Wambo Coal AEMR 2010-2011 - Peabody Energy

2010-2011 AEMR1.0 Introduction1.1 ScopeThis Annual Environmental Management Report(AEMR) details the environmental performance ofWambo Coal Pty Limited (WCPL) mining,construction and rail activities for the period from 1July 2010 to 30 June 2011. WCPL is required toprepare and submit an AEMR in accordance withthe Department of Trade and Investment, RegionalInfrastructure and Services (DTIRIS), Guidelinesand Format for Preparation of an AnnualEnvironmental Management Report Version 3,January 2006.The preparation of this AEMR, also satisfy’s theAnnual Review requirements under DevelopmentApplications (DA) 305-7-2003 and 177-8-2004.Table 1.0 displays each Annual Review requirementand where the requirements are addressed withinthe AEMR. The AEMR also satisfy’s theEnvironment Protection and BiodiversityConservation (EPBC) Act, 1994 approvalEPBC/1138, and the approved SubsidenceManagement Plan (SMP) for Longwalls (LW) 1-6.An aerial photo and locality plan for the mine isshown in Figure 1.1.1.2 BackgroundWCPL is owned by Peabody Energy Australia PtyLimited (75%) and Sumiseki Materials Co, Ltd (25%- Net profit B class shares). WCPL is an Open Cutand Underground mining operation locatedapproximately 15 kilometres (km) west of Singletonnear the locality of Warkworth. It is bounded byWollombi Brook to the east, coal mining operationsto the north, grazing land to the south and northwest and the Wollemi National Park to the west andsouth west.WCPL was granted development consent by PatrickPlains Shire Council in 1969 with Open Cut andUnderground mining commencing shortly after.Subsequent development consents issued in 1972,1974 and 1977 covered a range of early Open Cutand Underground operations. Singleton ShireCouncil (SSC) approved extensions to miningoperations, construction activities and modificationsto road haulage rates in the period between 1980and 1991.In July 1991, a Development Application (DA) waslodged with SSC seeking approval for the expansionof Open Cut and Underground mining activities andthe consolidation of earlier development consents.Development consent was granted in February1992.The Homestead Underground Mine commenced in1979 and operated until 1999. In 2003 the mineentries were sealed.The Wollemi Underground Mine commencedproduction in 1997 and was placed under care andmaintenance in October 2002 after the availablelongwall reserves were exhausted.Open Cut operations were suspended betweenMarch 1999 and August 2001. Following theclosure of the Wollemi Underground Mine, OpenCut operations were expanded to maintain anoverall production rate of 3 million tonnes perannum (Mtpa) of product coal. Development of theNorth Wambo Underground Mine (the Underground)commenced in November 2005, with longwalloperations commencing in October 2007.Coal from the Open Cut and the Undergroundoperations is washed at the Coal Handling andPreparation Plant (CHPP). Until June 2006 productcoal was transported by highway rated trucks viathe Golden Highway to the Mount Thorley CoalLoader for rail transport to the Port of Newcastle.The construction and commissioning of the WCPLRail Development (WRD) in May 2006, whichincludes the rail line from Mount Thorley and WCPLrail spur and coal terminal, allows the direct railtransportation of all product coal from WCPL to thePort of Newcastle.United Colliery (United), owned by Xstrata CoalNSW, ceased longwall underground mining in theArrowfield Seam during the last reporting period.United underground mining previously occurredbeneath sections of WCPL’s Open Cut andUnderground operations. The last of United’s coalwas loaded by rail on 27 May 2010. United arecurrently under care and maintenance, whilstundertaking further exploration activities withinA444.Page 1