Chatham Rock Phosphate Hamilton October 2014 Overview Mining - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Chatham Rock Phosphate

Hamilton

October 2014

Overview

 Mining method  Benefits to NZ  Key effects and mitigation  Sustainable management of NZ’s natural resources

Mining method

Boskalis is the technology partner Existing technology with flexible connections

Benefits to NZ

 Only major NZ rock phosphate deposit  Replace some of the 1m tonne imports – mostly from

Morocco/Western Sahara

 $900m value to NZ – (NZIER)  Import substitution & exports - $250m annually  Environmental benefits of end product – low cadmium &

direct application means less nutrient run-off to water

 New industry – undersea mining

Sediment plume

The size and distribution of the sediment plume drives all effects beyond the mining site All experts agreed:

 Sediment model is appropriate and conservative  The model takes into account an appropriate level of chalk  If the amount of fine material doubled, the plume would be

within the bounds of the original plots

Benthic communities and coral

Unavoidable impact in mined areas But:

• CRP will protect the most

important areas

• Area mined each year is small
• CRP proposes environmental

compensation

Coral Communities and Mining Plan

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coral communities

(1700 m buffer)

mining blocks no-mining areas

So what about BPAs?

• Created by fishing industry for

fishing industry, not equivalent to marine reserves

• Set aside areas not actively

bottom trawled

• Prohibit bottom trawling only,

not any other activity

• Same or better biodiversity

protection can be achieved

Chatham Rise ecosystem

 No reduction in primary productivity  Key habitats within area protected through no-mining

areas

 Size of affected area is small

Scale is important

Fishing

Fishing experts agreed:

• The marine consent area is not important area for

commercial fish species or spawning

• “Worst-case” fish stock modelling showed low to

negligible effect on major fish stocks

Marine mammals

Sound:

• Mammals expected to move away
• Exclusion zone prevents any physical effects

Operational considerations:

• Collision and entanglement unlikely to pose a risk
• 30 years of observations indicates that area is not

an important habitat for baleen whales (most sensitive group of marine mammals)

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Seabirds

• No biological

attractors to vessel

• Best practice

lighting mitigation plan

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Toxicology and radiology Experts agreed that:

• Toxicology effects in water column will be very low
• Radiological risk for marine life is negligible
• No biomagnification of uranium or other metals in fish, but

CRP will monitor it anyway

• Uranium accumulation in soils has and will continue to
• ccur from use of all phosphatic fertilisers; this is a long-

term national issue

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Balancing exercise

• CRP’s project provides

unique opportunity for NZ

• Benefits are significant
• Environmental risks are

low or can be managed properly

• Consistent with

“sustainable management”

Thank you