, water release licence, and NT Environment Protection Authority recommendations, the report found that there were not any significant environmental issues that require urgent attention.
It stated that 39 of the 524 requirements were not fully met by the operator or department. Overall, both the miner as well as the department were in compliance with the requirements.
Dr KirstyHowey, Environment Centre NT codirector, stated that the Independent Monitor Report was a farce.
This is just a costly exercise in box-ticking. Glencore, who was on the selection panel to appoint Advisian, has made it very difficult for the Independent Monitor to be independent. However, the department has a veto power over the contents, she stated.
This is the opposite of independent.
Glencore’s risk assessment process is flawed, as you can see from the report’s fine print.
The greatest risk, that the McArthur river will re-divert, taking back its old course, causing the collapse and destruction of the mine wall, isn’t even mentioned.
Glencore has not yet disclosed the mines risk registry and has not updated their environmental risk assessment register since January 2020.
The report concluded that the mine operator had a comprehensive plan for risk management that included an appropriate process and framework for managing environmental risks.
But then, in a seeming contradiction stated: The operator has provided examples of actions implemented to manage potential environmental risks, however the anticipated resultant improvement is not monitored or reported in the current risk management process”.
The Environment Centre pointed out earlier in the report that the 2019 and 2020 environmental risk assessment registers had different formats with different table column headings and risk descriptions.
It is difficult to see a correlation between the risk lists. 26 of 34 risk scenarios on the 2020 register were not clearly associated with the key risk summaries in the 2019 register.
It is difficult to draw comparisons between the annual environmental performance and the identification of improvements in the risk profile.
The 2020 register doesn’t distinguish between proposed and current controls. This means that it is unclear whether the inherent environmental risk has been reduced.
It continued to state that the EMR had performed an annual review to determine if there was an increase in environmental risk assessments, but there had not been any revision to capture any altered or new risks or controls that might have occurred over the 12-month period.
It did not appear that the effectiveness of controls was formally reviewed, it stated.
In December, the ABC reported that the NT Government’s eight mining officers, who alleged management fraud and misconduct affected their ability to regulate major mines, had their complaint rejected by the Office of the Independent Commissioner Against Corruption. According to the media report, they claimed that they were pressured into reducing environmental assessments for projects. Included the McArthur River Mine.
The NT Industry Department dismissed the allegations and denied that approval processes had been affected.
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