Mount Morgan Mine better prepared for wet season
Published Monday, 23 December, 2013 at 11:25 AM
Assistant Minister for Natural Resources and Mines
Ms Lisa France
The former Mount Morgan Mine site in central Queensland is now better prepared to handle the upcoming wet season thanks to works completed by the Queensland Government s Abandoned Mines Unit.
Assistant Minister for Natural Resources and Mines Lisa France said the Unit had worked through the year to implement a range of programs to minimise the risk of a repeat of the unprecedented water overflow event which occurred in January 2013.
“Ex-Tropical Cyclone Oswald dropped more than 900 millimetres of rain, equal to what would normally be an average year’s total rainfall, on the Mount Morgan Mine site in just three days,” Ms France said.
“Unfortunately, this 1 in 2000 year event lead to the first overtopping of untreated pit water from the pit spillway in the mine’s 100-year history.
“The Newman Government, however, is planning ahead and has proactively lowered the water levels in the former mine’s open cut pit by more than one metre since March 2013.
“This is a decrease of around 540 megalitres, or 220 Olympic-sized swimming pools.
“This drop reduces the risk of untreated pit water overtopping the spillway into the Dee River.”
Ms France said the Newman Government had also upgraded the onsite lime-dosing water treatment plant to increase its operational efficiency.
“The plant is now treating 2.7 megalitres of pit water each day to remove contaminants and neutralise the PH levels before the water enters the River,” she said.
“Four large evaporators operating onsite are also removing approximately another 1.9 megalitres per day from the open cut pit
“We have also completed additional works to make the mine site more resilient to future events.
“An additional pump has been installed at the open cut pit, the seepage interception system is fully operational, and a pump has been commissioned to operate during the wet season at Dam 8 to divert freshwater flows from northern catchments away from the open cut pit.
“We have also received welcome assistance from the Rockhampton Regional Council which provided concrete pipes to help improve road access across the mine site.
“These improvements across the mine site will enable staff to better respond to any situations that might develop during the wet season.”
The Department of Natural Resources and Mines will increase its water monitoring downstream of the Mount Morgan Mine site during the wet season.
The department will continue to work with the Department of Science, Information Technology, Innovation and the Arts to review strategies for the controlled release of water; and keeps local water users and the multi-agency Dee River Working Group informed about the management of any downstream impacts through the regular Dee River Alert.
More information about the abandoned Mount Morgan Mine project is available at: www.mines.industry.qld.gov.au/safety-and-health/abandoned-mine-lands-program.htm
[ENDS] 23 December 2013
Media contact: Eleisha Rogers 0413 375 088
Assistant Minister for Natural Resources and Mines Lisa France said the Unit had worked through the year to implement a range of programs to minimise the risk of a repeat of the unprecedented water overflow event which occurred in January 2013.
“Ex-Tropical Cyclone Oswald dropped more than 900 millimetres of rain, equal to what would normally be an average year’s total rainfall, on the Mount Morgan Mine site in just three days,” Ms France said.
“Unfortunately, this 1 in 2000 year event lead to the first overtopping of untreated pit water from the pit spillway in the mine’s 100-year history.
“The Newman Government, however, is planning ahead and has proactively lowered the water levels in the former mine’s open cut pit by more than one metre since March 2013.
“This is a decrease of around 540 megalitres, or 220 Olympic-sized swimming pools.
“This drop reduces the risk of untreated pit water overtopping the spillway into the Dee River.”
Ms France said the Newman Government had also upgraded the onsite lime-dosing water treatment plant to increase its operational efficiency.
“The plant is now treating 2.7 megalitres of pit water each day to remove contaminants and neutralise the PH levels before the water enters the River,” she said.
“Four large evaporators operating onsite are also removing approximately another 1.9 megalitres per day from the open cut pit
“We have also completed additional works to make the mine site more resilient to future events.
“An additional pump has been installed at the open cut pit, the seepage interception system is fully operational, and a pump has been commissioned to operate during the wet season at Dam 8 to divert freshwater flows from northern catchments away from the open cut pit.
“We have also received welcome assistance from the Rockhampton Regional Council which provided concrete pipes to help improve road access across the mine site.
“These improvements across the mine site will enable staff to better respond to any situations that might develop during the wet season.”
The Department of Natural Resources and Mines will increase its water monitoring downstream of the Mount Morgan Mine site during the wet season.
The department will continue to work with the Department of Science, Information Technology, Innovation and the Arts to review strategies for the controlled release of water; and keeps local water users and the multi-agency Dee River Working Group informed about the management of any downstream impacts through the regular Dee River Alert.
More information about the abandoned Mount Morgan Mine project is available at: www.mines.industry.qld.gov.au/safety-and-health/abandoned-mine-lands-program.htm
[ENDS] 23 December 2013
Media contact: Eleisha Rogers 0413 375 088