Legend one step closer

By Kim Waters
Updated November 1 2012 - 3:01pm, first published October 8 2012 - 12:00am

STATE government has put their stamp of approval on a multi-million dollar open cut phosphate mine earmarked for north-west of Mount Isa. Environment and Heritage Protection Minister Andrew Powell said his department had completed an Environment Impact Statement (EIS) for the Paradise South Phosphate Project. Mr Powell said his department would now draft an Environmental Authority to provide "strict environmental conditions" for the construction and operation of the mine."These conditions will include requirements for surface water and groundwater management and monitoring, waste management and the rehabilitation of mined area."He said the mine would produce up to seven million tonnes of rock phosphate each year with an operating expenditure of around $200 million a year over 20 years."Concentrated phosphate ore will be produced on-site before being shipped form the site for sale to domestic export markets," he said."The benefit to the regional economy will be approximately $150 per year."While the EIS process is now finalised, Paradise South will need to obtain some final approvals form EHP and other government agencies before construction can commence."Mount Isa Mayor Tony McGrady said it would be a "long journey" to secure the necessary approvals.Cr McGrady said he was delighted with the sanction for the project."This project will provide 420 jobs for our city and will give encouragement to Mount Isa and the company to resolve the outstanding issues," he said."It's great news for the city and is another step in the long journey to securing the project's necessary approvals."Legend International Holdings, the owner of Pardise Phosphate Limited in North West Queensland, did not return The North West Star's call for comment before the paper went to print. A pdf document titled Legend International Holdings Inc. Paradise Phosphate Projects September 2011 on Legend's website said the company had put forward the Environmental Impact Statement in August 2011. The document said demand for phosphate was high in China and India, with "many other countries...now importing or will be in the future".The document listed positive benefits of phosphate mining, including that phosphate fertilisers increased crop yields and that developing economies were increasing their consumption of phosphate.

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