Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) Assessment Report .

Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)assessment report under theEnvironmental Protection Act 1994Drake Coal Project proposed by Drake Coal Pty Ltd(A wholly owned subsidiary of QCoal Pty Ltd)

Prepared by: Statewide Environmental Assessments, Department of Environment and Heritage Protection State of Queensland, 2013.The Queensland Government supports and encourages the dissemination and exchange of its information. The copyright in thispublication is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Australia (CC BY) licence.Under this licence you are free, without having to seek our permission, to use this publication in accordance with the licenceterms.You must keep intact the copyright notice and attribute the State of Queensland as the source of the publication.For more information on this licence, visit .enIf you need to access this document in a language other than English, please call the Translating and Interpreting Service (TISNational) on 131 450 and ask them to telephone Library Services on 61 7 3170 5470.This publication can be made available in an alternative format (e.g. large print or audiotape) on request for people with visionimpairment; phone 61 7 3170 5470 or email library@ehp.qld.gov.au .September 2013

Table of Contents1Introduction .12Description of the Project .23The EIS process .63.1EIS process timelines .63.2Approvals .83.3Consultation program.93.3.1Public consultation .93.3.2Advisory body .93.3.3Public notification .103.44Matters considered in the EIS assessment report .113.4.1The final TOR.113.4.2The submitted EIS .113.4.3Properly made submissions .113.4.4The standard criteria .123.4.5Prescribed matters for EIS assessment report .133.4.6Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 .13Adequacy of the EIS in addressing the TOR.144.1Introduction .174.2Project need and alternatives .174.3Project description .174.4Climate .174.5Land .184.5.1Topography/geomorphology .184.5.2Resource utilisation.184.5.3Land use .194.5.4Soil types and land suitabilities .194.5.5Good quality agricultural land .214.5.6Strategic cropping land .224.5.7Land contamination.224.5.8Land disturbance .224.5.9Rehabilitation and decommissioning .234.5.104.6Landscape character and visual amenity .24Transport .254.6.1Road.254.6.2Rail .284.6.3Ports .284.7Waste .294.7.1Excavated waste rock .294.7.2Coarse rejects and fine coal tailings disposal .31iii

EIS Assessment Report for the Drake Coal Project proposed by Drake Coal Pty Ltd (A wholly owned subsidiary of QCoal Pty Ltd)4.7.3Excavated waste rock and fine coal tailings characterisation .324.7.4Sewage waste.334.7.5Other solid and liquid waste .334.8Surface water resources .354.8.1Identified surface water values .354.8.2Potential surface water impacts and proposed mitigation measures .354.9Groundwater resources .394.9.1Identified groundwater values .394.9.2Potential groundwater impacts and proposed mitigation measures .404.10Air quality .424.10.1Identified air environmental values .424.10.2Potential air impacts and proposed mitigation measures .424.10.3Greenhouse gas .444.11Noise and vibration .454.11.1Identified acoustic environmental values .454.11.2Potential noise impacts and proposed mitigation measures .464.12Ecology .474.12.1Identified ecological values .484.12.2Potential ecological impacts and mitigation measures .494.12.3Biodiversity offset strategy .534.13Cultural heritage.544.13.1Indigenous cultural heritage .554.13.2Non-indigenous cultural heritage .554.14Social .554.14.1Identified social values .554.14.2Potential social impacts and mitigation measures .564.15Health and safety .584.16Economic .594.16.1Identified economic values .594.16.2Potential economic impacts and proposed mitigation measures .604.17Hazard and risk .614.17.1Potential hazard and risk impacts .614.17.2Proposed hazard and risk mitigation measures .624.18Matters of National Environmental Significance .644.18.1Identified MNES .644.18.2Impacts of the project on MNES .654.18.3Offsets for MNES .674.18.4Feasible project alternatives .684.18.5Commonwealth Independent Expert Scientific Committee .69Points 1 to 3 of the IESC advice (Surface water-groundwater interaction and cumulative impacts) .70Point 4 of IESC advice (Proximity of co-disposal dam to the Bowen River) .71iv

EIS Assessment Report for the Drake Coal Project proposed by Drake Coal Pty Ltd (A wholly owned subsidiary of QCoal Pty Ltd)Point 5 of the IESC advice (Flood protection and leachate from the initial co-disposal dam) .72Point 6 of the IESC advice (Local and regional water quality impacts) .73Point 7 of the IESC advice (Cumulative impacts on downstream water resources) .735Adequacy of the Environmental Management Plan (EM Plan) .746Recommendations about the suitability of the project .757Recommendations for conditions for any approval .7587.1Environmental Protection Act 1994 (EP Act) .757.2Approvals under other legislation .75Approved by.76Appendix 1 - Requirements sought by the Department of Transport and Main Roads .77Appendix 2 - Recommended conditions for the Drake Coal Project environmental authority (resource activities)79List of tablesTable 1 – Mining pit rehabilitation and remaining surface area of non-beneficial land useTable 2 – Projected areas of disturbanceTable 3 – Timeline for the Drake Coal Project EIS processTable 4 – Approvals required for the Drake Coal ProjectTable 5 – Changes to Queensland government departmentsTable 6 – Summary of the EIS in addressing the TORTable 7 – A description of land units on-site and their use for rehabilitationTable 8 – Land suitability ratings at the project siteTable 9 – Expected traffic generation to the project site during construction and operationTable 10 – Waste rock descriptions, tonnages and percentagesTable 11 – Volume of lithological waste rock groups within each stratigraphic unit and corresponding number ofsamples analysedTable 12 – Coarse reject and fine coal tailings tonnages and percentagesTable 13 – Impacted values and proposed strategic remnant offsets for the Drake Coal ProjectTable 14 – Public health and safety values for the Drake Coal ProjectTable 15 – Outputs from the EPBC Act offsets assessment guide impact calculatorList of figuresFigure 1 – Drake Coal Project location and mine layoutFigure 2 – Cross-section of levee buttress proposal around West Pit 1 final voidFigure 3 – Target coal seams for the Drake Coal ProjectFigure 4 – Location of Twelve Mile Gully diversion and associated flood protection infrastructureFigure 5 – Risk and significance matrixFigure 6 – Consequence and likelihood definitionsv

EIS Assessment Report for the Drake Coal Project proposed by Drake Coal Pty Ltd (A wholly owned subsidiary of QCoal Pty Ltd)List of acronyms and abbreviationsAADT – average annual daily trafficAEP – annual exceedance probabilityAHD – Australian height datumANZECC – Australian and New Zealand Environment Conservation CouncilARI – average recurrence intervalARMCANZ – Agriculture and Resource Management Council of Australia and New ZealandASLP – Australian standard leaching procedureBCM – bank cubic metresBOS – biodiversity offset strategyCHMP – cultural heritage management planCHPP – Coal handling and preparation plantDNRM – Department of Natural Resources and MinesDrake – Drake Coal Pty LtdDSA – design storage allowanceDSITIA – Department of Sciences, Information Technology, Innovation and the ArtsDTMR – Department of Transport and Main RoadsDWT – Deadweight tonnesEA – environmental authorityEHP – Department of Environment and Heritage Protection (formerly Department of Environment and ResourceManagement)EIS – environmental impact statementEM Plan – environmental management planEP Act – Queensland Environmental Protection Act 1994EPBC Act – Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999ERA – environmentally relevant activityESA – equivalent standard axleGQAL – good quality agricultural landha – hectaresHEV – high ecological valueIESC – Independent Expert Scientific Committee (Commonwealth)NCA - Nature Conservation Act 1992km – kilometreskm/h – kilometres per hourkV – kilovoltsm – metresMAW – mine affected watermg – milligramsMIA – mining industrial areaML – megalitresMNES – Matters of national environmental significanceMt/y – million tonnes per yearvi

EIS Assessment Report for the Drake Coal Project proposed by Drake Coal Pty Ltd (A wholly owned subsidiary of QCoal Pty Ltd)NQBPC – North Queensland Bulk Ports Corporation port authorityPMF – probable maximum floodQAS – Queensland Ambulance ServiceQBOP – Queensland Biodiversity Offset PolicyRIA – road impact assessmentROM – run-of-mine coalSCL – strategic cropping landSCR – state-controlled roadSEIS – supplementary environmental impact statementSEWPAC – Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities (AustralianGovernment)SPP – state planning policySPQ – single persons quarterst – tonnesTIA – Transport Infrastructure Act 1994TOR – terms of referencevii

EIS Assessment Report for the Drake Coal Project proposed by Drake Coal Pty Ltd (A wholly owned subsidiary of QCoal Pty Ltd)1 IntroductionThis report provides an evaluation of the environmental impact statement (EIS) process pursuant to Chapter 3 ofthe Environmental Protection Act 1994 (EP Act) for the Drake Coal Project proposed by Drake Coal Pty Ltd (DrakeCoal). Drake Coal is a wholly owned subsidiary of QCoal Pty Ltd. The Department of Environment and HeritageProtection (EHP) (formerly the Department of Environment and Resource Management) coordinated the EISprocess as the administering authority for the EP Act. This assessment report has been prepared pursuant tosections 58 and 59 of the EP Act.The objectives of this assessment report are to: address the adequacy of the environmental impact statement and the environmental management plan; summarise key issues associated with the potential adverse and beneficial environmental, economic and socialimpacts of the Drake Coal Project and the management,

process as the administering authority for the EP Act. This assessment report has been prepared pursuant to sections 58 and 59 of the EP Act. The objectives of this assessment report are to: address the adequacy of the environmental impact statement and the environmental management plan;