Zinc mine in phased return after Megan’s deluge

Glencore says it is working to safely return to normal operations at McArthur River Mine in the Northern Territory, after ceasing mining activity from the afternoon of March 18 due to the impact of Cyclone Megan. The cyclone passed to the east of the zinc mine early on March 19, dumping 274mm of rain over 24 hours - surpassing a 50-year-old rainfall record of 197mm for the site. The company said today that water remained in the bottom of the open pit from the significant rainfall, natural groundwater inflows and operational water being directed there for containment and management. "Mining operations in the upper areas of the mine are being safely brought back online in a phased manner," it stated. Related: Megan making her mark in Gulf of Carpentaria Glencore reported that the McArthur River Mine tailings storage facility had performed as designed and its structural integrity had not been compromised. The flood protection levee around the open pit also performed as per design. Workers stranded in admin buildings, vehicle swept off causeway Rising floodwaters last Wednesday saw the internal road between the MRM village and operational areas cut off, stranding 208 workers - including the management team - in administration buildings for the night. "All of these workers were safe and had access to dry shelter, plentiful food, water medical support and shower facilities throughout this time, as well as access to uninterrupted power," the company said. "On Thursday 21 March we constructed a temporary 4WD road connecting the operations area with the MRM village and we also used a helicopter to safely move people between these locations. All individuals had been relocated to the village by 7.30pm that day." The flooding on Wednesday also led to an incident where a vehicle carrying two workers was swept into the water when a causeway failed. "Our Emergency Response Team successfully rescued both workers, who were thoroughly assessed by medical teams. Both are physically well, though were understandably shaken from the event," the company stated. "Flooding at the causeway far exceeded any predictions from our extensive water inundation modelling and the workers were on their way back to camp when this incident occurred." The company said MRM was continuing to operate openly and transparently. "It has been a challenging period for people in the community as well as our workforce at the mine site. We continue to monitor, review, and assess all of our key infrastructure at site to continue to minimise impact to the environment." You might also like: https://industryqld.com.au/season-of-cyclones-takes-out-capricorn-copper/

Zinc mine in phased return after Megan’s deluge

Industry Queensland

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