Metropolitan Coal Project Independent ... - Peabody Energy

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
METROPOLITAN COAL PROJECT INDEPENDENT ENVIRONMENTAL AUDIT
The Independent Environmental Audit for compliance with Project Approval 08_0149 and other
environmental approvals for the Metropolitan Coal Project was carried out during December 2011 and
February 2012, by a team of experienced and independent experts endorsed by the Director-General.
The audit review, assessment of the documentation and performance of the Metropolitan Coal
operations demonstrated a high degree of compliance with the Project Approval and other
environmental approvals granted for the project.
Air Quality
Dust management at the Metropolitan Colliery surface facilities area is managed in a satisfactory
manner with monitoring results demonstrating compliance with the Project Approval and EPL criteria.
Blasting
No blasting activities have occurred on the surface operational areas of Metropolitan Coal leases.
Biodiversity
To date no impacts on threatened species, populations or ecological communities have been
recorded from the various monitoring programs. The location for majority of monitoring sites is
considered adequate but some suggestions are provided to improve the ongoing monitoring.
Monitoring of environmental values that are likely to represent important habitat for threatened
species, populations or ecological communities have been undertaken within the study area (including
surface water quality and flow, cliffs, steep slopes, upland swamp groundwater etc.). Short term
effects observed in some of parameters are attributable to natural variation as the changes have been
observed in both control and potential impact sites.
Erosion and Sediment Control
The procedures that have been developed within the management plans provide a sound basis for
erosion and sediment control for surface activities conducted by Metropolitan Coal.
Groundwater
The project is compliant with the conditions relating to groundwater management. None of the
performance measures or performance limits relating to groundwater were exceeded during the 2010-
2011 period.
Subsidence
Based on the review of the Extraction Plan, AEMR documents for 2010 and 2011, and the End of
Panel Report for LW20, Metropolitan Coal has complied with the Project Approval conditions for mine
subsidence impact management during the audit period.
Surface Water
The surface water quality discharges to Camp Creek were compliant with the EPL criteria during
2010-2011 except for one TSS and one pH excursion (January 2010 and August 2010 respectively).
Rehabilitation
The rehabilitation strategy and rehabilitation monitoring program for proposed works is considered
appropriate for long term management of the Metropolitan Coal mining activities.
6 trevor brown & associates
applied environmental management consultants
aemc