Five months and still no answer on Nelson Bay River Mine breach.

Save the Tarkine has written again to the Department of the Environment expressing concern that after five months there are still no answers forthcoming regarding what Save the Tarkine believes to be clear breach of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act by Shree Minerals at it’s Nelson Bay River mine site in the Tarkine.

The contravention relates to the quantity and method storage of acid producing waste rock, after Shree Minerals confirmed that it would produce twenty times as much acid producing waste rock as disclosed in it’s assessment documents.

While Shree Minerals sought and was granted a state permit amendment, they failed to notify the federal Environment Department who have responsibility for assessing impacts on threatened species.

As a result they acted outside the approved environmental conditions for their federal permit for several months. It is an offence under the EPBC Act to take an action that may have an impact on a listed threatened species without first obtaining a permit.

The increase to the quantity of acid producing waste rock and it’s storage above ground have the potential to impact on the endangered Australian Grayling which uses the Nelson Bay River, and up to six threatened and endangered orchid species that are susceptible to changes in groundwater.

“Five months is far too long to investigate the relatively simple question of whether Shree Minerals had been granted a permit amendment or not”, said Save the Tarkine Campaign Coordinator, Scott Jordan.

“If no amendment was sought and subsequently approved by the Minister, then Shree Minerals would be guilty of a breach.”

“We want to know what the hold up is? Is the Minister reluctant to prosecute? Or are they in fact also investigating further breaches related to this matter?”