Xstrata Copper North Queensland.pdf - Mount Isa Mines

Environmental performance
The NPI does not measure emissions into
the community itself and cannot be used
directly to determine the potential impact
of these emissions on the community and
the environment.
Due to the proximity of Xstrata Copper and
Xstrata Zinc’s mining, processing and smelting
operations in Mount Isa, emissions are
reported to the NPI as a single operational
footprint. As a result, Xstrata Mount Isa
Mines is comparable to the sum of multiple
individual mines and industrial facilities listed
on the NPI.
Xstrata Mount Isa Mines reported substantial
decreases in five of the six emissions
compounds to the NPI database for which it
was the major contributor for the 2009–10
period. This included decreases in beryllium,
arsenic, lead, antimony and sulphur dioxide.
These decreases were due to an improved
confidence in emissions estimates; a reduction
in feed through the copper smelter; a focus
on continuous environmental improvement;
and an increase in the treatment of gas at
Incitec Pivot’s acid plant, which takes sulphur
dioxide gas from the copper smelter and
turns it into liquid sulphuric acid. An increase
in cadmium emissions was due to a change in
the feed grade of the concentrates processed
in the zinc-lead processing stream.
A summary of Xstrata Mount Isa Mines’
reported emissions for which it was the major
contributor the previous year is outlined in
the table on this page.
Information on the NPI and estimated on-site
emissions at the source are available from
www.npi.gov.au.
Emissions reduction strategies
A number of major projects are underway
at Xstrata Mount Isa Mines to manage
emissions as well as to assess the potential
for impact from emissions, including the
Smelter Emissions Project, and the Lead
Pathways Study.
Smelter Emissions Project
Xstrata established a Smelter Emissions
Project team in 2007 to characterise
smelter emissions, identify opportunities
to significantly increase the capture
and treatment of emissions, and design
and implement controls to realise those
opportunities. As part of the Smelter
Emissions Project, Xstrata Copper has
been assessing the feasibility of and
progressively implementing opportunities
from over 120 emissions reduction initiatives.
North
RSL Club,
Barkly Highway
Xstrata
Mount Isa Mines
Kruttschnitt Oval
Incitec Pivot
acid plant car park
Summary of top eight of the most significant on-site emissions estimates as reported to
the National Pollutant Inventory (NPI)*
2009–10
Erap St
Miles St
FN Land,
Fourth Ave
Parkside Flats,
Railway Ave
Opal St
% change
to previous
year 2008–09
Sunset State School
Qld Country
Credit Union,
Camooweal St
Racecourse,
Simpson St
SO 2 Monitors
DERM Ambient
Metals Monitor
Hi-Volume Monitors
Outback at Isa
Brett Ave
% change
to previous
year 2007–08
Kookaburra St
% change
to previous
year
Antimony (t) 5 -34% 8 -60% 21 -21%
Arsenic (t) 18 -54% 40 -37% 64 -15%
Cobalt (t) 9 -86% 68 83 37 290%
Copper (t) 28 -71% 95 -72% 338 -18%
Cadmium (t) 12 42% 9 -17% 10 144%
Lead (t) 118 -44% 209 -21% 263 -15%
Sulphur dioxide (t) 176,103 -33% 262,626 5% 249,131 19%
Zinc (t) 71 -70% 238 -25% 316 -30%
* The Xstrata Mount Isa Mines NPI report includes on-site emissions estimates for the copper and zinc-lead
businesses in Mount Isa. Due to geographical location, George Fisher Mine and Handlebar Hill open cut
(both zinc-lead operations) submit separate reports.
Sustainability Report 2010 91