November 2004 (PDF 11.6 MB) - Barrick Gold Corporation

Cowal Gold Project – Noise Management Plan2 LEGISLATIVE AND APPROVAL REGIME2.1 CONDITIONS OF AUTHORITY ML 1535The Department of Mineral resources (DMR) has requirements in the Conditions of Authority forMining Lease (ML) 1535 that relate to noise reporting:Annual Environmental Management Report (AEMR)26. (1) Within 12 months of the commencement of mining operations and thereafter annually or, atsuch other times as may be allowed by the Director-General, the lease holder must lodge anAnnual Environmental Management Report (AEMR) with the Director-General.(2) The AEMR must be prepared in accordance with the Director-General's guidelines current atthe time of reporting and contain a review and forecast of performance for the preceding andensuing twelve months in terms of:(a)(b)(c)(d)(e)(f)the accepted Mining Operations Plan;development consent requirements and conditions;Environment Protection Authority and Department of Land and Water Conservationlicences and approvals;any other statutory environmental requirements;details of any variations to environmental approvals applicable to the lease area; andwhere relevant, progress towards final rehabilitation objectives.(3) After considering an AEMR the Director-General may, by notice in writing, direct the leaseholder to undertake operations, remedial actions or supplementary studies in the mannerand within the period specified in the notice to ensure that operations on the lease area areconducted in accordance with sound mining and environmental practice.(4) The lease holder shall, as and when directed by the Minister, cooperate with the Director-General to conduct and facilitate review of the AEMR involving other government agenciesand the local council.This condition is addressed in Section 17.2.2 LEGISLATIONProtection of the Environment Operations Act 1997The Protection of the Environment Operations Act 1997 makes it an offence to operate any plant(other than control equipment) at those premises in such a manner as to cause the emission of noisefrom those premises if the noise is caused by the occupier’s failure to maintain the plant in an efficientcondition, or to operate the plant in an efficient manner.Also relevant to this NMP under section 148 of the Protection of the Environment Operations Act1997, a duty is imposed on certain persons to notify the DEC or local council where a pollutionincident occurs in the course of an activity so that material harm to the environment is caused orthreatened. The persons upon whom the duty is imposed include the person carrying on the activityand the occupier of premises on which the incident occurs.HAL-02-07/1/NMP01-P/17/11/04 5 BARRICK