Significant incidents
Significant environment incidents have greater potential for harm and, therefore, require particular focus to ensure they are addressed to prevent recurrence. Of the eight that occurred in 2005:
- Two were spills;
- One caused contamination;
- Two affected the air;
- Two were water discharges; and
- One was claseed as ‘other’.
Examples of the significant environment incidents that occurred in 2005 are provided below.
- At the Blair Athol mine a systems malfunction resulted in approximately three mega litres of bore water being released into a natural creek.
- A discharge of tailings dam effluent into the natural environment at Murowa diamond mine caused scouring and high overload of ions into public water bodies.
- At Boron an extreme rainfall event resulted in an accumulation of rainwater that was then accidentally released to neighbouring areas.
- At ERA windborne sulphur dust exceeded the regulatory limit leaving the lease boundary.
- At Lake Macleod, a breakdown on the Cape Cuvier shiploading facility resulted in 130 tonnes of gypsum being discharged to the marine environment without regulatory approval from the Australian Department of Environment.
- A non conformance with a dredging permit at the Cape Lambert Tug Pen construction meant that dredging was over the allowable volume of 80,000 m3 (124,000 m3 was dredged).
Significant environment incidents (2004-2005)
|
2004 |
2005 |
| High |
13 |
8 |
| Critical |
3 |
0 |
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