EPA commences proceedings against Cadia gold mine
The NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA) has commenced proceedings in the NSW Land and Environment Court against Newcrest’s Cadia Holdings Pty Ltd’s (Cadia) gold mine in response to an alleged breach of section 128 of the Protection of the Environment Operations Act 1997 (POEO Act) in March 2022.
The EPA will allege that Cadia exceeded the standard of concentration for solid particles (total) under the Protection of the Environment Operations (Clean Air) Regulation 2021 as a result of operating mine surface exhaust fans.
The EPA is separately continuing to investigate a number of other alleged breaches regarding the management of emissions of dust at Cadia.
NSW EPA Chief Executive Officer Tony Chappel said this matter is just one of the EPA’s investigations into the management of emissions of dust and other air pollutants at Cadia mine.
“All mining operations have mandatory legal obligations regarding air emissions to protect the community and the environment, and the community should be able to have confidence that these obligations are being met,” Mr Chappel said.
The EPA is also conducting an extensive water, soil and air monitoring program to understand the potential for pollutants to make their way into the Cadia Valley community. The mine is also required to undertake vent emission monitoring regularly and provide a monthly report on dust discharge at the mine.
A first directions hearing is listed for 29 September 2023.
Prosecutions are one of the tools the EPA uses to achieve the best environmental or human health outcomes. Our regulatory approach includes a wide variety of options. Find out more about them here https://www.epa.nsw.gov.au/about-us/publications-and-reports/regulatory-strategy
Further information on the EPA’s regulation of Cadia mine and monitoring programs underway is available here: https://www.epa.nsw.gov.au/working-together/community-engagement/updates-on-issues/cadia-gold-mine.