Arafura - Environmental Impact Statement

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Why an EIS?

An Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) is a report that assesses the feasibility of a project by conducting thorough technical studies of potential environmental, social and economic impacts, and proposes feasible ways to manage them.

EIS Terms of Reference

The Northern Territory Environment Protection Authority (NTEPA) released Terms of Reference for the Nolans Project EIS in May 2015. The Terms of Reference outlines all matters required to be addressed in the EIS.

Nolans Project EIS

In recognition of the unique set of challenges posed by developing a rare earths project in Central Australia, Arafura commenced cultural heritage and baseline environmental studies at the Nolans site in 2006. The scope and intensity of these studies varied over time to reflect the availability of resources and development timeline. In February 2015 Arafura appointed GHD, one of the world's leading professional service companies, to coordinate the balance of the environmental studies and write the draft EIS. GHD has been assisted by specialist consultants in the areas of social impact assessment, economic analysis, groundwater sustainability, radiation management and cultural heritage.

The draft EIS was lodged with the NTEPA in May 2016 and was subject to an eight-week public review period. Individual chapters that comprise the main EIS document as well as the supporting technical appendices can be downloaded below. Twenty stakeholder groups submitted over 500 comments to the NTEPA during the public review. Sixteen of these groups were Northern Territory and Australian Government agencies.

Arafura prepared responses to these comments, and lodged a comprehensive supplement to the draft EIS with the NTEPA in February 2017. The NTEPA requested further data and information to better inform its assessment process, and following the commissioning and completion of additional focused studies during mid-2017, Arafura submitted a report in late-October that encompassed both the February 2017 supplement report and data from the additional technical studies. The supplement to the draft EIS as well as the supporting technical appendices can be downloaded below.

The NTEPA completed its environmental impact assessment of the Nolans Project in December 2017. Its findings are contained in an Assessment Report (that includes recommendations) as advice to the Northern Territory Ministers for Environment and Natural Resources, and Primary Industry and Resources, for consideration in environmental approval decisions to be made by the Northern Territory Government.

The NTEPA's report was provided to the Australian Government's Department of the Environment and Energy to inform its assessment and approvals process under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act. The DoEE completed its assessment and granted an approval to Arafura in May 2018 subject to 14 conditions. Its approval decision can be viewed here.

Subsequent changes to the planned configuration of the Nolans Project required the completion of a Section 14A variation under the Northern Territory’s Environmental Assessment Administrative Procedures. This was submitted to the NTEPA in June and August 2019 and can be downloaded below. The NTEPA assessed the variation and in a Statement of Reasons document released in September 2019 determined that no further action is required.

Draft EIS Report

Volume 1

Document	Size
Complete Document	[28.9 MB]
Executive Summary	[532 KB]
Abbreviations, Glossary and Table of Contents	[182 KB]
Chapter 1: Introduction	[2 MB]
Chapter 2: Regulatory Context	[605 KB]
Chapter 3: Project Description	[4.8 MB]
Chapter 4: Project Alternatives and Cumulative Impacts	[885 KB]
Chapter 5: Risk Assessment	[671 KB]
Chapter 6: Consultation	[599 KB]
Chapter 7: Surface Water	[9.3 MB]
Chapter 8: Groundwater	[2.3 MB]
Chapter 9: Biodiversity	[8.6 MB]
Chapter 10: Protected Matters under the EPBC Act	[1.5 MB]
Chapter 11: Human Health and Safety	[602 KB]
Chapter 12: Radiation	[922 KB]
Chapter 13: Air Quality	[1.2 MB]
Chapter 14: Noise and Vibration	[987 KB]
Chapter 15: Socio-economics	[643 KB]
Chapter 16: Heritage	[914 KB]
Chapter 17: Traffic and Transport	[730 KB]
Chapter 18: Rehabilitation, Decommissioning and Closure	[639 KB]
Chapter 19: References	[575 KB]

Volume 2

Document	Size
Appendix A: Terms of Reference	[743 KB]
Appendix B: EPBC Advisory Notice	[568 KB]
Appendix C: Environmental Impact Statement Team	[513 KB]
Appendix D: Cross Reference to Terms of Reference	[892 KB]
Appendix E: Storage Facility Design Drawings	[5.4 MB]
Appendix F: Risk Register (Environmental)	[859 KB]
Appendix G: Risk Register (Social)	[633 KB]
Appendix H: Community Consultation Report	[1.3 MB]
Appendix I: Surface Water Report	[17.9 MB]
Appendix J: Flotation TSF Failure Impact Assessment	[6 MB]
Appendix K: Ground Water Report	[5.4 MB]
Appendix L: Acid, Metalliferous Drainage Report	[3.7 MB]

Volume 3

Document	Size
Appendix M: Biodiversity - Flora and Vegetation Report	[17 MB]
Appendix N: Biodiversity - Fauna and Threatened Species Report	[7.4 MB]
Appendix O: Human Health and Safety Report	[1.5 MB]
Appendix P: Radiation Report	[5.9 MB]

Volume 4

Document	Size
Appendix Q: Air Report	[5.2 MB]
Appendix R: Noise Report	[6.2 MB]
Appendix S: Social Impact Assessment	3.2 MB]
Appendix T: Economic Impact Report	[1.4 MB]
Appendix U: Indigenous and Historic Cultural Heritage Assessment	[501 KB]
Appendix V: Transport Report	[1.3 MB]
Appendix W: Rehabilitation, Decommissioning and Closure Report	[1.7 MB]

Volume 5

Document	Size
Appendix X: Environmental Management Plan	[19.8 MB]
Appendix X_C: Air and Dust Management Plan	[577 KB]
Appendix X_D: Biodiversity Management Plan	[3.4 MB]
Appendix X_E: Cultural Heritage Management Plan	[389 KB]
Appendix X_F: Emergency Response Management Plan	[457 KB]
Appendix X_G: Fire Management Plan	[274 KB]
Appendix X_H: Hazardous Substances Management Plan	[343 KB]
Appendix X_I: Waste Management Plan	[2.8 MB]

Volume 6

Document	Size
Appendix X_J: Radiation Management Plan	[78 KB]
Appendix X_K: Social Impact Management Plan	[1.5 MB]
Appendix X_L: Water Management Plan	[12.3 MB]
Appendix X_M: Weed Management Plan	[242 KB]

EIS Supplement

Report

Document	Size
Supplementary Report	[16.6 MB]
Additional Information	[12.7 MB]

Appendices

Document	Size
Appendix 1: Mine Site Layout Report	[0.65 MB]
Appendix 2: Tailings and Residue Storage Aspects	[2.93 MB]
Appendix 3: Water Resource Assessment	[13.94 MB]
Appendix 4: Water Management Plan Framework	[8.68 MB]
Appendix 5: Environmental Offsets Discussion	[0.37 MB]
Appendix 6: Open Pit Dewatering Report	[3.44 MB]
Appendix 7: Cultural Heritage Management Plan	[1.71 MB]
Appendix 8: Groundwater Model Digital Appendix
Appendix 9: Vegetation of Day Creek	[1.85 MB]
Appendix 10: Groundwater Models	[2.33 MB]
Appendix 11: Risk Assessment: Impact of Groundwater Changes	[1.27 MB]
Appendix 12: Peer Review of GDE Risk Assessment	[0.49 MB]
Appendix 13: Updated Kerosene Camp Creek Alignment Drawings	[1.87 MB]
Appendix 14: Diversion Management Plan	[0.95 MB]
Appendix 15: Stygofauna Pilot Survey	[0.52 MB]
Appendix 16: Responses to Comments on the EIS	[11.09 MB]
Appendix 17: Pump Test Interpretations Memorandum	[0.80 MB]