Mount Morgan Mine site prepared to weather Tropical Cyclone Marcia

Published Thursday, 19 February, 2015 at 03:46 PM

Minister for State Development and Minister for Natural Resources and Mines
The Honourable Dr Anthony Lynham

The former Mount Morgan Mine site in central Queensland has emergency action plans ready to deal with severe weather and heavy rain expected over coming days.

Minister for Natural Resources and Mines Dr Anthony Lynham said his department’s Abandoned Mines Unit has worked hard to prepare the mine site for expected rainfall totals of 200-300mm forecast for the Capricornia region.

“I am advised the site is well prepared to cope and we will keep the Mount Morgan community and stakeholder groups fully informed about the situation,” he said.

“The current water level in the former mine’s open cut pit is nearly 1.75 metres below the spillway. This provides sufficient capacity to contain approximately 800 mm of steady rain.

“Additional pumping capacity systems are in place at Dam 8 to divert freshwater flows from northern catchments away from the open cut pit.

“Staff on site have also spent recent days conducting a general site clean-up and a review of emergency action plans, including water monitoring preparation.”

Dr Lynham said there were existing contingency plans that allowed, if necessary, a  controlled release of pit water where environmental conditions were right.

“The Mount Morgan Mine Site Contingency Plan allows for a controlled water release if there are sufficient water flows in the Dee River and appropriate pH levels to significantly dilute pit water and minimise any environmental impacts downstream.

“A Dee River Alert Notification would be issued to downstream landholders and relevant stakeholders prior to any controlled release of pit water.”

Dr Lynham said there had been significant work conducted at the Mount Morgan mine site over the past year to increase its resilience to severe weather events.

“Ex-Tropical Cyclone Oswald dumped approximately 700 millimetres of rain - equal to an average year’s total rainfall - on the Mount Morgan site in just three days in January 2013.

“That one-in-2000 year event caused water levels to rise rapidly; resulting in the only uncontrolled release of water from the open cut pit in the mine site’s 100-year history.

“Ever since, the Abandoned Mines Unit has proactively lowered open cut pit water levels by more than 950 megalitres of water to minimise the risk of a recurrence and downstream impacts in the Dee River.

“The Department of Natural Resources and Mines has improved the capacity and efficiency of the site’s lime-dosing water treatment plant which - together with four water evaporators operating on site - are treating and removing up to 5.6 megalitres of pit water each day.

“The site’s seepage interception system captures more than 95% of surface seepage across the site and returns it to sump ponds for later treatment,” he said.

 Media contact: Paul Lynch 0488 719728