The Environment Protection Authority (EPA) has concluded its assessment of a proposal by D. N. Hughes for expansion of the mining lease boundary at Western Junction Quarry in the Northern Midlands Council municipality.
The proposal includes the southern expansion of the mining lease area, but there is no increase to existing rates of extraction or production. Blasting, crushing, screening and transport activities will continue as currently approved.
The EPA Director, Wes Ford, who made the determination under delegation from the EPA Board, concluded the proposed development can be managed in an environmentally sustainable and acceptable manner, with certain conditions. The Board requires these conditions to be included in any permit subsequently granted by the Northern Midlands Council.
“Various environmental issues were considered by the Board in its assessment, particularly noise and vibration emissions, air quality and water quality," Mr Ford said.
No representations were received in relation to the permit application. Public consultation was open for a 28-day period from 3 March 2022.
The proposal was considered by the Director in the context of the sustainable development objectives of the Resource Management and Planning System of Tasmania (RMPS), and in the context of the objectives of the Environmental Management and Pollution Control System (EMPCS) established by the EMPC Act.
The functions of the EPA are to administer and enforce the provisions of the EMPC Act, to further the RMPS and EMPCS objectives and, in particular, to use its best endeavours to protect the environment of Tasmania.
The Director undertook the assessment of the proposal in accordance with the Environmental Impact Assessment Principles defined in Section 74 of the Act.
The Director's environmental assessment report, including the environmental conditions, has been issued to the applicant and Northern Midlands Council.
The decision by the EPA Director in relation to D N Hughes, Western Junction Quarry, Southern Expansion is now published.